Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy as a treatment for lumbar disc herniation linked with posterior ring apophysis separation

BACKGROUND: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) linked with posterior ring apophysis separation (PRAS) is a rare and distinct subset of disc herniation. Few studies have evaluated the clinical efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD), which is a procedure used to treat LDH linked with PRAS. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of PELD in the treatment of LDH linked with PRAS. METHODS: Patients who met inclusion criteria (n = 67; 40 males and 27 females) underwent PELD. General and operation-related information and perioperative complications of the patients were recorded. Clinical efficacy was measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) during the follow-up period. RESULTS: The mean operation time was 118.04 ± 19.31 min and the mean blood loss was 22.84 ± 15.89 ml. The VAS and ODI scores continued to improve immediately after the surgery to the last follow-up. Four patients experienced postoperative complications i.e., herniation recurrences. The conditions of the patients with the complications improved after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: PELD has reliable efficacy and safety in the treatment of LDH linked with PRAS.