Comparison between the Effect of Transforaminal Steroid Injection and Transforaminal Steroid Injection Combined with Spinal Decompressor on Lumbar Disc Herniation

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess the short-term clinical effect of a new spinal decompression device (DRX-3000) combined with transforaminal steroid injection (TFI) in comparison with TFI only in patients with lumbar herniated intervertebral disc (HIVD) METHOD: Fourty-one patients diagnosed as lumbar intervertebral disc herniation were recruited and divided into two therapeutic groups. Eighteen patients were treated with DRX-3000 combined with TFI. Twenty-three patients were treated with only TFI. The visual analogue scale (VAS), straight leg rasing test (SLR), radiating pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), sitting tolerance, standing tolerance and sleeping tolerance were measured before treatment and 4 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: VAS, radiating pain, sitting tolerance and ODI were significantly improved after treatment in all patients (p<0.05). SLR and sleeping tolerance were significantly improved in combined treatment group and standing tolerance were significantly improved in TFI group after treatment (p<0.05). After treatment, degree of VAS decrease was larger in combined treatment group than TFI group(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Spinal decompression with TFI was more effective than only TFI in patients with lumbar HIVD in a short period.