title: Clinical effects of acupuncture after surgical operation in patients with prolapse of the lumbar intervertebral disc.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical effects of acupuncture after surgical operation in patients with prolapse of the lumbar intervertebral disc (PLID).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-nine patients in this series, who had undergone the removal of nucleus pulposus and the intervertebral fusion as well, were randomly divided into a treatment group of 35 cases and a control group of 34 cases. The former was treated by acupuncture and conventional rehabilitation therapy, and the latter only by the rehabilitation therapy. The therapeutic effects were evaluated according to the scoring system stipulated by Japanese Orthopedics Association (JOA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the treatment group, the average functional recovery rates in 3-month, 6-month and one-year periods were respectively 49.93%, 90.31% and 95.08%; while the rates were repesctively 26.24%, 63.42% and 71.36% in the control group, showing statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture can confirmatively promote the functional recovery for'patients with prolapse of the lumbar intervertebral disc after surgical removal of nucleus pulposus and with intervertebral fusion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Second Affiliated Hospital of the Medical college of Xi 'an Jiaotong University, Xi 'an 710004, China.
authors.forename: Bin-xiu
authors.initials: BX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Kun-zheng
authors.initials: KZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jie-Xiu
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Chun-sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiang-hui
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ma
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shu-qiang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qiang
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D011391:Prolapse; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D016896:Treatment Outcome