Percutaneous intradiscal therapies are minimally invasive procedures developed to treat chronic low back pain and herniated nucleus pulposus–related radicular syndrome. These conditions are major causes of disability worldwide, often persisting despite conservative management. Techniques such as automated percutaneous lumbar discectomy, percutaneous laser disc decompression, nucleoplasty, intradiscal electrothermal therapy, condoliase injection, and experimental stem cell treatments aim to relieve symptoms by reducing intradiscal pressure or altering disc structure. Evidence from cohort studies shows variable but generally promising outcomes, with success rates ranging from moderate to high depending on the technique. However, robust randomized controlled trials remain limited, and some methods, including chemonucleolysis with chymopapain, have been abandoned. While these therapies offer less invasive alternatives to open surgery, their role in clinical practice is still debated due to concerns regarding patient selection, long-term efficacy, and complications. Ongoing research and standardized analysis of outcomes are needed to clarify their effectiveness and to define their place in the management of discogenic pain and radiculopathy.

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Patient Percutaneous Intradiscal Therapies

  • David Wilson,
  • Patrick A. Brouwer,
  • Barry Schenk

摘要

Percutaneous intradiscal therapies are minimally invasive procedures developed to treat chronic low back pain and herniated nucleus pulposus–related radicular syndrome. These conditions are major causes of disability worldwide, often persisting despite conservative management. Techniques such as automated percutaneous lumbar discectomy, percutaneous laser disc decompression, nucleoplasty, intradiscal electrothermal therapy, condoliase injection, and experimental stem cell treatments aim to relieve symptoms by reducing intradiscal pressure or altering disc structure. Evidence from cohort studies shows variable but generally promising outcomes, with success rates ranging from moderate to high depending on the technique. However, robust randomized controlled trials remain limited, and some methods, including chemonucleolysis with chymopapain, have been abandoned. While these therapies offer less invasive alternatives to open surgery, their role in clinical practice is still debated due to concerns regarding patient selection, long-term efficacy, and complications. Ongoing research and standardized analysis of outcomes are needed to clarify their effectiveness and to define their place in the management of discogenic pain and radiculopathy.