CT-guided transforaminal versus C-arm-guided intradiscal ozone injection for cervical disc herniation: a comparative cohort study

Objective: This study compares a novel, disc-preserving minimally invasive technique targeting intraforaminal inflammation-CT-guided transforaminal ozone injection (Group A)-with the conventional intradiscal decompression approach using C-arm-guided injection (Group B) for the treatment of cervical disc herniation (CDH). Methods: = 198), who received C-arm-guided intradiscal injections. Primary outcomes included the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain, the Neck Disability Index (NDI) for function, and overall efficacy assessed by the modified MacNab criteria. Secondary outcomes included procedural parameters and complication rates. Assessments were performed preoperatively and at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months post-procedure. Results: = 0.014). Conclusion: CT-guided transforaminal ozone injection, a technique predicated on targeting intraforaminal inflammation rather than conventional intradiscal decompression, is associated with better 6-month outcomes for CDH. It provides more effective pain relief and functional improvement while demonstrating an enhanced safety profile by preserving disc integrity and eliminating the risk of iatrogenic discitis. These findings establish this approach as a precise, safe, and highly promising minimally invasive treatment strategy for cervical radiculopathy.