• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.258-262
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• 2005

Objective: The 5th lumbar spinal nerve can be entrapped in the intraspinal zone, foraminal zone, and the extraforaminal zone simultaneously. The failure to recognize that the nerve root can be compressed in such manners may be the reason of a number of failures of surgical decompression. Here we describe a microsurgical method for the decompression of the triple entrapment of the L5 spinal nerve in 21 patients. Methods: Clinical manifestations and surgical results of twenty-one patients treated surgically under the diagnosis of the triple entrapment of the L5 spinal nerve were reviewed retrospectively. All patients were treated by the posterior midline approach for the intraspinal entrapment and by the paraspinal approach for the foraminal and the extraforaminal entrapment. Results: Pain relief was obtained in all patients immediately after surgery. The mean follow-up period after the surgery was 13 months, ranged from 6 to 24 months. The mean Numeric Rating Scale (pain score) improved from 8.9 before the surgery to 1.4 (P<0.0001). The mean ODI scores improved from 76.2 before the surgery to 13.1 (P<0.0001). Nineteen patients were satisfied with their result at the last follow-up examination. Neither complications related to the surgery, nor the spinal instability was detected. Conclusion: The triple entrapment of the 5th lumbar spinal nerve is an important pathologic entity to identify for the treatment of L5 radiculopathy. Combined medial and lateral approaches are safe, minimally invasive and it provide the complete decompression of triple entrapment of the L5 spinal nerve without causing secondary instability like after complete facetectomy.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.194-200
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• 2013

Objective : Lumbar spine stenosis (LSS) can result in symptomatic compression of the neural elements, requiring surgical treatment if conservative management fails. Minimally invasive surgery has come to be more commonly used for the treatment of LSS. The current study describes outcomes of bilateral microdecompression by unilateral or bilateral laminotomy (BML) for degenerative LSS after a minimum follow-up period of 3 years and investigates factors that result in a poor outcome. Methods : Twenty-one patients who were followed-up for at least 3 years were included in this study. For clinical evaluation, the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scoring system for low back pain was used. The modified grading system of Finneson and Cooper was used for outcome assessment. Radiographic evaluation was also performed for spondylolisthesis, sagittal rotation angle, and disc height. Results : Twenty-one patients (10 men, 11 women) aged 53-82 years ($64.1{\pm}8.9$ years) were followed-up for a minimum of 3 years (36-69 months). During follow-up, two patients underwent reoperation. Average preoperative JOA score and clinical symptoms, except persistent low back pain, improved significantly at the latest follow-up. There were no significant differences in radiological findings preoperatively and postoperatively. Thirteen patients (61.9%) had excellent to fair outcomes. Conclusion : BML resulted in a favorable and persistent outcome for patients with degenerative LSS without radiological instability over a mid-term follow-up period. Persistent low back pain unrelated to postoperative instability adversely affects mid-term outcomes.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.112-117
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• 2007

Objective : Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty are two minimally invasive procedures for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the radiological findings and clinical outcomes between two procedures. Methods : Osteoporotic vertebral fractures were treated in 76 vertebrae, using kyphoplasty (n=35 vertebrae) and using vertebroplasty (n=41 vertebrae). Fractured vertebral bodies were diagnosed by correlating the clinical symptoms with radiologic study. The responses of pain symptoms were measured by a self-reported Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score. Plain X-rays were checked preoperatively and postoperatively at admission and 6 months. The vertebral body height and kyphotic angle were measured to assess the reduction of the sagittal alignment. Results : The mean pain scores were decreased significantly for both procedures postoperatively, but there were no significant differences between two groups. Kyphoplasty led to a significant reduction of the vertebral body height and improvement of kyphotic angle. There were no neurological deficits after kyphoplasty, but one patient experienced paraparesis after vertebroplasty. During the 6 months follow-up both procedures provided stabilization of the sagittal alignment. Conclusion : Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty are considered effective minimally invasive techniques for the stabilization of osteoporotic vertebral body fractures, leading to a statistically significant reduction in pain. Kyphoplasty significantly restore sagittal alignment. Also, complications and the incidence of bone cement leakage are significantly lesser than vertebroplasty. Therefore, kyphoplasty seems to be reasonable procedure for osteoporotic vertebral body compression fractures when medical treatment fail.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.36-43
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• 2011

Background: Nucleoplasty is a minimally invasive spinal surgery using a $Coblation^{(R)}$ technique that creates small voids within the disc. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cervical nucleoplasty in patients with cervical disc disorder. Methods: Between March 2008 and December 2009, 22 patients with cervical disc disorders were treated with cervical nucleoplasty after failed conservative treatment. All procedures were performed under local anesthesia, and fluoroscopic guidance and voids were created in the disc with the $Perc^{TM}$ DC Spine $Wand^{TM}$. Clinical outcomes were evaluated by the Modified Macnab criteria and VAS score at preprocedure, postprocedure 1 month, and 6 months. Results: Six patients had one, eight patients had two and eight patients had three discs treated; a total of 46 procedures was performed. Mean VAS reduced from 9.3 at preprocedure to 3.7 at postprocedure 1 month and to 3.4 at postprocedure 6 months. There was no significant complication related to the procedure within the first month. Outcomes were good or excellent in 17/22 (77.3%) cases. Postprocedure magnetic resonance imaging was acquired in two patients after two months showing morphologic evidence of volume reduction of protruded disc material in one patient but not in the other. Conclusions: Percutaneous decompression with a nucleoplasty using a $Coblation^{(R)}$ technique in the treatment of cervical disc disorder is a safe, minimally-invasive and less uncomfortable procedure, with an excellent short-term clinical outcome.

• Archives of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was evaluated the effects of nucleoplasty and chemonucleolysis, as interventional treatments for herniated intervertebral disc disease, on spinal tissues. Methods: Nucleoplasty using plasma beam and chemonucleolysis with collagenase were conducted on the spinal motion segments that were dissected from of human cadaver spine under fluoroscopic guidance. After the procedure, the intervertebral discs were transected, and the changes in gross findings were examined. Subsequently, the influence of the procedure on the nucleus pulposus, annuls fibrosus, and endplate was analyzed through a pathologic examination. Results: Nucleoplasty was confirmed to eliminate the local range of tissues in nucleus pulposus according to the procedure tract and to not affect other tissues. In chemonucleolysis, we found that collagenase diffused from the surgical site within the nucleus pulposus and was not present in the annulus fibrosus and endplate. Conclusions: The clinically-used interventional treatments that were investigated here were not found to do not cause additional damage to areas other than those targeted.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.87-94
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• 2000

Objective : Various surgical approaches have been implemented to fulfill the ideal goals of treatment for cervical spondylotic lesions. Conventional approaches are represented by anterior approach with or without fusion and posterior approach. The authors has applied newly developed anterior cervical microforaminotomy for these lesions on minimally invasive basis. Materials and Method : Twenty-one patients, with cervical HIVD, or stenosis, or both, underwent anterior cervical microforaminotomy between March, 1998 and April, 1999. Fifteen patients underwent unilateral decompression, and 6 bilateral decompression via unilateral foraminotomy. Operation of one level was performed in 16 patients, 2 levels in 4 patients, and 3 in 1 patient. The foraminotomy was accomplished by resecting the uncovertebral joint. Through this hole, compressed nerve root was decompressed by removing the spondylotic spur or disc fragment, and diagonal removing of posterior osteophyte from foraminotomy site to begining of contralateral nerve root made spinal cord decompression. Results : The outcome was excellent in 17 patients(81%) and good in 4 patients(19%) based on Odom's criteria. No complication was encounterd, and average post-operation hospital stay was 3.7 days. Conclusions : These results indicate that anterior cervical microforaminotomy provide adequate neural decompression, minimum postoperative discomfort and fast recovery.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.585-592
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• 2015

The objective of this study is to determine if when chymopapain is loaded onto a nano-carrier, an injection of it reduces the spreading range of the drug within the discs. The materials for the experiment, which were conducted for three weeks, included fifteen intervertebral discs taken from two cadavers, which were divided according to the types of injected chymopapain solutions as follows: ordinary chymopapain group and nano-carrier system group. The nano-carrier system group was again divided into two subgroups according to the types of pluronics, the basic material for the nano-carriers: Pluronic F 127(DA-PF 127) in the nano-carrier group and Pluronic F 68(DA-PF 68) in the nano-carrier group. The results showed that the action of chymopapain using a pluronic-based nano-carrier system was localized around the center of the injection site instead of broad spreading, compared to that of the ordinary chymopapain group (p<0.01). This characteristic suggests a possible application to effective agents for minimally invasive spinal treatment through which disc lesions were removed selectively.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.90-94
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• 2006

