[Laser ablation of intervertebral disc: animal experiment]

The lumbar intervertebral discs (L3-6) were ablated through a transperitoneal approach in 12 adult dogs by using Nd: YAG laser (1.06 microns) with a 600 microns quartz fiber. The status of limbs motion and sphincter (bladder, bowel) was observed for evaluating the safety of laser irradiation. After irradiation, the animals were sacrificed at prescribed intervals of up to 40 weeks (2, 4, 8, 12 and 40 weeks after operation). The lumbar intervertebral discs were harvested and subjected to light microscopic observation. No dog had suffered from neurogenic dysfunction of limb motion and sphincter. Histological findings immediately after the irradiation showed the disc was vaporized and a cavity was made. After 2 and 4 weeks, fibrous tissues began to proliferate, but cartilaginous tissues replaced the fibrous tissues 12 weeks after the laser irradiation. No new bone formation was found within 40 weeks after operation. On the basis of this study and our previous cadaveric study, percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) was applied in clinical practice in march of 1993. 10 patients underwent PLDD utilizing the same laser equipment. The average follow-up was 3 months. According to the Macnab's criteria, there was an excellent response in 7 patients and a good response in 3.