SynthesisBMJ clinical evidence2009
Herniated lumbar disc.
Synthesis in BMJ clinical evidence, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05738759 (Comparative Outcomes of Intraoperative Epidural Application of Anesthetic Cocktail Following Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy), which is not on this map. Cited by 88 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Comparative Outcomes of Intraoperative Epidural Application of Anesthetic Cocktail Following Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
88 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Intra-articular steroid injections for lumbar disk herniation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Acta neurochirurgica · 2025Pooled it
- Therapeutic interventions of platelet-rich plasma versus corticosteroid injections for lumbar radicular pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Pooled it
- Incidence of and risk factors for lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy in adults: a systematic review.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2025Pooled it
- Brain functional changes following spinal manipulation therapy in patients with lumbar disc herniation and chronic low back pain: a scoping review.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Pooled it
- The role of single nucleotide polymorphisms ofF1000Research · 2021Pooled it
- Effects of non-surgical decompression therapy in addition to routine physical therapy on pain, range of motion, endurance, functional disability and quality of life versus routine physical therapy alone in patients with lumbar radiculopathy; a randomized controlled trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2022Trial
- Application of continuous epidural anesthesia in transforaminal lumbar endoscopic surgery: a prospective randomized controlled trial.The Journal of international medical research · 2019Trial
- Comparison of Clinical Outcomes and Biochemical Markers Following Tubular Microscopic Discectomy Versus Full Endoscopic Discectomy for Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.Global spine journal · 2026Article
- Automated detection of lumbar disc herniation at L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels on sagittal MRI using a YOLO-based deep learning model.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Article
- Protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial evaluating a care pathway incorporating ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma injection plus physiotherapy versus physiotherapy alone in patients with L5/S1 lumbar disc herniation.Contemporary clinical trials communications · 2026Article
- Efficacy of Multimodal Rehabilitation Protocol with High-Force Machine Spinal Decompression Therapy in Chronic Low Back Pain with Sciatica Due to Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Pre-Post Observational Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Evaluating the Efficacy of Marma Therapy for Pain in Lumbar Disc Herniation With Radiculopathy: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Potential Role of Mast Cells in Intervertebral Disc Ageing, Herniation Resolution, and Degeneration: Evidence and Lessons Learned from Studies of Mast Cells in Other Connective Tissues.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Poor predictive performance of early outcome models following lumbar disc herniation surgery.Bone & joint open · 2026Article
- Transforaminal Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy Versus Interlaminar Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy for Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Systematic Review of Clinical Outcomes, Quality of Life, and Surgical Selection Strategies.Orthopedic reviews · 2026Article
- The Biomechanical Landscape of Lumbar Disc Herniation: Mechanobiological Insights Into Injury and Regeneration.Neurospine · 2026Review
- Lumbar Disc Herniation Resorption: When and How Does It Occur?Neurospine · 2026Review
- The Microscope and the Tubular System: Trend or Real Benefit in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis and Disc Herniation?Cureus · 2025Article
- Various gases for the treatment of neuropathic pain: mechanisms, current status, and future perspectives.Medical gas research · 2025Review
- Doctor, when can I drive? - Influence of muscle weakness of dorsal flexors and plantar flexors from the ankle joint on driving ability.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
28 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionHerniated lumbar disc is a displacement of disc material (nucleus pulposus or annulus fibrosis) beyond the intervertebral disc space. The highest prevalence is among people aged 30-50 years, with a male to female ratio of 2:1. There is little evidence to suggest that drug treatments are effective in treating herniated disc. METHODS AND OUTCOMES: We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of drug treatments, non-drug treatments, and surgery for herniated lumbar disc? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to July 2008 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
resultsWe found 49 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
conclusionsIn this systematic review, we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: acupuncture, advice to stay active, analgesics, antidepressants, bed rest, corticosteroids (epidural injections), cytokine inhibitors (infliximab), discectomy (automated percutaneous, laser, microdisectomy, standard), exercise therapy, heat, ice, massage, muscle relaxants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), percutaneous disc decompression, spinal manipulation, and traction.
Indexed as
Identifiers
19445754PMC2907819What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.