Pediatric Lumbar Disc Herniation Research Articles

Pediatrics severe low back pain by disc herniation: an uncommon entity

BackgroundCommon severe back pain due to disc herniation is rare in the paediatric population which involves children under eighteen years of age. Paediatric lumbar disc herniation (LDH) cannot be considered the same disease as in adults, as it has potentially different natural and clinical backgrounds. The treatment of pediatric LDH is the other particularity of this condition. Indeed, in children, delaying surgery for a conservative treatment is justified. We report 3 cases treated in 8 years.Case presentationThree patients, two of whom were 14 years of age and one 17 years of age, were admitted for L5 or S1 lumbosciatica. A CT scan showed a lumbar disc herniation L5S1 associated with bi-isthmic lysis (and a transitional abnormality in 1 case or spina bifida occulta in 1 other case). The last patient had an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that showed a herniated L4L5 disc. The diagnosis of low back pain disc herniation was retained in two patients and that of disabling low back disc in one patient. Percutaneous discolysis in the two hyperalgesic cases and epidural corticosteroid infiltration in the disabling case were effective on lumbosciatica.ConclusionPaediatric common lomw back pain caused by a disc herniation with a hyperalgic or disabling character posed a therapeutic problem which were solved by the invasive approaches that must be given priority nowadays with children.

Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy for L5-S1 disc herniation based on image analysis and clinical findings: A retrospective review of 345 cases.

The effect of spinal anatomical anomalies on the efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) for disc herniation repair is unclear. This retrospective review aims to assess the safety and effectiveness of PELD for treating L5-S1 disc herniation with a range of characteristics and to determine the prevalence of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV) anatomical anomalies to facilitate pre-surgical planning. From July 2005 to June 2019, 345 patients with L5-S1 disc herniations were treated with PELD. The primary outcome was 1-year postoperative visual analogue scale scores for low back and lower limb pain. The secondary outcomes included the surgical approach used, lumbosacral bony anomalies, presence of a ruptured disc or severely calcified disc, pediatric lumbar disc herniation, recurrent disc herniation management, and the long-term outcome. visual analogue scale scores for most patients were significantly improved after surgery. The prevalence of LSTVs was 4.05% (14/345 patients) in lumbar sacralization and 7.53% (26/345 patients) in sacral lumbarization. The prevalence of ruptured and severely calcified discs was 18.55% (64/345) and 5.79% (20/345), respectively. The prevalence of pediatric lumbar disc herniation was 2.02% (7/345). The recurrence rate was 4.34% (15/345). Two durotomy cases without sequelae and 8 cases of lower limb dysesthesia lasting longer than 3 months postoperatively were reported. PELD is safe and effective for treating L5-S1 disc herniation, including cases complicated by calcified lumbar disc herniation, disc rupture with migration, and the presence of LSTV. Appropriate imaging is essential to identify case-specific factors, including the prevalent LSTV anatomical anomalies, before surgery.

Pediatric lumbar disc herniation: a report of two cases and review of the literature

BackgroundLumbar disc herniation (LDH) is not a common condition in children. Most reports on pediatric LDH concern the outcomes of surgeries performed in children in whom nonsurgical treatment failed while the outcome of nonsurgical treatment of LDH in children was rarely reported.Cases presentationCase 1: a 10-year-old girl presented with back pain and sciatica in her left leg for over 3 months. The physical examination revealed exacerbation of back pain by waist extension or flexion, and a positive Lasegue’s sign was revealed in her left leg. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed lumbar disc herniation at the L5/S1 level. She was diagnosed with LDH. After receiving nonsurgical treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for 30 days, the girl had mild low back pain and sciatica and the symptoms had resolved completely at the 3-month follow-up. There was no recurrence within the following 2 years. MRI performed 30 months later revealed that the herniated disc did not shrink significantly. However, she was totally asymptomatic at the follow-up performed 30 months later. Case 2: a 13-year-old boy presented with sciatica in his left leg for over 3 months. The physical examination revealed that Lasegue’s sign was positive in the left leg, the level of muscle strength in the left ankle plantar flexors was grade 4. MRI revealed a lumbar disc herniation at the L5/S1 level. He was diagnosed with LDH. The boy underwent 2 weeks of TCM treatment, and exhibited a favorable outcome: only mild pain was noticed in his left buttocks after walking for more than 15 min. He was asymptomatic at the 3-month follow-up and there was no recurrence within the next 3 years. MRI scan performed at 40 months later showed no significant resorption of the herniated disc. However, he was totally asymptomatic at the follow-up performed 40 months later.ConclusionsFor the nonsurgical treatment of pediatric LDH, resorption of herniated discs is not necessary for favorable long-term outcomes, and children with symptomatic LDH may become asymptomatic without resorption.

Efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy for pediatric lumbar disc herniation and degeneration on magnetic resonance imaging: case series and literature review.

ObjectivePediatric lumbar disc herniation (LDH), although uncommon, causes significant pain, discomfort, and sometimes disability. We examined the efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) for pediatric LDH and the degree of lumbar disc degeneration at 1 year after PELD.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the data of pediatric patients with LDH who underwent PELD from December 2007 to July 2018. The patients’ symptoms, physical examination findings, clinical images, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and perioperative results (blood loss, length of hospital stay, and complications) were obtained from the medical records. Lumbar disc degeneration was graded using the modified Pfirrmann grading system at the 1-year postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination.ResultsSix boys and four girls who underwent PELD were evaluated. The patients’ mean age was 15.6 years (range, 13–17 years). The mean VAS score for low back pain, mean VAS score for lower limb pain, and mean ODI preoperatively and 1 year postoperatively were 6.2 and 0.3, 6.9 and 0.5, and 20 and 0.1, respectively. MRI showed significant disc degeneration after PELD.ConclusionsTreating pediatric LDH with PELD is safe and effective. It relieves pain and reduces disability. However, lumbar disc degeneration still occurs.

Microsurgical Excision of Herniated Lumber Disc in Pediatric Population

Lumbar disc herniation is a relatively rare disorder among children and adolescent population compared to adults. The objectives of this work are to study the lumbar disc herniation in pediatric population and determine the surgical outcome of lumbar microdiscectomy in such population. Patients and methods: A series of 32 pediatric patients less than 18 years operated by microdiscectomy at Mansoura University hospital during the period from January 2005 to March 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical presentation, physical signs, predisposing factors, radiological investigations and operative findings were retrieved from medical records. Improvement of pain was assessed by visual analogue scale. Results: The study included 17 females (53.1%) and 15 males (46.9%) ranging in age from 10 to18 years (mean, 14.2 year). The patients were followed up for periods ranging from three to 115 months (mean, 55 months). All patients had radicular pain (100%) with additional back pain in twenty one patients (65.63%), twenty eight patients (87.5%) presented by sciatic pain while six patients (18.75%) showed femoral neuralgia. Straight leg raising test was positive in 90.62%. L4/5 was the commonest affected level in eighteen patients (56.25%) while twelve patients (37.5%) had disc herniation at L5-S1 level and only two patients had herniation at L3-4 disc level. Family history of lumbar disc herniation in first degree relative was positive in twenty one patients (65.63%). History of relevant trauma was documented in only twelve patients (37.5%). During surgery the disc was soft, rubbery and well hydrated in 90.6% of cases. Subligamentous disc herniation was observed in 81%, while 12.5% of patients had disc bulge with intact annulus and only 6.5% had extruded disc. All patients showed significant improvement of radicular pain at the time of discharge while back pain continued to improve during early postoperative follow up. Low back pain and radicular pain equally improved after three months despite instant postoperative improvement of radicular pain. Postoperative complications were rare and included one case of wound infection, one case of iatrogenic CSF leak and new neurological deficit in another case. Conclusion: Lumbar disc herniation in pediatric population differs from that of adults in many aspects. Microdiscectomy is safe and reliable procedure for management of pediatric lumbar disc herniation with good outcome and minimal morbidity

