Lumbar Chymopapain Chemonucleolysis

Lumbar chemonucleolysis is an alternative treatment of the sciatic pain due to a disc herniation. It gives good results in 70 to 80% of selected patients. When a correct technique is used, the complication rate is lesser than that of the open surgery. The indications of lumbar chemonucleolysis are larger than in the past and include lateral disc herniations, large or migrated disc herniations, and patients under 18 years or over 60 years. Further studies are necessary to determine if magnetic resonance imaging helps in patients selection and improve the success rate of chemonucleolysis.