2024 Volume 15 Issue 6 Pages 953-958
Introduction: In this study, the clinical results and prognostic factors after chemonucleolysis with condoliase for lumbar disc herniation in patients over 70 years 70 years of age were investigated.
Methods: The study included 20 patients over 70 years of age who presented primarily for evaluation of leg pain and underwent chemonucleolysis with condoliase for lumbar disc herniation. Preoperative and postoperative low back pain, leg pain, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, plain radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging, and computerized tomography were compared between patients who improved (improvement group) and those without improvement (non-improvement group).
Results: Leg pain improved in 30.0% of the patients (6 and 14 in the improvement and non-improvement groups, respectively), and seven cases (35.0%) underwent surgery within one year. In patients who did not undergo surgery, leg pain improved significantly after treatment. Comparing the effective and ineffective groups, Pfirrmann's grades were significantly higher in the effective group.
Conclusions: Chemonucleolysis with condoliase for lumbar disc herniation in elderly patients was found to be effective in patients with advanced discwas found to be effective in patients with advanced disc degeneration, although less effective than in younger patients. These results suggest that chemonucleolysis with condoliase may be a useful treatment with appropriate indications.