Lumbar Disc Herniation in Pediatric

Lumbar disc herniation is a common complaint among adults with degenerated lumbar intervertebral discs, however its incidence in childhood and adolescence is abundant. Findings recommended that pediatric lumbar disc herniation is dissimilar in numerous way from that in adults. It was confirmed that pediatric patients respond to conventional management less than adults, also the consequence of the operation continued to be acceptable for at least 10 years after the first surgery even though it seems to decline somewhat. This retrospective study was undertaken to determine the clinical outcome and the feature of lumbar disc prolapse in pediatric patients. 12 patients younger than 18 years were operated for lumbar disc prolapse in the period from 2012-2016. Patients preoperative data and radiological imaging, operative and postoperative follow up were reviewed. 12 patients were included in this study, 10 were male and 2 females, the average age was 15 years (ranging between 12 - 18 years). The average duration of the symptoms was 11 months. The average follow up was 14 months. All patients had a sciatica prior to surgery, 35% had motor deficit, and 60% had parasthesia. Conservative treatment failed in all patients. After surgery and follow up, improvement occurs in about 80% of patients, ranging from excellent to good, and 20% of patients with fair outcome. According to Pain Visual Analogue Scale, leg pain reduced from 90 - 30 and back pain from 80 - 35. Conclusion: Pediatric lumbar disc herniation is an uncommon object leading to hospitalization. About 0.1% - 0.2% of children and adolescence surgery for lumbar disc herniation in pediatric does not lead to chronic back pain or interfere with physical activity and is related to the excellent short consequence.

Pediatric Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Review of Manifestations, Diagnosis and Management

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a public complaint among adults with degenerated lumbar intervertebral discs. However, its incidence in childhood and adolescence is abundant. This dissimilarity designates that children are distant from being just little adults. Findings recommended that pediatric LDH is, in numerous ways, dissimilar from that in adults. The occurrence, the etiological and the diagnostic topographies of pediatric LDH have been entirely described in the text, while the features concerning the treatment have not been yet studied in details. It was confirmed that pediatric patients respond to conventional management less positively as matched with adults. Also, the consequences of the operation continued to be acceptable for at least 10 years after the first surgery, even though it seems to decline somewhat. The purpose of the current review is to offer a comparative view on the management of pediatric LDH.

Meta-analysis of lumbar disc herniation in Chinese adolescents

To provide evidence-based medicine rationales for the diagnosis and treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) in Chinese adolescents. The related medical literature of pediatric LDH between January 1990 and December 2012 was collected by retrospective searches of WANGFANG and CNKI databases. The data concerning mechanism, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment were recorded and analyzed. A total of 1208 cases of LDH in adolescents were retrieved from 45 articles. Most of them were males (74.2%). And the primary cause was trauma (65.9%). Their clinical presentations were characterized by mild symptoms and serious physical signs. And 87.0% of them had a positive straight-leg raising test. Single-level intervertebral disk protrusion accounted for 92%. And the levels were at L4-L5 (54.7%) and L5-S1 (37.6%). There was a higher incidence of lumbar scoliosis deformity (38.2%), lumbar spine physiological curvature change (41.4%) and loss of vertebral height (33.6%) in adolescents than adults. There were many different treatments for pediatric LDH. Each method had its own advantages and disadvantages. The success rates of micro endoscopic discectomy (MED) and open discectomy were more than 90%. Trauma is a common cause of pediatric LDH. Males are more frequently affected. The single-level protrusion of L4/5 or L5/S1 has a much higher incidence. Positive straight-leg raising test and imaging findings of lumbar scoliosis deformity, lumbar spine physiological curvature change and a loss of vertebral height may aid the diagnosis. Normally conservative treatment is offered. And chemonucleolysis, MED and open discectomy are alternative options.

