Abstract
Study design: Prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial
Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the outcomes of microendoscopic discectomy (MED) surgery with and without "jetting sutures".
Methods: Forty-eight cases underwent MED, of which 24 cases had annular jetting sutures applied, and all cases were followed up. The clinical data of the patients were assessed using the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), visual analog scale (VAS), and MacNab score to determine the level of lumbar function improvement.
Results: All operations were completed, which included 24 cases in the control group and 24 cases in the repair group. In both groups, the patients' VAS scores were significantly reduced, and their ODI scores and JOA scores were significantly improved (P <.05). At the four-year follow-up, the sensitivity of the injured nerve root, muscular strength, and achilles tendon reflex had all significantly recovered (P<.05), but the patellar reflex had not (P >.05). Overall, 95.8% of the repair group had excellent or good MacNab scores compared with 87.5% of the control group (P >.05).
Conclusion: The jetting suture technique can be performed safely and effectively in MED surgery. This study demonstrated that considering the efficacy of annular repair, jetting sutures applied to the treatment of lumbar disc herniation to prevent recurrence are safe, effective and worth promoting.
Trial registration: This prospective clinical trial was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (ethics approval number: 2013061) and registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR-TRC-14004332).