Herniated Disc Research Articles

Spontaneous regression of sizable herniated cervical disc

Spontaneous regression of sizable herniated cervical disc

Influence of Preoperative Disability on Outcomes Following Primary Surgical Treatment of Cervical Disc Herniation.

Retrospective review. To evaluate how preoperative disability influences patient-reported outcomes (PROs) following primary surgical intervention for cervical herniated disc. The effect of baseline disability has been evaluated for various spinal surgeries, but not specifically for primary cervical herniated disc. A prospectively maintained single surgeon database was retrospectively reviewed to identify patients who underwent primary cervical spine surgery for herniated nucleus pulposus. Demographics, perioperative data, and baseline/postoperative PROs were collected including Neck Disability Index (NDI), Visual Analog Scale-Arm/Neck (VAS-A/N), 12-Item Short Form Mental/Physical Component Scores (SF-12 MCS/PCS), Patient-Reported Outcome Measure Information System-Physical Function (PROMIS-PF), and 9-Item Patient-Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Baseline NDI <50/≥50 defined 2 cohorts. ΔPROs were determined at 6-week postoperatively/final follow-up (average 11.8±7.7 postoperative months). Overall rates of minimal clinically important difference (MCID) achievement were determined for each PRO. Perioperative characteristics/demographics/baseline PROs were compared with χ2 tests (categorical variables)/the Student t test (continuous variables). Intercohort postoperative PROs/ΔPROs/MCID attainment rates were compared with multivariate linear regression (continuous variables)/multivariate logistic regression (categorical variables) accounting for differences in insurance type. Of 190 patients, there were 69 in the NDI ≥50 group. Patients with NDI ≥50 were more likely to have workers' compensation, or Medicare/Medicaid insurance (P<0.001) and report worse baseline PROs (P≤0.001, all). After controlling for insurance type, NDI ≥50 patients continued to report worse PROs at 6 weeks/final follow-up (P≤0.037, all), except PROMIS-PF at 6 weeks postoperatively. NDI ≥50 patients reported greater NDI improvements at 6 weeks (P=0.007) and final follow-up (P<0.001). NDI ≥50 patients experienced higher overall MCID achievement rates for PHQ-9/NDI (P≤0.015, both). NDI ≥50 patients reported worse baseline mental/physical health and neck/arm pain and continued to report inferior postoperative outcomes including disability. Despite inferior absolute outcomes, NDI ≥50 patients reported greater improvements/achievement of clinically significant differences in disability through final follow-up. Further, these patients were more likely to experience clinically significant improvements in depressive burden.

COMPARING THE CLINICAL OUTCOMES OF LUMBAR TRANSFORAMINAL VS INTERLAMINAR EPIDURAL STEROID INJECTIONS IN A REGISTRY COHORT

Epidural steroid injections are a safe and effective treatment for acute low back pain associated with radicular pain. Objective: The main objective of the study is to find the clinical outcomes of lumbar transforaminal vs interlaminar epidural steroid injections in a registry cohort. Methods: This prospective cohort study was carried out at Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital, Lahore, over one year, from June 2023 to June 2024. A total of 185 patients were included in the study. Patients aged &gt;18 years and presented with symptoms of lumbar radiculopathy due to lumbar disc herniation, spinal stenosis, or degenerative disc disease were included in the study. Results: The mean age of the TFESI group was 45.6 ± 10.3 years, while the ILESI group had a mean age of 46.2 ± 9.8 years (p = 0.67). The gender distribution was also comparable, with 55 males and 37 females in the TFESI group, and 58 males and 35 females in the ILESI group (p = 0.78). Baseline pain intensity (VAS score) and disability (ODI score) were similar between the two groups, with no significant differences in VAS (7.6 ± 1.1 vs. 7.5 ± 1.2, p = 0.58) or ODI (52.4 ± 10.2 vs. 51.9 ± 9.9, p = 0.71). In the TFESI group, 52.2% of patients had lumbar disc herniation, compared to 49.5% in the ILESI group (p = 0.69). Lumbar spinal stenosis was diagnosed in 32.6% of patients in the TFESI group and 34.4% in the ILESI group (p = 0.81). Conclusion: It is concluded that both lumbar transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TFESI) and interlaminar epidural steroid injections (ILESI) are effective in the management of lumbar radiculopathy, leading to significant reductions in pain and improvements in functional outcomes.

