Removal of nucleus pulposus from the intervertebral disc – the use of chymopapain enhances mechanical removal with rongeurs: a laboratory study

摘要

BackgroundA laboratory study was conducted, on cadaveric sheep spines to develop an effective procedure for removing as much nucleus as possible from an intervertebral disc with minimal disruption to the annulus. The results of many studies involving removal of nucleus, including chemonucleolysis, using chymopapain, have been published but we are not aware of any previous quantitative studies on procedures for removing as much nucleus as possible from the disc.