• Title/Summary/Keyword: Fragmentectomy

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Fragmentectomy versus Conventional Microdiscectomy in Single-Level Lumbar Disc Herniations : Comparison of Clinical Results and Recurrence Rates

  • Baek, Geum-Seong;Kim, Yeon-Seong;Lee, Min-Cheol;Song, Jae-Wook;Kim, Sang-Kyu;Kim, In-Hwan
    • Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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    • v.52 no.3
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    • pp.210-214
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    • 2012
  • Objective : This retrospective study aimed to compare clinical outcomes in terms of pain relief and recurrence rate between fragmentectomies and conventional microdiscectomies in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods : Between January 2008 and May 2011, a total of 175 patients met the inclusion criteria of this study. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of back and radicular pains were recorded before surgery, 2 and 6 weeks after surgery. Recurrence was defined when a patient had the same pattern of preoperative symptoms and was confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging. Results : Seventy-four patients (42.3%) were suitable for fragmentectomy, and 101 patients underwent conventional microdiscectomy. There were no significant differences in VAS scores between the fragmentectomy and conventional microdiscectomy groups 2 and 6 weeks after surgery. During the follow-up period, 3 patients (4.05%) in the fragmentectomy group and 7 patients (6.93%) in the conventional microdiscectomy group relapsed. Conclusion : If patients are selected according to well-defined criteria, fragmentectomy can be a good surgical option for LDH, in the physiological aspect of preserving healthy intervertebral disc materials.