Ring Apophysis Fracture in Pediatric Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Common Entity

Background/Aims: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) can be associated with ring apophysis fracture (RAF), which is found in 6% of adult cases. However, the incidence and management of RAF in pediatric LDH is not well documented. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of RAF in pediatric LDH, identify risk factors and explore the influence of RAF on the surgical management and outcome of LDH patients. Methods: Hospital records and images were retrospectively reviewed for all pediatric patients (<18 years old) who underwent CT scanning for LDH at BC Children's Hospital from 1985 to 2010. Results: Forty-two patients met the study inclusion criteria. RAF was present in 38% of the pediatric patients with LDH. There was a significant correlation with gender (p = 0.021; 55% of the males had RAF, and 20% of the females) and association with central herniations (p = 0.003). At the last follow-up, 58% of the patients with RAF were symptom free, compared with 68% of the patients with no RAF. Conclusion: RAF is more frequently associated with LDH in children than in adults. Gender and central disc herniation are associated with RAF. Given the frequency of RAF, to properly identify these fractures and anticipate their treatment, preoperative CT would be necessary.

Benign Neurological Recovery with Low Recurrence and Low Peridural Fibrosis Rate in Pediatric Disc Herniations after Lumbar Microdiscectomy

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a very rare clinical entity in the pediatric age group, therefore only a few clinical studies have until now investigated the clinical behavior of pediatric LDH. The natural clinical history, postoperative neurological recovery with radiological follow-up and quality of life related to the disorder continue to be unknown. We prospectively planned and designed two groups of LDH patients scheduled for surgery in this study. The operations were performed by the same surgeon in a randomized fashion. The first group consisted of pediatric patients and the second group of adult patients. Both groups contained 32 cases. Postoperative neurological recovery was assessed using the visual analog scale and Aberdeen Low Back Pain Scale. Postoperative peridural fibrosis was also evaluated in postcontrast magnetic resonance sections. After 3 years of follow-up, all parameters were significantly better in the pediatric LDH group with no recurrence of the disease. The pediatric LDH group was postoperatively better than the adult group both clinically and radiologically. Although LDH seems a catastrophic disease in the pediatric age group, the clinical picture and neurological recovery have a significantly more benign course than in adult patients even in operated cases.

Minimally invasive lumbar microdiscectomy in pediatric patients: a series of 6 patients

Lumbar disc herniation is rare in the pediatric age group, but may still cause a significant amount of pain and disability. Whereas minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for lumbar disc herniation is routinely performed in adults, it has not yet been described in the pediatric population. The purpose of this study was to describe the surgical results of pediatric MIS-treated lumbar disc disease. The authors retrospectively reviewed a series of 6 consecutive cases of lumbar microdiscectomy performed using MIS techniques between April 2008 and July 2010. Presenting symptoms, physical examination findings, and preoperative MR imaging results were obtained from medical records. Perioperative results, including blood loss, length of hospital stay, and complications were assessed. Findings at latest follow-up evaluation were also recorded. This report represents the first surgical series regarding pediatric lumbar microdiscectomies performed using MIS. The mean patient age was 16 years (range 14-17 years); there were 4 girls and 2 boys. Preoperative signs and symptoms of radiculopathic pain were notable in 100% of patients, and myotomal weakness was noted in 33% of patients. The first line of treatment in all patients was a period of conservative management lasting an average of 11.5 months (range 6-12 months). The mean intraoperative blood loss was 10.8 ml, and the mean postoperative length of stay was 1.3 days. There were no complications in this small series. The treatment of pediatric lumbar disc herniation by using MIS techniques can be safe and efficacious. However, further study with a larger number of patients and longer follow-up is needed to compare outcomes between MIS and open microdiscectomies.

