Effects on pain of percutaneous treatment of cervical disc herniations using DiscoGel: A retrospective analysis

Abstract

Background and purpose Cervical discogenic pain originates from degenerated intervertebral discs and is a common condition in the middle-aged population. Cervical discs may herniate and give compressions to cervical nerves, with pain and functional limitation of the arms. DiscoGel is a device that can be useful in the treatment of cervical disc herniation, with very short operating time and low radiation dose. Material and methods Between March 2018 and April 2019 we performed this procedure on 38 patients with non-fissurated cervical herniation using 0.3–0.4 mL of DiscoGel injected under fluoroscopic guidance. The most common discs affected were C5–C6, C6–C7 and C4–C5. Outcomes were evaluated with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (NPSI) scores at 3, 6 and 12 months follow-up. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the cervical spine was performed 3 months after the procedure. Results Postoperative examinations showed: VAS 2.15 ± 1.34 and NPSI 2.29 ± 0.71. Postoperative MRI performed 3 months after the procedure showed a good improvement of cervical disc herniation or bulging or protrusion. The mean dose area product (DAP) was 2803 mGy/cm2 with a mean fluoroscopy time of 4 minutes 22 seconds. Conclusion DiscoGel is a suitable approach for non-fissurated cervical disc herniations, especially in patients that are not suitable for open surgery, with excellent postoperative results, fast recovery and a low radiation dose.