THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN OPERATIVE DECOMPRESSION TECHNIQUE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CALCIFIED LUMBER DISC HERNIATION

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of a new decompression surgical intervention for the management of calcified lumber disc herniation (CLDH). Patients and methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted in the orthopedic center at Adiwaniyah Teaching Hospital, Adiwaniyah Province in Iraq. The study enrolled 72 patients, 37 females and 35 males, with an age range of 65 to 75. Inclusion features were subjects with calcified lumber disc herniation who presented with a low backache with radiation to the leg, which remained the same for at least six months despite conservative measures such as pharmacological agents and physiotherapy. The pain affected the patients' daily activities. Results: The mean visual analog score was reduced after three months from a baseline reading of 7.03 ±1.02 to 3.29 ±1.05 (p< 0.05), and it was further reduced one year later to 2.07 ±0.93 (p<0.01). The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score was reduced after three months from a baseline reading of 53.27 ±8.37 % to 12.38 ±4.29 % (p< 0.01), and it was further reduced one year later to 8.91 ±1.93 % (p<0.01). Conclusion: The surgical procedure used in the present study relieved pain and significantly improved functional outcomes compared with the baseline pre-surgical status. Keywords: Calcified lumber disc herniation, surgical decompression, children calcification, intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration