Effectiveness of Endoscopic Sciatic Nerve Decompression for the Treatment of Deep Gluteal Syndrome

PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate clinical outcomes of endoscopic nerve decompression in patients with deep gluteal syndromes (DGS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between October 2013 and March 2015, 24 patients who underwent surgical treatment of DGS were retrospectively included in this study. The mean age was 47 years (range, 35 to 76 years), and there were 11 males and 13 females. The mean duration of pain was 12 months (range, 5 to 35 months) and the mean follow-up period was 32 months (range, 26 to 45 months). Clinical evaluations included the visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, modified Harris hip score (mHHS), and the symptom-rating scale. RESULTS: Significant improvement in symptoms following endoscopic decompression were achieved as measured using the VAS score (decrease in the mean from 7.1±0.9 to 2.5±1.5; P<0.001) and mHHS (increase from 59.4±6.5 to 85.0±8.3; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Endoscopic sciatic nerve decompression was satisfactory for treating recalcitrant DGS, making it an effective treatment option to improve symptoms of DGS.