title: Comparative prospective randomized study comparing conservative treatment and percutaneous disk decompression for treatment of intervertebral disk herniation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare short-, intermediate-, and long-term functional results concerning pain reduction and mobility improvement between conservative therapy and percutaneous disk decompression (PDD) in patients with intervertebral disk herniations.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study received approval from both the university ethics panel and the institutional review board. Patients provided informed consent for the study. Over the past 4 years, two randomized groups of 31 patients with sciatica due to intervertebral disk herniation were prospectively studied and compared with the t test. The control group underwent conservative therapy (administration of analgesics, antiinflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, and physiotherapy) for 6 weeks. The decompression group underwent fluoroscopically guided PDD. Pain reduction and mobility improvement were recorded at 3-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up on a numeric visual scale (NVS) (range, 0-10).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The control group had a mean pain score of 6.9 NVS units ± 1.9 prior to conservative therapy. This was reduced to 0.9 NVS units ± 2.0 3 months after therapy; however, it increased to 4.0 NVS units ± 3.4 at 12-month follow-up and further increased to 4.0 NVS units ± 3.4 at 24-month follow-up. The decompression group had a mean pain score of 7.4 NVS units ± 1.4 prior to PDD. This was reduced to 3.0 NVS units ± 2.4 at 3-month follow-up and further reduced to 1.7 NVS units ± 2.4 at 12-month follow-up and 1.6 NVS units ± 2.5 at 24-month follow-up. No complications were noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When compared with conservative therapy, PDD shows improved amelioration of symptoms at 12- and 24-month follow-up.
authors: 2nd Radiology Department, University General Hospital Attikon, 1 Rimini St, Haidari 12462, Athens, Greece.
authors: Dimitrios
authors: D
authors: Erginousakis
authors: Dimitrios K
authors: DK
authors: Filippiadis
authors: Aikaterini
authors: A
authors: Malagari
authors: Athanasios
authors: A
authors: Kostakos
authors: Elias
authors: E
authors: Brountzos
authors: Nikolaos L
authors: NL
authors: Kelekis
authors: Alexis
authors: A
authors: Kelekis