STUDY DESIGN A depression screener was used to determine positive responses amongst patients with two disorders commonly treated with surgery. OBJECTIVE To examine the relation between positive responses to the depression screener and pain characteristics, sociodemographic responses, and Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey subscale scores among patients with lumbar disc herniation or spinal sten...

PURPOSE Herniated nucleus pulposus fragments are recognized by the immune system as a foreign-body, which results in an autoimmune reaction. Human activation-inducible tumor necrosis factor receptor (AITR) and its ligand, AITRL, are important costimulatory molecules in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Despite the importance of these costimulatory molecules in autoimmune disease, their r...

BACKGROUND Open discectomy is the standard surgical procedure in the treatment of patients with long-lasting sciatica caused by lumbar disc herniation. Minimally invasive approaches such as microendoscopic discectomy have gained attention in recent years. Reduced tissue trauma allows early ambulation, short hospital stay and quick resumption of daily activities. A comparative cost-effectiveness...

STUDY DESIGN The serum levels of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1), tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and TIMP-2 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. PURPOSE To compare the serum levels of TGF-beta1, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 between patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and disc herniation. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE It has been reported that increased c...

Clinical and Morphological Findings of Disc Herniation by use Different MRI Sequences Observers

BACKGROUND The usual surgical treatment of refractory sciatica caused by lumbar disc herniation, is open discectomy. Minimally invasive procedures, including percutaneous therapies under local anesthesia, are increasingly gaining attention. One of these treatments is Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression (PLDD). This treatment can be carried out in an outpatient setting and swift recovery and r...

Surgery of lumbar disc herniation is still a problem since Mixter and Barr. Main trouble is dissatisfaction after the operation. Today there is a debate on surgical or conservative treatment despite spending great effort to provide patients with satisfaction. The main problem is segmental instability, and the minimally invasive approach via microscope or endoscope is not necessarily appropriate...

Introduction Many patients with extruded lumbar disc herniation require surgical intervention but some neurological symptoms of intervertebral disc herniation may often improve with conservative treatment. Patients usually try various treatment methods ranging from alternative treatments to surgery1,2. Recently, a new thermomechanical massage device has emerged, primarily in Asian countries, wi...

STUDY DESIGN Non-concurrent prospective study. PURPOSE To determine the functional outcome after open 'fragment' discectomy for recurrent lumbar disc herniation, and to analyze the factors that may affect the outcome. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE Literature search revealed only four studies where the factors affecting the outcome of a revision surgery for recurrent disc herniation have been evalu...

A 73-year-old man who presented with right lumbosciatic pain underwent a neurosurgical operation for a voluminous L2-L3 disc herniation, seen on conventional MRI images. No disc herniation was identified in the epidural space during the surgery. Just after the operation, the patient started to present pain in the left L3 territory and was not able to walk any more. A second MRI including three-...