[Percutaneous discectomy and intradiscal radiofrequency thermocoagulation for low back pain: evaluation according to the best available evidence].

ABSTRACT

Within the framework of evidence-based medicine, high quality randomized trials and systematic reviews are needed for new medical treatment. Clinicians should conscientiously, explicitly and judiciously use the best current evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. This paper summarizes the best available evidence from systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials concerning two minimally invasive procedures percutaneous discectomy and percutaneous intradiscal radiofrequency thermocoagulation. Percutaneous discectomy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that treats contained, herniated discs. Specific procedures within the class include manual percutaneous lumbar discectomy, Automated percutaneous lumbar discectomy (APLD) laser discectomy and nucleoplasty percutaneous intradiscal radiofrequency thermocoagulation is a procedure that allows the controlled delivery of heat to the intervertebral disc via an electrode or coil. Results of systematic reviews were retrieved from four leading evidence-based databases the National Institute for Clinical Excellence--NICE, which is an independent organization responsible for providing national guidance on treatments, the Cochrane Library, which is the largest library world-wide for systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials, the Center for Review and Dissemination (CRD) at the University of York, which undertakes reviews of research about the effects of interventions in health and social care and finally, a search via Medline. The results from those systematic reviews and randomized trials shows that, at present, unless or until better scientific evidence is available, automated percutaneous discectomy and laser discectomy should be regarded as research techniques. Radiofrequency denervation can relieve pain from neck joints, but may not relieve pain originating from lumbar discs, and its impact on low-back joint pain is uncertain.