MR monitoring in the intervertebral discs changes in patients undergoing autologous chondrocytes transplantation after lumbar microdiscectomy

Objective. To analyze the diagnostic information of MR monitoring while assessing the changes in operated intervertebral disc (IVD) after autologous chondrocytes transplantation (ACT) in patients undergoing lumbar microdiscectomy. Materials and methods. The Department of Minimally Invasive and Laser Spinal Neurosurgery of Romodanov Neurosurgery Institute of NAMS of Ukraine in cooperation with Cell Therapy Institute developed and implemented the technique of transplantation of autologous chondrocytes cultured from isolated hernia sequestration. 3 months after microdiscectomy ACT was performed via percutaneous puncture entry in operated in 6 patients. MRI of the lumbar spine was performed in 3, 12 and 24 months after ACT. Results. There were no recurrences of herniated disc reported in 6 patients in 3 months after the operation. In 12 and 24 months MRI showed four (66.7%) patients to have reparative processes against the background of partial recovery of hydrophilic vertebral pulp. The MR monitoring did not found any complication after microdiscectomy. Conclusions. The MRI information allows objectify ACT results in patients after microdiscectomy. The degree of ACT positive impact on reparative processes in IVD evaluated by MRI correlated with the initial level of degenerative changes in related regions of the vertebral bodies.