Is there a clinical correlate to the histologic evidence of inflammation in herniated lumbar disc tissue?

STUDY DESIGN

The presence of inflammatory cells was examined immunohistochemically in routinely processed resection specimens of the lumbar disc. The histologic results were compared with prospectively obtained clinical data.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the clinical relevance of inflammatory cells in herniated lumbar disc specimens.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

It is postulated that in addition to nerve root compression, an inflammatory stimulus of the herniated lumbar disc is responsible for sciatic pain and radiculopathy. However, the clinical relevance of the histologically described inflammatory infiltrates is not defined clearly.

METHODS

Disc specimens from 44 patients who underwent surgery for lumbar disc herniation were studied immunohistologically. Before surgery, severity of pain was classified in each patient according to a visual analog scale, and general clinical data were recorded prospectively.

RESULTS

Varying amounts of inflammatory cells could be demonstrated in the resected disc tissue. In the statistical analysis, no statistically significant correlation between the histologic evidence of macrophage infiltrates and the pain grading scale or the clinical data was noted.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no statistically significant correlation between macrophage infiltrates in herniated lumbar disc specimens and the obtained clinical data.