Background: Non-surgical lumbar percutaneous foraminoplasty(FP) is an emerging technique in pain physicians these days. Scraping hypertrophied facet joint, ligamentum flavum and foraminal ligaments with a curette-like needle, foraminal and central decompression and perineural adhesiolysis can be achieved.
Method
We performed FP using a newly designed device (FORAMOON) combined with percutaneous epidural adhesiolysis (PEN) for patients who had suffered from lumbar spinal stenosis. They were classified to 3 groups: Group 1; spinal stenosis, Group 2: Spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis, group 3: spinal stenosis and previous lumbar surgery history.
Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain score and modified Macnab criteria of each group were evaluated for 3-month follow-up.
Result
Among 113 patients who underwent the procedure, 80 patients completed 3 months follow-up. There were 58 patients (73%) who showed 50% or more reduction of NRS, classified to successful responder.
In group 1(n=42), reduction of NRS score was from 7.3 to 2.6, statistically significant (p=0.003). 68% of patients responded excellent or good for Modified Macnab score.
In group 2(n=19) and 3(n=19), thought mean NRS score was reduced (group 2: 7.3 to 2.7 / group 3 7.9 to 3.4), not statistically significant (p=0.27 / p=0.38). 58% / 63% % of patients responded excellent or good for Modified Macnab score.
Conclusion
Lumbar percutaneous FP combined with PEN showed effective pain reduction for treatment of spinal stenosis.