Clinical Outcomes and Complications of Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis With a Comparison to Full-Endoscopic Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy.

The unilateral biportal endoscopic posterior cervical foraminotomy (UBE-PCF) has been recently adopted for unilateral radiating arm pain due to cervical herniated intervertebral disc or foraminal stenosis. We systematically meta-analyzed clinical outcomes and complications of the UBE-PCF and compared them with those of full-endoscopic PCF (FE-PCF). We systematically searched the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science until February 29, 2024. Clinical outcomes and complications of the UBE-PCF and FE-PCF were collected and analyzed using the fixed-effect or random-effects model. Clinical outcomes of the UBE-PCF were compared with minimal clinically important difference (MCID) following PCF to evaluate the efficacy of UBE-PCF. Ten studies were included in the meta-analysis. In the random-effects meta-analysis, the Neck Disability Index (NDI), visual analogue scale (VAS) neck, and VAS arm were significantly decreased after the UBE-PCF (p<0.001). The improvement of NDI, VAS neck, and VAS arm were significantly higher than MCID (p<0.05). The improvement of NDI, VAS neck, and VAS arm were not significantly different between the UBE-PCF and FE-PCF (p>0.05). Overall incidence of complications of the UBE-PCF was 6.2% (24 of 390). The most common complication was dura tear (2.1%, 8 of 390). The incidence in overall complications was not significantly different between the UBE-PCF and FE-PCF (p=0.813). We found that the UBE-PCF significantly improved clinical outcomes. Regarding clinical outcomes and complications, the UBE-PCF and FE-PCF were not significantly different. Therefore, the UBE-PCF would be an advantageous surgical option comparable to FE-PCF for unilateral radiating arm pain.

Evolution of Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for Thoracic Disc Herniation: Towards Biportal Thoracoscopic Approach

This work aims to describe the evolution of the VATS approach from a multiportal access to a biportal access for thoracic herniated disc surgery. Thoracic disc herniation remains a challenging pathology for spine surgeons. Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS) of the thoracic spine was described in the 90s and represented an important technical leap by including minimally invasive options for thoracic pathology. Nowadays, VATS in thoracic surgery tends to evolve towards an even less invasive technique, from a multiportal approach to a biportal one. We describe the adoption of this approach for our spinal pathology in three patients. We use a two-port VATS. The largest (approximately 5 cm) with an Alexis retractor ® and a second port (1.5 cm) just for the camera. The three patients started walking in less than 24 hours, and none suffered any complications related to the approach. All of them reported tolerable pain at the surgical site. Changing our previous VATS system from 3 to 5 ports was relatively easy regarding the surgical technique. This access allows the surgeon to manipulate the instrumentation confidently, and the camera does not fog up as often. Extracting a piece of rib is unnecessary, and theoretically, we only manipulate one or at most two intercostal nerves, so the patient's recovery is favorable.

Эффективность применения Контрапаина-10® (нефопама гидрохлорида) при мультимодальной анальгезии собак

Purpose of the research: to estimate the effectiveness of nefopam hydrochloride (Contrapain-10®) as a part of multimodal analgesia in pre- and intraoperative period of dogs, and to find out whether this medicine will reduce the number of anesthetics used during the intraoperative period. Materials and methods: the study included 34 dogs; 2 groups (n = 17) were formed from patients with diagnosed herniated discs of varying severity in different departments. All animals were subject to surgical treatment: group A (control group with nefopam hydrochloride) and B (experimental group without nefopam hydrochloride). For group A dogs in the preoperative period a non-opioid analgesic of central action, nefopam hydrochloride, was introduced into the multimodal analgesia scheme at a dosage of 0.3…0.5 mg/kg of body weight intramuscularly with an assessment of the analgesic effect. For dogs of group B (control) A standard multimodal analgesia protocol was used without the nefopam hydrochloride. During the intraoperative period, patients' pain levels were assessed using numerical hardware parameters (the main components of monitoring are ECG, frequency of respiratory movements, heart rate, noninvasive blood pressure, pulse oximetry, thermometry), as well as visual monitoring. Physiological parameters, pain and degree of sedation were assessed during the whole surgical operation and intermediate results were recorded every 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180 minutes. Estimation of clinical effectiveness of the medicine was evaluated based on the results of the pain assessment (from 1 to 5), general condition and values of vital parameters recorded during surgery. Results: Contrapain-10® promotes high-quality and safe anesthesia of patients both during surgery and in the postoperative period. At the same time, the consumption of opioid and non-opioid analgesics is minimal.