Lumbar microdiscectomy in pediatric patients: a large single-institution series

Object Lumbar disc herniation is a rare but significant cause of pain and disability in the pediatric population. Lumbar microdiscectomy, although routinely performed in adults, has not been described in the pediatric population. The objective of this study was to determine the surgical results of lumbar microdiscectomy in the pediatric population by analyzing the experiences at Children's Hospital Boston over the past decade. Methods A series of 87 consecutive cases of lumbar microdiscectomy performed by the senior author (M.R.P.) from 1999 to 2008 were reviewed. Presenting symptoms, physical examination findings, and preoperative MR imaging findings were obtained from medical records. Immediate operative results were assessed including operative duration, blood loss, length of stay, and complications, along with long-term outcome and need for repeat surgery. Results This series represents the first surgical series of pediatric microdiscectomies. The mean patient age was 16.6 years (range 12–18 years) and 60% were female. The preoperative physical examination results were notable for motor deficits in 26% of patients, sensory changes in 41%, loss of deep tendon reflex in 22%, and a positive straight leg raise in 95%. Conservative management was the first line of treatment in all patients and the mean duration of symptoms until surgical treatment was 12.2 months. The mean operative time was 110 minutes and the mean postoperative length of stay was 1.3 days. Complications were rare: postoperative infection occurred in 1%, postoperative CSF leak in 1%, and new postoperative neurological deficits in 1%. Only 6% of patients needed repeat lumbar surgery and 1 patient ultimately required lumbar fusion. Conclusions The treatment of pediatric lumbar disc herniation with microdiscectomy is a safe procedure with low operative complications. Nuances of the presentation, treatment options, and surgery in the pediatric population are discussed.

A review of current treatment for lumbar disc herniation in children and adolescents.

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a common disorder among adults with degenerated lumbar intervertebral discs. However, its occurrence in childhood and adolescence is much less frequent mostly because children and adolescents tend to have a healthier lumbar spine as compared with adults. This difference indicates that children and adolescents are far from being just little adults. Over the years, there have constantly been published studies concerning this entity where the findings suggested that pediatric LDH is, in many ways, different from that in adults. To date, the prevalence, the etiological and the diagnostic features of pediatric LDH have been fully described in the literature whereas the characteristics regarding to the treatment is yet to be reviewed in details. The aim of the present review is to provide a collective opinion on the treatment of pediatric LDH as well as its outcome. It reviewed the relevant information available in the literature and compared the results among and within various treatments. It was found that pediatric patients responded less favorably to conservative treatment as compared with adults. In addition, the outcome of surgery remained to be satisfactory for at least 10 years after the initial operation, even though it appeared to deteriorate slightly. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first literature review focusing on the treatment of pediatric LDH.

4:05 27. Clinical course of tight hamstrings in children with lumbar disc herniation following surgical or nonsurgical treatments

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Lumbar disc herniation in children is characterized by the presence of tight hamstrings, which disturbs their physical activities. However, there are few reports on long-term observations of the clinical course of tight hamstrings following treatment of pediatric lumbar disc herniation.

小児腰椎椎間板ヘルニアに対する手術成績―Ｔｉｇｈｔ Ｈａｍｓｔｒｉｎｇｓの予後を中心として―

No clear analysis has yet been made to determine whether the postsurgical course of tight hamstrings is attributable to the surgery or to the natural course. This study examined whether or not tight hamstrings had improved in pediatric patients with lumbar disc herniation following surgical treatment. This study involved 21 patients who developed lumbar disc herniation under the age of 16 years and who manifested tight hamstrings on initial examination. The mean postoperative follow up period was 11 years and five months, ranging from one year to 19 years. In patients who underwent surgery, lower back pain and leg pain disappeared shortly after surgery. Tight hamstrings persisted postoperatively even after lower back pain and leg pain had disappeared. However, the symptoms gradually improved with regular stretching exercises and disappeared completely in all the patients between 3 months and 1 year after surgery. None of the patients who were followed up until adulthood suffered problems in daily life due to recurrence of tight hamstrings. In our study, although the long-term results of surgical treatment of pediatric lumbar disc herniation were favorable, tight hamstrings did not improve promptly with surgery alone.