title: Treatment of large lumbar disc herniation with percutaneous ozone injection via the posterior-lateral route and inner margin of the facet joint.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of percutaneous ozone injection via the posterior-lateral route and inner margin of the facet joint in the treatment of large lumbar disc herniation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-eight patients with large lumbar disc herniation were treated with percutaneous injection of ozone via the posterior-lateral route and inner margin of the facet joint under digital subtraction angiography. Second injections were performed 5 d after the initial injection. All patients were followed up for 6-18 mo. A modified Macnab method was used for assessing clinical outcomes after oxygen-ozone therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Successful puncture was obtained in all patients. The overall efficacy was 91.4%; the outcome was the excellent in 37 cases (63.8%), good in 16 cases (27.6%) and fair/poor in 5 cases (8.6%) according to the Macnab criteria. No severe complications were found throughout this study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Percutaneous intradiscal ozone injection via the posterior-lateral route and inner margin of the facet joint is effective and safe for treatment of large lumbar disc herniation.
authors.affiliation: Wei Lu, Yan-Hao Li, Xiao-Feng He, Department of Interventional Radiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yan-Hao
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: He