Contrasted the clinical and radiological results of patients receiving cage-based bone grafting with PLIF surgical treatment that included bone grafting

Aims: Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) is frequently used to treat spinal instabilities that can cause neurological symptoms, leg pain and low back pain including lumbar stenosis, degenerative disc disease and spondylolisthesis in which one vertebra slips over another. This study aimed to compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of PLIF for degenerative L4 unstable grade III spondylolisthesis using bone grafts and cage bone grafts. Methods: Between from September 2021 to August 2023, 30 patients with degenerative lumbar spine disorders were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria for PLIF. Results: We enrolled 30 patients and divided them into 15 groups (bone graft group I and Cage bone graft group II). The follow-up period was 2 years. Low back pain and leg function of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score showed significant improvement (p &lt;0.005) at 3 months and at the final postoperative (62.1±5.5, 602±5.1) in both groups. The fusion rate was 93% in group I and 83% in group II. Radiological evaluation showed significant changes in slip angle, disc height, lumbar lordosis and translational motion from preoperative to final follow-up in both groups. A computer tomography (CT) revealed bilateral spondylolysis, disc collapse and anterolisthesis of the fifth lumbar vertebra. These results were verified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There was no spinal canal stenosis. Conclusion: This finding suggests that successful clinical and radiological results can be obtained with PLIF surgery using either a cage with bone or a bone graft alone. The surgeon's inclination, the particular state of the patient and the resources at hand may influence which of the two approaches is used. The results showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of clinical and radiological outcomes (bone graft and cage with bone graft). This indicates that neither strategy showed a clear edge over the others in the criteria under study and both were equally successful in yielding favorable outcomes.

Vascular loops mimicking herniated lumbar discs: fair warning.

The authors report their experience with twenty-one consecutive patients who presented with symptoms and imaging characteristics of a herniated lumbar disc; of whom, at the time of surgery had a vascular loop instead. The procedure was performed on 14 women and seven men with a mean age of 39years. Clinical complaints included lumbar aching with one limb overt radiculopathy in all patients; with additional sphincter dysfunction in two cases. Symptoms had developed within a mean period of three months. In all patients, the disc was exposed through an L5-S1 (n = 10); L4-L5 (n = 5) and L3-L4 (n = 6) open minimal laminotomy. In 16 patients, rather than a herniated disc they had a lumbar epidural varix, while an arterio-venous fistula was found in the remaining five cases. In all cases, the vascular disorder was resected and its subjacent disc was left intact. One patient had a postoperative blood transfusion. While the radiculopathy dysfunction improved in all patients, four patients reported lasting lumbar pain following surgery. The postoperative imaging confirmed the resolution of the vascular anomaly and an intact disc. The mean length of the follow-up period was 47months. Either epidural varix or arterio-venous fistula in the lumbar area may mimic a herniated disc on imaging studies. With the usual technique they can be operated safely. Resection of the anomaly can be sufficient for alleviating radiculopathy symptoms.

Lumbar intervertebral disc detection and classification with novel deep learning models

Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent spinal issue, affecting eight out of ten individuals. Notably, lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) abnormalities frequently contribute to LBP. To diagnose LBP, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is crucial for obtaining detailed spinal images. This paper employs deep learning (DL) to detect and locate lumbar IVD in sagittal MR images. It further classifies lumbar IVDs as healthy or herniated, utilizing both novel convolutional neural network (CNN) and conventional CNN models. The dataset utilized comprises MR images from 32 patients, with 10 exhibiting healthy discs and the remaining 22 posing a mix of healthy and herniated discs, totaling 160 lumbar discs, incorporating 112 healthy and 48 herniated discs. In this study, ResNet-50 architecture in the Novel Lumbar IVD detection (NLID) model served as the feature extractor to segment the five lumbar IVDs from MR images. The features extracted from ResNet-50 were input into YOLOv2 for the identification of the region of interest (ROI). The findings indicate that optimal performance was achieved at the 22nd Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) activation layer, boasting a remarkable 99.59% average precision, 97.22% F1-score, 94.59% precision, and a perfect 100% recall. This commendable performance consistently held above the 85% threshold until the 22nd ReLU activation layer. Regarding imbalanced dataset classification, AlexNet emerged as the frontrunner among other pre-trained networks, boasting the highest test accuracy of 90.63%, and an impressive F1 score of 88.77%. Meanwhile, the Novel Lumbar IVD Classification (NLIC) model achieved superior results with 93.75% test accuracy, and 92.27% F1-score. In the setting of the balanced dataset, NLIC achieved 96.88% test accuracy, and 96.46% F1-score with fewer epochs compared to AlexNet, affirming the robustness of the novel trained-from-scratch network. These findings distinctly underscore the effectiveness of CNNs in both medical image segmentation and classification.

On the suitability of additively manufactured gyroid structures and their potential use as intervertebral disk replacement - a feasibility study.

Intervertebral disk degeneration is a growing problem in our society. The degeneration of the intervertebral disk leads to back pain and in some cases to a herniated disk. Advanced disk degeneration can be treated surgically with either a vertebral body fusion or a disk prosthesis. Vertebral body fusion is currently considered the gold standard of surgical therapy and is clearly superior to disk prosthesis based on the number of cases. The aim of this work was the 3D printing of Gyroid structures and the determination of their mechanical properties in a biomechanical feasibility study for possible use as an intervertebral disc prosthesis. Creo Parametric 6.0.6.0 was used to create models with various Gyroid properties. These were printed with the Original Prusa i3 MK3s+. Different flexible filaments (TPU FlexHard and TPU FlexMed, extrudr, Lauterach, Austria) were used to investigate the effects of the filament on the printing results and mechanical properties of the models. Characterization was carried out by means of microscopy and tension/compression testing on the universal testing machine. The 3D prints with the FlexHard and FlexMid filament went without any problems. No printing errors were detected in the microscopy. The mechanical confined compression test resulted in force-deformation curves of the individual printed models. This showed that changing the Gyroid properties (increasing the wall thickness or density of the Gyroid) leads to changes in the force-deformation curves and thus to the mechanical properties. The flexible filaments used in this work showed good print quality after the printing parameters were adjusted. The mechanical properties of the discs were also promising. The parameters Gyroid volume, wall thickness of the Gyroid and the outer wall played a decisive role for both FlexMed and FlexHard. All in all, the Gyroid structured discs (Ø 50mm) made of TPU represent a promising approach with regard to intervertebral disc replacement. We would like to continue to pursue this approach in the future.

Is Close Supervision by a Senior Surgeon Necessary During the Initial Days of Performing Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy? A Retrospective Comparative Study between Two Fellowship Trained Surgeons to Assess the Learning Curve.

Endoscopic lumbar discectomy is a minimally invasive technique with a steep learning curve. The studies in the literature base the learning curve on the operative duration. We conducted this study to determine the learning curve based on the presence or absence of supervision by an experienced surgeon. This study involved two spine surgeons (surgeon A and surgeon B), who after their fellowship training from the same institute started practising in two different hospitals with different settings. The data of the first 80 patients operated by these two surgeons were extracted, and the patients were followed up for a minimum of 1 year. The data were split into first 30 cases and late 50 cases, which were compared to see the difference between the two surgeons. The first 30 cases were evaluated between the two surgeons, and the most significant difference between the two was the operative duration. There was difference between the two surgeons in approach towards migrated and foraminal/extra foraminal discs (P = 0.02). The surgeon B started operating on upper lumbar levels in his later 50 cases, but the foraminal and extraforaminal disc herniations were rarely treated by surgeon B. Endoscopic discectomy when supervised by senior faculty helps to reduce the operative duration especially in the initial phases of a surgeon's career. The surgeon under the supervision of a senior faculty performs more of migrated and foraminal herniated discs.

