Observational studyBMC musculoskeletal disorders2021
Characteristics of relief and residual low back pain after discectomy in patients with lumbar disc herniation: analysis using a detailed visual analog scale.
Observational study in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- Preoperative paraspinal muscle fatty infiltration and prognosis after lumbar discectomy for disc herniation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Pooled it
- Association between Modic changes and recurrence of lumbar disc herniation after percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy: a meta-analysis.Frontiers in surgery · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Effects of Enhanced Recovery Rehabilitation Surgery Concepts on the Surgical Process, Postoperative Pain, Complications, and Prognosis of Discectomy in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Computational and mathematical methods in medicine · 2022Pooled it
- Adjacent segment degeneration may predict significantly worse leg pain outcomes after lumbar discectomy.Skeletal radiology · 2026Article
- Article
- The Relationship Between Bone Mineral Density and Lumbar Disc Herniation in Postmenopausal Women.Cureus · 2023Article
- Minimally Invasive Tubular Lumbar Discectomy Versus Conventional Open Lumbar Discectomy: An Observational Study From the Canadian Spine Outcomes and Research Network.Global spine journal · 2023Article
- Multidisciplinary Conservative Treatment Outcomes of in-Patient Physiotherapy Set-Up Among Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation in Dhaka City, Bangladesh: A Retrospective, Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2023Article
- Study of the Distribution of Lumbar Modic Changes in Patients with Low Back Pain and Correlation with Lumbar Degeneration Diseases.Journal of pain research · 2023Article
- Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomyFrontiers in surgery · 2022Article
- Article
- Sciatic Herpes Zoster Suspected of Lumbar Disc Herniation: An Infrequent Case Report and Literature Review.Frontiers in surgery · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
27 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSeveral authors have reported favorable results in low back pain (LBP) for patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) treated with discectomy. However, detailed changes over time in the characteristics and location of LBP before and after discectomy for LDH remain unclear. To clarify these points, we conducted an observational study to determine the detailed characteristics and location of LBP before and after discectomy for LDH, using a detailed visual analog scale (VAS) bilaterally.
methodsWe included 65 patients with LDH treated by discectomy in this study. A detailed VAS for LBP was administered with the patient under 3 different conditions: in motion, standing, and sitting. Bilateral VAS was also administered (affected versus opposite side) for LBP, lower extremity pain (LEP), and lower extremity numbness (LEN). The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was used to quantify clinical status. Changes over time in these VAS and ODI were investigated. Pfirrmann grading and Modic change as seen by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were reviewed before and 1 year after discectomy to determine disc and endplate condition.
resultsBefore surgery, LBP on the affected side while the patients were in motion was significantly higher than LBP while they were sitting (p = 0.025). This increased LBP on the affected side in motion was improved significantly after discectomy (p < 0.001). By contrast, the residual LBP while sitting at 1 year after surgery was significantly higher than the LBP while they were in motion or standing (p = 0.015). At 1 year following discectomy, residual LBP while sitting was significantly greater in cases showing changes in Pfirrmann grade (p = 0.002) or Modic type (p = 0.025).
conclusionsImprovement of LBP on the affected side while the patient is in motion suggests that radicular LBP is improved following discectomy by nerve root decompression. Furthermore, residual LBP may reflect increased load and pressure on the disc and endplate in the sitting position.
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