title: Plasma disc decompression compared to physiotherapy for symptomatic contained lumbar disc herniation: A prospective randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate clinical outcomes with PDD as compared with patients who underwent to standard physiotherapy intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-hundred-seventy-seven randomly assigned patients with primarily radicular pain associated with a single-level lumbar contained disc herniation were enrolled. Participants received either PDD (89 patients) or conservative physiotherapy care (88 patients).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in the PDD group had significantly greater reduction in leg pain scores and significantly improved VAS (p<0.001), Oswestry Disability Index (p<0.05), and 36-Item Short Form, than those in the physiotherapy group at 12 months. On subset analysis, patients achieved even better outcomes after PPD who: were younger, had a shorter period of radiculopathy, of male gender, and lower BMI. Patients with subacute pain reported better outcomes than those with chronic pain in the PDD group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patient selection for PDD over physiotherapy favored younger patients who presented with a shorter period of pain symptoms and who had a more favorable body habitus.
authors: Department of Neurosurgery, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors: Mehdi
authors: M
authors: Nikoobakht
authors: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors: Mir Saeed
authors: MS
authors: Yekanineajd
authors: Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Bahounar BLV, 3419759811, Qazvin, Islamic Republic of Iran; Department of Public Health, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Islamic Republic of Iran. Electronic address: Pakpour_Amir@yahoo.com.
authors: Amir H
authors: AH
authors: Pakpour
authors: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors: Peter C
authors: PC
authors: Gerszten
authors: Clinic and Outpatient Clinic for Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Kasch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: Contained disc herniation; Disc decompression; Low-back pain; Minimally invasive spine surgery; Plasma disc decompression