Current Status and Challenges of the Evidence for Cupping Therapy in Clinical Practice Guidelines in Korea

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) published in Korea were reviewed to evaluate up-to-date evidence and the recommendations for cupping therapy (CT) to inform clinicians and researchers for future studies. There were 14 CPGs (allergic rhinitis, ankle sprain, cervical pain, chronic low back pain, cold hands and feet, facial nerve palsy, Hwabyung, knee osteoarthritis, lumbar herniated intervertebral disk, migraine, osteoporosis, postoperative syndrome, shoulder pain, and traffic accident injury) with 29 recommendations for CT determined from “low” to “moderate” rated evidence. The levels of evidence were mostly downgraded due to the risk of bias and imprecision. The majority of recommendations for CT were graded as B or C. This comprehensive analysis underscores the imperative need for robust clinical research, including randomized controlled trials and observational studies using real-world data to enhance the quality of the evidence for CT. In addition, recommendations providing definite phases or scope of the target conditions/diseases and treatment regimens should be employed. This work lays a foundational step towards integrating CT into evidence-based clinical practice, emphasizing strategic directions for future research to bridge the gap between evidence and practice.

Three-dimensional finite element analysis of lumbar disc herniation under different body positions

To campare biomechanical effects of different postural compression techniques on three-dimensional model of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) by finite element analysis. Lumbar CT image of a 48-year-old female patient with LDH (heighted 163 cm, weighted 53 kg) was collected. Mimics 20.0, Geomagic Studio, Solidwords and other software were used to establish three-dimensional finite element model of LDH on L4,5 segments. Compression techniques under horizontal position, 30° forward bending and 10° backward extension were simulated respectively. After applying the pressure, the effects of compression techniques under different positions on stress, strain and displacement of various tissues of intervertebral disc and nerve root were observed. L4, 5 segment finite element model was successfully established, and the model was validated. When compression manipulation was performed on the horizontal position, 30° flexion and 10° extension, the annular stress were 0.732, 5.929, 1.286 MPa, the nucleus pulposus stress were 0.190, 1.527, 0.295 MPa, and the annular strain were 0.097, 0.922 and 0.424, the strain sizes of nucleus pulposus were 0.153, 1.222 and 0.282, respectively. The overall displacement distance of intervertebral disc on Y direction were -3.707, -18.990, -4.171 mm, and displacement distance of nerve root on Y direction were +7.836, +5.341, +3.859 mm, respectively. The relative displacement distances of nerve root and intervertebral disc on Y direction were 11.543, 24.331 and 8.030 mm, respectively. Compression manipulation could make herniated intervertebral disc produce contraction and retraction trend, by increasing the distance between herniated intervertebral disc and nerve root, to reduce symptoms of nerve compression, to achieve purpose of treatment for patients with LDH, in which the compression manipulation is more effective when the forward flexion is 30°.

Use of machine learning for the identification of degenerate and herniated discs. Is it superior to traditional radiological assessment?

Use of machine learning for the identification of degenerate and herniated discs. Is it superior to traditional radiological assessment?

Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy for Upper Lumbar Disc Herniation versus lower lumbar disc herniation: clinical outcomes and technical consideration

BackgroundUpper lumbar disc herniation (ULDH) accounts for 1-10% of all lumbar disc herniations (LDH). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with ULDH who underwent percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy (PTED) compared with those with lower LDH.Methods60 patients with ULDH or L4–L5 LDH treated with PTED between May 2016 and October 2021. MacNab criteria, visual analog scale (VAS) of back pain and leg pain, and Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) were evaluated before and after surgery.ResultsIn the L1–L3 group, 59.1% of the patients had a positive femoral nerve tension test, and 81.8% of the patients had a sensory deficit. Both groups showed significant improvements in VAS scores for low back and leg pain, and JOA scores postoperatively. No significant differences in the degree of improvement were observed between the two groups. The excellent/good rate was 81.8% in the L1–L3 group and 84.2% in the L4–L5 group, showing no significant difference.ConclusionPTED has comparable efficacy in treating ULDH as it does in treating lower LDH, it is a safe and effective treatment method for ULDH.

