These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Chemonucleolysis with chymopapain: results in 150 patients.
    Author: Shields CB, Reiss SJ, Garretson HD.
    Journal: J Neurosurg; 1987 Aug; 67(2):187-91. PubMed ID: 3598679.
    Abstract:
    Chemonucleolysis with chymopapain has been advocated for the treatment of lumbar disc disease. When polled by a mail questionnaire, 150 consecutive patients who had undergone chemonucleolysis reported an overall success rate of only 40% and a failure rate of 60%. However, 57% of the patients were active or had only mild restriction of daily activities. Of those patients employed prior to injection, only 63% had returned to work. Those with workmen's compensation benefits fared considerably worse than those covered by third-party insurance (17% vs. 51% success). These results cast doubt on the long-term benefits of chymopapain in the treatment of lumbar disc disease.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]