title: Success of lumbar microdiscectomy in patients with modic changes and low-back pain: a prospective pilot study.
abstract: METHODS
  Prospective case controlled.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the outcome after microdiscectomy in patients with disc herniation, concordant sciatica, and low-back pain with Modic I and II degenerative changes compared with similar patients without Modic changes.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The decision to perform a microdiscectomy versus a fusion or total disc replacement in a patient with a disc herniation and sciatica may be confounded by the presence of low-back pain, degenerative disc disease, and marrow and endplate (Modic) changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty consecutive patients underwent a microdiscectomy by a single surgeon. Group 1 consisted of 15 patients, 6 men and 9 women, with a mean age of 36.7 years (range, 21 to 48 y), with Modic I and II changes. Group 2 contained 15 patients, 9 men and 6 women, with a mean age of 34.1 years (range, 20 to 68 y), without Modic changes. The average duration of low-back pain before surgery was 25.6 months (range 4 to 120 mo) in group 1 and 17.5 months (range 5 to 120 mo) in group 2. The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to grade low-back pain and the Oswestry score was used to grade overall disability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in preoperative sciatica, low-back pain, VAS or Oswestry scores for group 1 versus group 2 patients. Postoperatively, all patents had improved sciatica and resolution of any nerve tension sign. Eighty-six percent of patients in group 1 versus 93% of patients in group 2 had improvements in postoperative VAS score for low-back pain at 6 months. Average improvement within each group was 67% and 75%, respectively. VAS scores for low-back pain at 6 months improved from 6.9 to 2.3 (P=0.0005) in group 1 and 6.3 to 1.6 (P=0.0002) in group 2. Group 1 and 2 had 89% and 100% of patients show improvement in postoperative Oswestry score at 6 months with an average improvement of 58% and 84%, respectively. Oswestry scores at 6 months improved from 68.7% to 28.8% (P=0.0007) in group 1 and 61.2% to 9.9% (P=0.00003) in group 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a trend toward greater improvement in Oswestry scores in patients without Modic changes (P=0.09). Both groups reported statistically significant improvement in sciatica, low-back pain, and disability after microdiscectomy. Microdiscectomy was therefore an effective treatment for disc herniation and concordant sciatica despite low-back pain and Modic I and II degenerative changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic II.
authors.affiliation: Spine Surgery Service, Department of Orthopaedics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Kingsley R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: Daniel T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Tomlinson
authors.forename: Joshua D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Auerbach
authors.forename: Joshua B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Shatsky
authors.forename: Carl A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Deirmengian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012585:Sciatica / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome