Presentation of Lumbar Disc and Reduction of Symptoms

Objective. The trial aims to assess the hypothesis that presentation of removed material to the patient following a lumbar microdiscectomy would positively influence the improvement in their radiculopathic and degenerative symptoms.

Design. Data will be collected prospectively. Patient allocation to treatment groups will be by simple randomization using a computer generated sequence of random numbers. Trial participants will be blinded as to the trial hypothesis and investigators blinded to patient allocation.

Setting. Patients will all be treated in a single secondary care unit.

Participants. All adult patients undergoing a planned lumbar microdiscectomy for radiculopathy due to a prolapsed intervertebral disc over a six month period will be considered for entry into the trial. Exclusion criteria: inability to give verbal consent, age less than 18, previous spinal surgery, emergency discectomies, patients having spinal fusions and those with no radiculopathic symptoms.

Intervention. Patients allocated to the experimental arm will be given the removed disc fragments to keep once they have recovered from anaesthesia. Those in the control arm will not be shown disc fragments (best available treatment).

Main outcome measure. The degree of improvement in radiculopathic and degenerative symptoms reported by the patient at 2-3 months after surgery.

Inclusion criteria

• All adult patients undergoing a planned lumbar microdiscectomy for radiculopathy due to a prolapsed intervertebral disc

Exclusion criteria

• inability to give verbal consent, age less than 18, previous spinal surgery, emergency discectomies, patients having spinal fusions and those with no radiculopathic symptoms.