Rehabilitation following lumbosacral percutaneous nucleoplasty: a case report.
METHODS
Case report.


BACKGROUND
Lumbar spine nucleoplasty is a new surgical option for patients with disc pathology. There are no reports in the literature describing the role of physical therapy in postoperative lumbar nucleoplasty management. The purpose of this case is to describe the postoperative physical therapy management of a patient who underwent this procedure.


METHODS
A 50-year-old male, 7 weeks following a L5/S1 lumbar nucleus replacement, completed 6 weeks of rehabilitation. The focus of the treatment was controlled reloading of the spine through a spinal stabilization progression in weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing activities. In addition, education, spinal manual therapy techniques, and a home exercise program were also incorporated.


RESULTS
The patient's Oswestry Disability Index decreased from 56% to 4% over 6 weeks of treatment. When contacted at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months posttherapy, his Oswestry Disability Index was 2%, 2%, 0%, and 0%, respectively, and he had returned to all previous activities without recurrence of symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
This case report outlines the clinical decision-making process during the postoperative management of an individual who had undergone a single-level lumbar nucleoplasty. A postoperative regimen of education, segmental spinal stabilization, and a home exercise program might have contributed to the observed improvement in pain and disability levels in this patient. The role of these postoperative interventions warrants further research.


METHODS
Therapy, level 4.
Puentedura
Emilio J
EJ
School of Allied Health Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Nevada Las Vegas, NV, USA. louie.puentedura@univ.edu
Brooksby
Candi L
CL
Wallmann
Harvey W
HW
Landers
Merrill R
MR
D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017587:Diskectomy, Percutaneous / Q000379:methods / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011182:Postoperative Care; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012447:Sacrum / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome