[Case-control study on comprehensive rehabilitation for postoperative pain after spinal surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of interferential electrical stimulation (IES) in pain relief after spine surgery. METHODS: From January 2004 to December 2008, 166 patients after spine operation received pain treatment. All the patients were divided into two groups: the drug treatment group, which was the control group, including 46 cases, 22 patients were male and 24 patients were female, with an average age of (51.0 +/- 6.5) years; and the IES treatment group, including 120 cases, 50 patients were male and 70 patients were female, with an average age of (48.0 +/- 5.6) years. Before treatment, there were 4 patients with pain of Grade III in the control group, in which 3 patients had stenosis, 1 patient had spondylolisthesis; 42 patients had Grade II pain. In the IES group before treatment,17 patients had Grade II pain, in which 13 patients had stenosis, 4 patients had spondylolisthesis; 103 patients had Grade II pain. The preoperative and postoperative pains were evaluated and compared by the WHO Pain Criteria. RESULTS: The composing of IES group with pain grade III, II and I were 1/96/23, 0/17/103, 0/0/ 120 at the 3rd day, the 7th day and the 14th day after treatment respectively, while in the control group they were 4/42/0, 2/ 44/0, 0/4/42 respectively. There were statistical differences between the two groups with Kruskal-Wallis test. The percent of mid and severe grade pain decreased much faster in IES group. CONCLUSION: Interferential electrical stimulation (IES) therapy can improve patients' postoperative pain relief more quickly and reduce duration of hospitalization.

[The application of METRx microendoscopes diskectomy system in the treatment of far lateral lumbar disc herniation].

OBJECTIVE: To introduce the METRx microendoscopes diskectomy system in the treatment of far lateral lumbar disc herniation. METHODS: Fourteen cases of far lateral lumbar disc herniation were operated with METRx from February 1999 to December 2002. Among them, the average age was 49 years old (range 41 - 55 years old), male in 10 cases, female in 4 cases. All cases were single disc herniation; L(4), 5 herniation in 6 discs, L(5)-S(1) herniation in 8 discs; foraminal disc herniation in 6 cases, extra-foraminal disc herniation in 8 cases. RESULTS: All the cases were followed up from 12 to 46 months (average 26.5 months) with the results of excellence in 10 cases, good in 3 cases, fair in 1 case and no failure case. There were no disc infection, dura laceration, nerve root injury and herniation recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: METRx is suitable for far lateral lumbar disc herniation with the advantages of minimal invasive, complete decompression of nerve root and rapid recovery. The correct approach and precise surgical technique are the key points for this operation.