Background:

Modic changes (MC) are generally considered to be related to degenerative disc disease, and there is no uniform standard for surgical methods for lumbar disc herniation (LDH) accompanied by Modic type I changes (MC I). The purpose of this study was to observe the clinical results of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic decompression (PTED) and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for treatment of LDH accompanied by MC I.

Methods:

Of the 53 consecutive patients included, 29 underwent PTED and 24 underwent TLIF. All patients were followed up for at least 24 months. Preoperative demographic characteristics, perioperative outcomes, and clinical outcomes were recorded. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores, Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores, and modified Macnab criteria were used to assess clinical results.

Results:

The mean age was 53.7±9.2 years in the PTED group and 53.6±9.6 years in the TLIF group. The scores of VAS legs, VAS back and ODI in the two groups after operation were significantly improved compared with those before operation (P<0.05). Notably, the VAS back pain score and ODI in the PTED group showed an increasing trend with time. And the VAS back pain scores and ODI of the two groups were statistically different at 1 year and 2 years postoperatively (P<0.05). In addition, compared with the TLIF group, the PTED group showed less operation time, blood loss, and postoperative hospital stay (P<0.05). At the final follow-up, the excellent rates were 91.7% and 86.2% in the fusion and PTED groups, respectively.

Conclusion:

Both PTED and TLIF procedures significantly improved the clinical symptoms of single-level LDH patients with MC I. Compared with TLIF, MC I may affect the improvement of low back pain and functional status after PTED.