Surgical Treatment of Calcified Thoracic Herniated Disc Disease via the Transthoracic Approach with the Use of Intraoperative Computed Tomography (iCT) and Microscope-Based Augmented Reality (AR).

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study is to present our experience in the surgical treatment of calcified thoracic herniated disc disease via a transthoracic approach in the lateral position with the use of intraoperative computed tomography (iCT) and augmented reality (AR). Materials and Methods: All patients who underwent surgery for calcified thoracic herniated disc via a transthoracic transpleural approach at our Department using iCT and microscope-based AR were included in the study. Results: Six consecutive patients (five female, median age 53.2 ± 6.4 years) with calcified herniated thoracic discs (two patients Th 10-11 level, two patients Th 7-8, one patient Th 9-10, one patient Th 11-12) were included in this case series. Indication for surgery included evidence of a calcified thoracic disc on magnet resonance imaging (MRI) and CT with spinal canal stenosis of >50% of diameter, intractable pain, and neurological deficits, as well as MRI-signs of myelopathy. Five patients had paraparesis and ataxia, and one patient had no deficit. All surgeries were performed in the lateral position via a transthoracic transpleural approach (Five from left side). CT for automatic registration was performed following the placement of the reference array, with a high registration accuracy. Microscope-based AR was used, with segmented structures of interest such as vertebral bodies, disc space, herniated disc, and dural sac. Mean operative time was 277.5 ± 156 min. The use of AR improved orientation in the operative field for identification, and tailored the resection of the herniated disc and the identification of the course of dural sac. A control-iCT scan confirmed the complete resection in five patients and incomplete resection of the herniated disc in one patient. In one patient, complications occurred, such as postoperative hematoma, and wound healing deficit occurred. Mean follow-up was 22.9 ± 16.5 months. Five patients improved following surgery, and one patient who had no deficits remained unchanged. Conclusions: Optimal surgical therapy in patients with calcified thoracic disc disease with compression of dural sac and myelopathy was resectioned via a transthoracic transpleural approach. The use of iCT-based registration and microscope-based AR significantly improved orientation in the operative field and facilitated safe resection of these lesions.

Vertebral Endplate Defects Induced Mechanical Alterations and Disc Calcification.

Cross sectional comparative study. The current study aims to explore the calcification potential (BMP2 expression) of intervertebral discs and its association with the presence of vertebral endplate defects visible on MRI. Forty-seven herniated lumbar disc samples obtained from patients aged 20-76 (31M/16F) undergoing surgery. Five-µm thin sections were stained with H&E in order to assign a histological degeneration score (HDS) from 0-15 on the basis of cell density (0-5), structural alterations (0-4), granular changes (0-3) and mucus degeneration (0-3). Sections were immuno-stained with anti BMP-2 antibodies to observe the calcification potential in these discs. In addition, pre-operativeT2-T1 W MRI images of the lumbar spine were analyzed for the presence and type (typical or atypical) of vertebral endplate defects, grade of disc degeneration (Pfirrmann grade I-V), presence of high intensity zones (HIZ), and Modic changes at the operated level. Vertebral endplate defects, Modic changes & HIZ were observed in 81%, 29% and 21% of patients respectively. Mean HDS & BMP-2 expression was 9 ± 2 and mean 71 ± 36spots/mm2 respectively. Discs with adjacent vertebral endplate defects showed increased cell density (P = .004), mucus degeneration (P = .002), HDS (P = .01) and BMP-2 expression (P = .01). Discs with HIZ also had increased HDS, but significance was seen with increased BMP2 expression (P = .006). HDS showed a positive correlation with BMP 2 expression (r = .30, P = .04). These findings suggest that the altered mechanical environment of discs is strongly associated with BMP-2 expression which is an important marker of intervertebral disc calcification.