Objective : Acute vertebral burst fractures warrant extensive fixation and fusion on the spine. Osteoplasty [vertebroplasty with high density resin without vertebral expansion] has been used to treat osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. We report our experiences with osteoplasty in acute vertebral burst fractures. Methods : Twenty-eight cases of acute vertebral burst fracture were operated with osteoplasty. Eighteen patients had osteoporosis concurrently. Preoperative MRI was performed in all cases to find fracture level and to evaluate the severity of injury. Preoperative CT revealed burst fracture in the series. The patients with severe ligament injury or spinal canal compromise were excluded from indication. Osteoplasty was performed under local anesthesia and high density polymethylmethacrylate[PMMA] was injected carefully avoiding cement leakage into spinal canal. The procedure was performed unilaterally in 21 cases and bilaterally in 7 cases. The patients were allowed to ambulate right after surgery. Most patients discharged within 5 days and followed up at least 6 months. Results : There were 12 men and 16 women with average age of 45.3[28-82]. Five patients had 2 level fractures and 2 patients had 3 level fractures. The average injection volume was 5.6cc per level Average VAS [Visual Analogue Scale] improved 26mm after surgery. The immediate postoperative X-ray showed 2 cases of filler spillage into spinal canal and 4 cases of leakage into the retroperitoneal space. One patient with intraspinal leakage was underwent the laminectomy to remove the resin. Conclusion : Osteoplasty is a safe and new treatment option in the burst fractures. Osteoplasty with minimally invasive technique reduced the hospital stay and recovery time in vertebral fracture patients.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.34-38
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• 2005

Background: Over the years, disc surgery has progressively evolved in the direction of decreasing trauma and its invasiveness. Conventional open surgery has many complications, such as scarring, instability, bleeding and a relative high mortality rate. Minimally invasive spinal surgery is now an alternative to a traditional discectomy. Herein, we present an operative technique, and the early results, for a percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy in herniated lumbar disc disease. Methods: 43 patients, including 27 men and 16 women, with ages ranging from 18 to 66 years, were enrolled in this study. All the patients showed a protruded or extruded soft disc herniation at the lumbar level on magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. A percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy was applied to the patients, and clinical responses evaluated using MacNab's criteria. Results: 40 patients were regarded as showing successful responses (93.1%), and there were no severe complications, such as a hematoma, nerve injury, postoperative dysesthesia or death. One patient underwent fusion surgery for remnant back pain six month later. Conclusions: We conclude that, in properly selected patients, a percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy is a safe, noninvasive and effective treatment modality for herniated lumbar intervertebral disc disease.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.61 no.6
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• pp.700-706
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• 2018

Objective : Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) is a minimally invasive procedure designed to treat various spinal pathologies. The maximum number of levels to be injected at one setting is still debatable. This study was done to evaluate the usefulness and safety of multilevel PV (more than three vertebrae) in management of osteoporotic fractures. Methods : This prospective study was carried out on consecutive 40 patients with osteoporotic fractures who had been operated for multilevel PV (more than three levels). There were 28 females and 12 males and their ages ranged from 60 to 85 years with mean age of 72.5 years. We had injected 194 vertebrae in those 40 patients (four levels in 16 patients, five levels in 14 patients, and six levels in 10 patients). Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used for pain intensity measurement and plain X-ray films and computed tomography scan were used for radiological assessment. The mean follow-up period was 21.7 months (range, 12-40). Results : Asymptomatic bone cement leakage has occurred in 12 patients (30%) in the present study. Symptomatic pulmonary embolism was observed in one patient. Significant improvement of pain was recorded immediate postoperative in 36 patients (90%). Conclusion : Multilevel PV for the treatment of osteoporotic fractures is a safe and successful procedure that can significantly reduce pain and improve patient's condition without a significant morbidity. It is considered a cost effective procedure allowing a rapid restoration of patient mobility.