BACKGROUND The surgical treatment of sciatica with discectomy is ineffective in a sizable percentage of patients, and reherniation occurs after 5% to 15% of such procedures. The purpose of the present study was to determine if competence of the disc anulus and the type of herniation could be used to predict postoperative clinical outcomes following lumbar discectomy. METHODS A prospective obs...

For evaluation of suspected infectious spondylitis, 19 consecutive patients underwent imaging-guided spine biopsy with needle aspiration and a percutaneous diskectomy device to determine if the diskectomy device provided diagnostic value. In 79% of cases, the diskectomy device yielded a specimen when needle aspiration failed. A significantly greater yield of specimen was observed with the diske...

PURPOSE To compare radiographic and clinical outcomes after anterior cervical discectomy in patients with cervical degenerative disc disease using PEEK cages or PMMA spacers with a minimum 1-year follow-up. METHODS Anterior cervical discectomy was performed in 107 patients in one or two levels using empty PEEK cages (51 levels), Sulcem PMMA spacers (49 levels) or Palacos PMMA spacers (41 leve...

Lumbar discectomy is the surgical procedure most frequently performed for patients suffering from low back pain and sciatica. Disc herniation as a consequence of degenerative or traumatic processes is commonly encountered as the underlying cause for the painful condition. While discectomy provides favourable outcome in a majority of cases, there are conditions where unmet requirements exist in ...

OBJECTIVE Recurrent lumbar disc herniation has been defined as disc herniation at the same level, regardless of ipsilateral or contralateral herniation, with a pain-free interval greater than 6 months. The aim of this study is to analyze outcomes and identify the potential risk factors for recurrent lumbar disc herniation. METHODS The authors retrospectively reviewed the cases of 178 patients...

BACKGROUND Cyclooxygenase inhibitor treatment is viewed increasingly critical because of safety considerations, and there are several open questions on their optimal use. METHODS In a randomized placebo-controlled study in 320 patients undergoing discectomy, we administered parecoxib 40 mg either perioperatively (before operation and after operation), after operation (first dose given in the ...

BACKGROUND Back pain is one of the most prevalent health problems for which physicians are consulted. Back pain has many economic impacts, such as sickness absences and long-term disability. The prevalence of major depression in patients with chronic low back pain is approximately 3 to 4 times greater than the prevalence rate reported in the general population. OBJECTIVES This study was desig...

Evidently disc surgery patients are at higher risk of suffering from depression and anxiety than the general population (1). The authors have concluded that the depression and disability scores of patients with chronic herniated discs before lumbar discectomy significantly decreased after surgery (2). It has long been known that patients with psychological comorbidities often incur long-term di...

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the cost and effects on quality of life [using quality-adjusted life years (QALYs)] of 2 treatments for sciatica secondary to lumbar disc herniation: chemonucleolysis and surgical discectomy. The design involved a combination of decision analysis and Rosser index, with assessment of probabilities from long term clinical series. Utility was...