To observe and assess the early recovery in low back pain and leg pain after the decompression of lumbar nerve root using percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD).

From Jan. 2015 to Jan. 2016, in 93 consecutive patients, 84 consecutive patients with low back pain and radicular pain were treated by using PELD. Visual analog score (VAS) of low back pain and leg pain were collected once a week, at consecutively postoperative 12 weeks , then compared the scores between adjacent two weeks separately. Outcome measures consisted of Oswestry Disability Index score (ODI) and VAS score of low back pain and leg pain between preoperative and postoperative, and modified MacNab criteria were compared.

There was no difference between the adjacent two weeks in postoperative low back pain VAS score (P> 0.05). The difference of postoperative leg pain VAS score between 2 weeks and 1 week [(2.96 ± 1.97) vs (2.10 ± 1.29)], 4 weeks and 3 weeks [(2.04 ± 1.62) vs (2.46 ± 1.97)], were significant (P< 0.05). There was no difference of postoperative leg pain VAS score between other adjacent 2 weeks (P> 0.05). The ODI score and VAS score of low back pain and leg pain at 12 weeks postoperative were lower significantly than at preoperative [(12.82 ± 6.39) vs (53.64 ± 11.73), (1.16 ± 1.06) vs (4.52 ± 0.65), (1.29 ± 1.30) vs (7.93 ± 0.81)]. Based on the evaluation of the modified MacNab, excellent and good rate was 86%.

There was no obvious fluctuation in postoperative low back pain, and there were obvious fluctuations in postoperative leg pain at 2 weeks and 3 weeks. With 12 weeks follow-up, PELD had a better result in low back pain, leg pain and state of life.