Comparison of percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation with coblation nucleoplasty for treatment of cervical disc herniation

In recent years, image guiding minimal invasive interventional procedures have been used widely in disc herniation. In this study, we aim to compare the efficacies of intradiscal radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RF) with Coblation Nucleoplasry (CN) for treatment of cervical disc herniation. 60 patients with cervical disc herniation were involved in this study, and were randomly divided into two groups: RF group and CN group. Under CT guiding, the needles were inserted into the nucleus pulposus or/and targets of cervic intervetebral disc through the path between anterior jugular-tracheal sheath and vagina vasorum. RF group were performed within nucleus pulposus or/and targets with the temperature of 75°C and 85°C for 90 seconds respectively, while CN group were treated by ablation with power at 2 level for 5 seconds. The outcome was evaluated in different time points after treatment: 24h, 1 week, 1 month, 3 month and 6 month. At different time points after the treatments, VAS of patients in both groups were significantly improved, and the excellent rates were more than 88.6%. Although the values of VAS improvements and excellent rates in CN group were higher than those in RF group, no statistically significant difference were detected. In addition, no any serious complications occurred in both groups. From the result of our study, we can conclude that CT guiding percutaneous intradiscal radiofrequency thermocoagulation and coblation nucleoplasty are two kinds of high effective and safe minimal invasive procedures for treatment of cervical disc herniation. In recent years, image guiding minimal invasive interventional procedures have been used widely in disc herniation. In this study, we aim to compare the efficacies of intradiscal radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RF) with Coblation Nucleoplasry (CN) for treatment of cervical disc herniation. 60 patients with cervical disc herniation were involved in this study, and were randomly divided into two groups: RF group and CN group. Under CT guiding, the needles were inserted into the nucleus pulposus or/and targets of cervic intervetebral disc through the path between anterior jugular-tracheal sheath and vagina vasorum. RF group were performed within nucleus pulposus or/and targets with the temperature of 75°C and 85°C for 90 seconds respectively, while CN group were treated by ablation with power at 2 level for 5 seconds. The outcome was evaluated in different time points after treatment: 24h, 1 week, 1 month, 3 month and 6 month. At different time points after the treatments, VAS of patients in both groups were significantly improved, and the excellent rates were more than 88.6%. Although the values of VAS improvements and excellent rates in CN group were higher than those in RF group, no statistically significant difference were detected. In addition, no any serious complications occurred in both groups. From the result of our study, we can conclude that CT guiding percutaneous intradiscal radiofrequency thermocoagulation and coblation nucleoplasty are two kinds of high effective and safe minimal invasive procedures for treatment of cervical disc herniation.