Percutaneous discectomy in athletes.

Abstract

Percutaneous discectomy has been widely used for the lumbar disc herniation in recent years because it is a simple and safe procedure. This report evaluates the postoperative return to the original level of activity among athletes who compete in their sports on a national level. It has been thought that the recovery rate was poor in the conventional surgery but there have been few studies. The postoperative results using percutaneous discectomy were rated as excellent in 4 athletes, good in 5, poor in 4. The patients generally returned to full sports activity 2 months after surgery. The authors conclude that percutaneous discectomy may be considered if conservative treatments fail to relieve pain in athletes.