An Effectiveness Evaluation of Nucleo-Annuloplasty for Lumbar Discogenic Lesions Using Disc-FX: A Scoping Review

Background and Objectives: Degenerative disk disease is a widespread chronic condition that causes diskogenic pain. Diskogenic pain can be treated with various therapy methods. Disc-FX is a revolutionary, minimally invasive, percutaneous nucleo-annuloplasty method that combines manual diskectomy with nuclear and annular remodeling using radiofrequency ablation to relieve diskogenic pain. In this study, the technical features, clinical outcomes, and complications of Disc-FX are summarized. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature review was performed. By exploring several databases, we collected studies on Disc-FX for treating diskogenic pain. The outcomes included perioperative data, clinical results, and complications. Results: In the 15 studies included, data from 570 patients were collected. L4-L5 was the most frequently operated level, and most cases underwent single-level procedures. The follow-up period for these patients ranged from 2 months to 24 months. One study reported a procedure time between 35 and 60 min, whereas the remaining studies reported a procedure time of less than 30 min. The mean visual analog scale score decreased from 7.22 preoperatively to 1.81 at the final follow-up. The mean numerical rating scale score decreased from 6.98 preoperatively to 3.9 at the final follow-up. The mean Japanese Orthopaedic Association score improved from 16.26 preoperatively to 25.88 in the final follow-up. The mean Oswestry Disability Index score decreased from 35.37 preoperatively to 14.66 at the final follow-up. The mean satisfaction rate (based on the Macnab criteria) was 87.6% (range, 78.4-95.2%). The total incidence of postoperative transient pain was 8.77% (50/570) after nucleo-annuloplasty using Disc-FX, and recurrence was 1.58% (9/570). Conclusions: According to our comprehensive evaluation, using percutaneous nucleo-annuloplasty for treating lumbar diskogenic diseases provided considerable pain alleviation and improved functional outcomes with fewer complications. Disc-FX is a safe and effective procedure that is a good treatment option for patients with diskogenic pain.