title: Peroperative prednisolone fails to improve the clinical outcome following surgery for prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc. A randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Ninety three patients undergoing their first conventional hemilaminectomy for lumbar disc protusion were randomized to a double blind clinical trial. Half of the patients were treated immediately following surgery with prednisolone; 50 mg per day for fourteen days and then 25 mg per day for another 14 days. The other patients were treated for the same time period with placebo tablets. Assessments using subjective and objective outcome criteria at 26 weeks, 52 weeks and 156 weeks of follow-up, demonstrated no statistically significant differences between the randomized groups. It is concluded that systemic prednisolone administration in the pre- and postoperative period does not in this study improve the clinical outcome after first time lumbar discectomy.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Rheumatology, Hillerød Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manniche
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lauritsen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vinterberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001100:Arachnoiditis / Q000517:prevention & control; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011292:Premedication; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D011239:Prednisolone