A surgical decompression procedure for effective treatment of calcified lumbar disc herniation

OBJECTIVE: To present our experience in managing calcified lumbar disc herniation (cLDH) using a surgical decompression procedure. METHODS: Patients who had low back pain radiating to the leg, were preoperatively diagnosed with cLDH by computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging, and were treated with a surgical decompression procedure were studied. Those without cLDH or who were treated with a method other than decompression were excluded. The treatment outcome was analyzed using the visual analog scale (VAS) score, Oswestry Disability Index, and modified Macnab criteria. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients aged 60.5 ± 9.6 years were evaluated. The VAS scores were significantly decreased 1 day after surgery and remained low at the 3-month and 1-year follow-ups. The Oswestry Disability Index was also significantly lower at the 3-month and 1-year follow-ups. Ninety-four percent of patients rated the results as “excellent” or “good” according to the modified Macnab criteria at the 3-month follow-up. The patients developed few postoperative complications and no recurrence during 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the decompression approach is effective for management of cLDH at least in the short term (1 year) with respect to reducing pain and improving patient satisfaction with few complications.