PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - J C Maroon
AU  - R A Holst
AU  - C P Osgood
TI  - Chymopapain in the treatment of ruptured lumbar discs. Preliminary experience in 48 patients.
AID  - 10.1136/jnnp.39.5.508
DP  - 1976 May 01
TA  - Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
PG  - 508--513
VI  - 39
IP  - 5
4099  - http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/39/5/508.short
4100  - http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/39/5/508.full
SO  - J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry1976 May 01; 39
AB  - The results of chemonucleolysis in 48 patients with lumbar disc disease revealed marked improvement in 58%, slight improvement in 23%, and no improvement in 19%. Serious anaphylactic reactions occurred in two patients. These results and those of other neurosurgical and orthopaedic studies are summarized and compared with the 70% improvement rate obtained with a placebo in a recent double blind controlled cooperative study. Only those few investigators participating in the double blind study are now permitted to use intradiscal chymopapain. It is concluded that the ultimate place of chemonucleolysis, if any, in the treatment of ruptured lumbar discs remains to be determined.