Comparative outcomes of obese and non-obese patients with lumbar disc herniation receiving full endoscopic transforaminal discectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the impact of full endoscopic transforaminal discectomy (FETD) on clinical outcomes and complications in both obese and non-obese patients presenting with lumbar disc herniation (LDH).MethodsA systematic search of relevant literature was conducted across various primary databases until November 18, 2023. Operative time and hospitalization were evaluated. Clinical outcomes included preoperative and postoperative assessments of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, conducted to delineate improvements at 3 months postoperatively and during the final follow-up, respectively. Complications were also documented.ResultsFour retrospective studies meeting inclusion criteria provided a collective cohort of 258 patients. Obese patients undergoing FETD experienced significantly longer operative times compared to non-obese counterparts (P = 0.0003). Conversely, no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed in hospitalization duration, improvement of VAS for back and leg pain scores at 3 months postoperatively and final follow-up, improvement of ODI at 3 months postoperatively and final follow-up. Furthermore, the overall rate of postoperative complications was higher in the obese group (P = 0.02). The obese group demonstrated a total incidence of complications of 17.17%, notably higher than the lower rate of 9.43% observed in the non-obese group.ConclusionThe utilization of FETD for managing LDH in individuals with obesity is associated with prolonged operative times and a higher total complication rate compared to their non-obese counterparts. Nevertheless, it remains a safe and effective surgical intervention for treating herniated lumbar discs in the context of obesity.

ПОПЕРЕКОВА ДИСКЕКТОМІЯ З ДЕКОМПРЕСІЄЮ КАНАЛУ ЗА СИСТЕМОЮ DESTANDAU ENDOSPINE

Lumbar disc herniation is a common disease. There is severe pain in the buttock and leg, which may persist for more than 6 weeks even after conservative treatment. Currently, there are several surgical techniques for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation, ranging from laminectomy to microdiscectomy. The main advantages of endoscopic discectomy include: cosmetic appeal, minimally invasive nature, better visualization, shorter hospital stay and faster recovery. Objective. This article reviews discusses the management of patients with degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine by Destandau Endospine system. The authors shares his experience of the surgical technique and the results of percutaneous endoscopic discectomy using the Destandau system during the treatment of 51 patients with herniated disc and canal stenosis in the lumbar spine. The main advantages of the Destandau endoscopic system are a small skin incision and minimal damage to soft tissues. This is a minimally invasive intervention, which is applied through a skin incision 1.5–2 cm long. In order to ensure the accuracy and safety of the patient both before and during the operation, fluoroscopy is used. Under the control of an endoscope, the herniated intervertebral disc, free fragments of the disc are removed and the pinched nerve is released. Thus, rapid recovery is achieved during postoperative rehabilitation. Conclusions. The endoscopic system can be used to treat all types of intervertebral disc herniations and associated canal stenosis. It is a relatively safe procedure, provided proper preoperative planning and an experienced team of doctors. Most lumbar pathologies that are not related to instability can be successfully resolved with its help. The two main advantages of the Destandau endospinal system include minimally invasive surgery with minimal iatrogenic damage and excellent efficacy. In the case of its successful application, the recovery process is significantly shortened, without any restrictions for returning to everyday life.

A novel repair strategy using knotless squeeze anchors for lumbar disc herniation with endplate junction lesions under biportal endoscopic spinal surgery.

Annulus fibrosus-endplate (AF-EP) junction lesions are important determinants for lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Utilizing biportal endoscopic spinal surgery (BESS), we introduce a novel repair method using bioabsorbable PushLock anchors with suture fibers to stretch disconnected AF tissues to the vertebral cortex. The viewing and working portals are established to excise herniated disc materials causing radiculopathy. Through the working portal, a suture strand is passed through the intact AF tissue near the lesion and retrieved using the Suture Crossing Device. Then, the knotless suture limbs are secured into the cortical bone socket of the vertebral body with a PushLock anchor. The procedure is a simple, safe, and feasible knotless suturing technique for the treatment of LDH with AF-EP junction lesions.