Efficacy of ultrasound as an imaging guide in ozone discolysis at the L4-L5 level
Keywords:
herniated disc, ozone therapy, ultrasoundAbstract
Introduction: There is skepticism regarding the use of ultrasound as an imaging guide in the interventional treatment of back pain due to its inability to see behind the bone. However, acoustic windows have been identified that allow ultrasound waves to pass through the spine.
Objective: To determine the effectiveness of ultrasound guidance for performing ozone discolysis at the L4-L5 level.
Methods: A single-blind, randomized, comparative study was conducted. The sample consisted of patients with radicular pain due to a herniated disc (L4-L5) who met the inclusion criteria: a visual analogue scale score greater than 6 and a history of more than 6 months, consistent clinical and radiological findings, and failure of conservative treatment. Patients were randomly assigned to two study groups. Group A: intradiscal ozone was applied under ultrasound guidance and confirmed by fluoroscopy. Group B: intradiscal ozone was applied under fluoroscopy guidance. Treatments were performed weekly for 3 weeks on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. The visual analogue scale was used to assess clinical improvement.
Results: In both groups, there was a significant decrease in VAS scores at all study periods, with no differences between groups. The procedure time and number of attempts were shorter in the ultrasound-guided group, with significant differences between groups.
Conclusions: Ozone discolysis was effective in relieving pain caused by a herniated disc at the L4-L5 level.
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