Clinical and instrumental assessment of herniated discs after nucleoplasty: a preliminary study

When to perform vertebroplasty? A retrospective analysis from a single center and a review of the literature

BACKGROUND AND AIM

To establish an optimal timing for vertebroplasty in order to obtain a clinically important pain reduction and improving quality of live in patients with osteoporotic or traumatic vertebral fractures.

METHODS

This study includes 22 vertebroplasty procedures performed from October 2018 to July 2020 in 21 patients with traumatic or osteoporotic vertebral fractures (19 female, two men; age between 53 and 89 years). All treatments were executed under fluoroscopic guidance using 11 or 13 G needle through transpedicular or costovertebral unilateral approach. Each patient underwent conscious sedation, continuously monitored by an anesthesiologist. Preoperative MRI images, obtained by 3T or 1.5T MRI scanner, always showed bone marrow edema. The VAS scale and Roland Morris disability questionnaire (RMdq) were administered to patients before and after the treatment to evaluate pain and life quality.

RESULTS

7 patients were treated in the first month after the injury, one was treated twice; 8 patients in the second month, 6 in the third. We observed a reduction of: 5.5 points in the vas scale, 10.3 in the RMdq in the first month; 5.6 points vas, 11.6 points RMdq in the second month; 4 points vas and 9.75 points RMdq in the third month.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demostrated that, in our preliminary experience, vertebroplasty has the best outcome if performed at 2 months from injury.

Efficacy of Single Level Versus Double Levels Surgery of Percutaneous Disc Nucleoplasty (PDN) Approach in Treating Lumbar Disc Herniation

Background

Although percutaneous disc nucleoplasty (PDN) has been widely applied in treating lumbar disc herniation (LDH) in recent years, the efficacy of surgical levels for PDN on LDH has been reported in limited studies. This study aimed to explore and compare the efficacy of surgical levels (single level vs double level) of PDN in treating LDH.

Material/Methods

All patients diagnosed with LDH from January 2012 to December 2014 in our hospital who underwent PDN were included in this study. Patients were divided into a single-level group and double-level group based on the number of discs/surgical treatment levels. The improvement of visual analog scale (VAS) score, patient satisfaction, and reoperation occurrence were compared between the 2 groups.

Results

Of 105 total patients, 75 patients were treated with single-level treatment and 30 patients with double-level treatment. VAS for leg pain and patient satisfaction scores in the double-level group were worse than those in the single-level group at 6 months after surgery (P<0.05). Among all 105 patients, the incidence of reoperation was 11.4%. Also, there was a marked difference in reoperation occurrence at 6 months after surgery between the single-level (6.7%) and double-level (23.3%) groups; however, the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.05).

Conclusions

PDN is a safe and minimal-invasive approach, which could effectively treat LDH. The number of surgical levels might be an important factor influencing the efficacy of PND. Caution should be exercised to strictly follow the clinical indications for nucleoplasty.

Percutaneous cervical coblation as therapeutic technique in the treatment of algo-dysfunctional pain of discal herniation

OBJECTIVE

To confirm the validity of coblation nucleoplasty in reduction of cervical discogenic nature.

STUDY DESIGN

In a monocentric prospective clinical observational study recruiting 20 patients, treated with percutaneous coblation for cervical discogenic pain in 16 months in our hospital, we have clinically evaluated 18 patients. The pain was scored with the Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) in a pre-procedural questionary, 3/4 monthly follow-up from treatment and, finally, in a long-term follow-up 2 years after procedure.

RESULTS

The mean pre-procedural VAS score was 7.9 ± 1.6 (95%-Confidence Interval 7.198-8.634), while the mean post-procedural score after 3-4 months has been 2.5 ± 3.1 (95%-Confidence Interval 1.089-3.965) and 2.5 ± 2.5 (95%-Confidence Interval 1.367-3.687) after 2 years. Among 18 patients, in the shortly post-treatment follow-up, nine had a complete pain relief, four had a > 50% VAS reduction, two hada < 50% VAS reduction, three did not have any variation of VAS; after 2 years, six patients had a total pain resolution, eight had a > 50% VAS reduction, two hada < 50% VAS reduction, two did not have any benefit. No peri- and post-procedural complication has been observed.

CONCLUSIONS

In a spite of a little sample, our results showed coblation as a valid therapeutic option to reduce cervical discogenic pain in medicine-refractory patients, as an alternative or a previous choice before a more invasive surgical treatment.

Image-guided percutaneous mechanical disc decompression for herniated discs: a technical note

Interventional radiology plays a key role in the treatment of symptomatic herniations of intervertebral discs. Through image-guided techniques, it is possible to use minimally invasive procedures with a percutaneous approach that are usually proposed before classic surgery. Thanks to imaging guidance, it is possible to significantly increase accuracy and decrease complication rates. The pivotal principle of these mini-invasive techniques is to remove a small amount of volume of the nucleus of the intervertebral disc which results in a significant reduction in intradiscal pressure; allowing for a consequent reduction in compression of the nervous structures that generate spinal pain. However, it must be considered that this type of treatment is only addressed to contained disc herniations previously diagnosed with a suitable neuroimaging examination. There are different types of treatment using a variety of chemical, thermal or mechanical processes that result in partial removal of the nucleus pulposus. The purpose of this technical note is to illustrate mechanical disc decompression treatment via a percutaneous approach using the DISKOM device (DISKOM percutaneous discectomy probe, Biopsybell, Mirandola, Italy). Indications, complications and various methods of use are described in relation to the different levels of the spine to be treated.