Epidural lysis of adhesions and myeloscopy

Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2002 Dec;6(6):427-35. doi: 10.1007/s11916-002-0061-2.

Abstract

Chronic low back pain is one of the most common ailments in modern medicine, with as many as 79% of patients with acute pain continuing to suffer with chronic or recurrent low back pain 1 year after its onset. Lumbar epidural fibrosis and post-lumbar laminectomy syndrome are increasingly recognized as being responsible for persistent low back pain. Estimations show that approximately 5% to 40% of lumbar surgeries result in failed back surgery syndrome. Epidural adhesiolysis with myeloscopy is an interventional technique based on the premise that the three-dimensional visualization of the contents of the epidural space provides the physician with the ability to directly visualize the structures, perform appropriate adhesiolysis, and administer drugs specifically to the target. This review describes pathophysiologic aspects, purposes and goals, rationale and indications, complications, and effectiveness of epidural lysis of adhesions with myeloscopy.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Chronic Disease
  • Electromyography / methods
  • Endoscopy / methods
  • Epidural Space / pathology
  • Epidural Space / surgery
  • Fibrosis / complications
  • Fibrosis / drug therapy
  • Fibrosis / pathology
  • Fibrosis / surgery
  • Humans
  • Low Back Pain* / drug therapy
  • Low Back Pain* / etiology
  • Low Back Pain* / surgery
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Steroids
  • Tissue Adhesions / drug therapy
  • Tissue Adhesions / pathology
  • Tissue Adhesions / surgery

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Steroids