Twenty-seven consecutive patients undergoing IDET were prospectively evaluated. All patients, as determined by provocative discography and/or MRI, had discogenic disease with chronic low back pain and were non-responsive to conservative treatment for at least 6 months. The mean pre-operative duration of symptoms was 38 months. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Joint Section Lumbar Disc Herniation Study Questionnaire, which includes the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire and the Short Form (SF) -36 Health Status Questionnaire, was used. The follow-up endpoint for all patients was one year.

Seventy-five percent of patients improved based upon the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire while only 48% of patients were found to improve on the SF-36 Survey. The SF-36 Bodily Pain Subscale did improve relative to other subscales in 52% of patients. There was no relationship found between outcome and duration of symptoms (p= .32), number of levels treated (p= .20), or worker’s compensation (p= .38). There were no complications that resulted from the IDET treatment.

IDET was found to be effective in 75% of patients in improving their chronic low back pain. This did not translate into a significant improvement in the SF-36 survey scores. The risks are negligible, and recovery time is minimal. The procedure may be useful in selected patients who would otherwise undergo an interbody fusion procedure.

Keywords: Discogenic pain, intradiscal electrothermy, low back pain