Abstract
Objective: The present study was conducted to establish reasonable indications of patient neurological manifestations for use of percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD). Background Data: PLDD is a less invasive surgical procedure for lumbar disc hernia, whose indications have been described on the basis of radiographical findings. Methods: Sixty-five consecutive patients (45 men and 20 women) with lumbar disc hernia were treated with PLDD by applying a diode laser (wavelength 805 nm). A total of 450–1,205 joules (average, 805.5 joules) were delivered per disc. All patients suffered from radicular pain. They were divided based on the presence of Lasegue's sign. The post-procedure results at 1 week and 1 year were compared between the groups. Results: PLDD was effective for patients with Lasegue's sign (80.0%), but ineffective for those without the sign. Conclusion: The present study suggests that Lasegue's sign in patients is an indication of PLDD for lumbar disc hernia.
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