[Intradiscal interventional therapy for degenerative chronic discogenic low back pain with end-plate Modic changes].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the different efficacies of intradiscal interventional therapy for patients with degenerative chronic discogenic low back pain and end-plate Modic changes through different types of injection and to evaluate the potential therapeutic value of intradiscal injection treatment for degenerative chronic discogenic low back pain with different types of end-plate Modic changes by using appropriate injection.

METHODS: Patients with single segmental degenerative chronic discogenic low back pain proved by discography were classified as Modic type I predominant change (including Modic Type I & Modic type I predominant mixed Type I/II) and Modic type II predominant change (including Modic Type II & Modic Type II predominant mixed Type II/I) according to the end-plate Modic changes on MRI. All received the intradiscal injection treatment. Patients were divided into three groups: (1) A group (control group): intradiscal injection of normal saline 3 ml; (2) B group (treatment group): intradiscal injection of diprospan (compound betamethasone) 3 ml; (3) C group (treatment group): interventional injection of diprospan (compound betamethasone) 1 ml + songmeile (cervus & cucumis polypeptide injection) 2 ml. Pain and function were evaluated by pain visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI). T-test was applied for efficacy comparison in each group at pre-operation, 3 months and 6 months post-operation.

RESULTS: Sixty patients were included. There were 39 males and 21 females with a mean age of 41.6 years old (26 - 58). There were 10 patients in each group: A-Modic I, A-Modic II; B-Modic I, B-Modic II; C-Modic I, C-Modic II. There was no significant statistical difference in preoperative VAS and Oswestry scores among groups; VAS and Oswestry scores of B group and C group at 3 months and 6 months post-operation were significantly better than those pre-operative scores, and also better than that of control group (A group) at the same time. But there was no significant difference in scores between 3 months and 6 months in ether B group or C group, and there was also no significant difference in VAS and Oswestry scores between B group and C group at various time points. Various Modic types had no correlation with either VAS score or Oswestry score in each group at various time points.

CONCLUSION: Intradiscal interventional therapy can relieve discogenic low back pain and improve Oswestry disability index score of function between 3 and 6 months post-operation. There is no significant difference in post-operative efficacy between Modic Type I and Modic Type II. Steroids are the major analgesic factor of intradiscal injection. But the synergistic application of songmeile (cervus & cucumis polypeptide injection) can maintain the analgesic effect and duration with a decreased dose of steroids.