Application of the polystyrene model made by 3-D printing rapid prototyping technology for operation planning in revision lumbar discectomy

Objective The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of 3-D rapid prototyping technology in revision lumbar discectomy. Summary of background data 3-D rapid prototyping technology has not been reported in the treatment of revision lumbar discectomy. Methods Patients with recurrent lumbar disc herniation who were preparing to undergo revision lumbar discectomy from a single center between January 2011 and 2013 were included in this analysis. Patients were divided into two groups. In group A, 3-D printing technology was used to create subject-specific lumbar vertebral models in the preoperative planning process. Group B underwent lumbar revision as usual. Preoperative and postoperative clinical outcomes were compared between groups included operation time, perioperative blood loss, postoperative complications, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Japan Orthopaedics Association (JOA) scores, and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for back pain and leg pain. Results A total of 37 patients were included in this study (Group A = 15, Group B = 22). Group A had a significantly shorter operation time (106.53 +/- 11.91 vs. 131.92 +/- 10.81 min, P < 0.001) and significantly less blood loss (341.67 +/- 49.45 vs. 466.77 +/- 71.46 ml, P < 0.001). There was no difference between groups for complication rate. There were also no differences between groups for any clinical metric. Conclusion Using the 3-D printing technology before revision lumbar discectomy may reduce the operation time and the perioperative blood loss. There does not appear to be a benefit to using the technology with respect to clinical outcomes. Future prospective studies are needed to further elucidate the efficacy of this emerging technology.