Clinical results of intradiscal hydrogel administration (GelStix) in lumbar degenerative disc disease

BACKGROUND/AIM: Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is one of the main causes of lower back pain. In this study, we evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous intradiscal GelStix administration in patients with discogenic pain due to lumbar DDD who were unresponsive to conservative methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 29 patients were included in the study, which took place between 2013 and 2017. Sedation was performed in the prone position in the operating room, and a C-arm was located so as to provide a lateral view of the surgical field. A 22-G, 3.5-inch needle was inserted into the center of the disc under fluoroscopy guidance, and a percutaneous intradiscal GelStix implantation was performed. All patients were evaluated using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and a visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after treatment, and using the Patient Satisfaction Scale at 12 months following treatment. RESULTS: The mean VAS scores were 7.14 ± 0.64 at baseline and 2.48 ± 0.63 at 12 months (P < 0.001). The mean ODI scores were 28.14 ± 1.81 at baseline and 17.35 ± 0.67 at 12 months (P < 0.001). There was a statistically significant decrease in the VAS and ODI scores before and after treatment. A total of 86.2% of the patients rated the procedure as very good or good at 12 months. CONCLUSION: Our study results suggest that GelStix treatment is useful in pain relief in patients with DDD from the first month of treatment.