• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.570-582
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• 2022

Nucleoplasty is a type of percutaneous disc decompression that has been developed to treat herniated intervertebral discs. Currently, in some clinics, researchers have also applied this procedure to patients with internal disc disruption, apart from the originally intended usage on herniated intervertebral discs. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of this extended use based on medical logic. To achieve this, the author analyzed case studies on performing nucleoplasty on patients with internal disc disruption. The main points of the analysis are, first, the validity of the treatment evidence presented by the researchers and, second, the relevance of the patient selection criteria. As a result, it is judged that the therapeutic rationale of existing papers applying nucleoplasty to the treatment of internal disc disruption is unclear or inconsistent with general medical logic, and in the process of patient screening, discs that may be deemed inappropriate for percutaneous decompression are included. Therefore, the author believes that existing studies applying nucleoplasty to the treatment of internal disc disruption have the nature of somewhat adventurous experiments that are unnecessary or can cause potential side effects. In order to uphold patients' rights and improve the completeness of the study in the research process on this topic, the author thinks that it is essential to establish clearer therapeutic evidence than the current level of understanding and to have an elaborate patient screening process based on it.