IDEA is used to treat discogenic back pain. This procedure involves inserting a flouroscopically guided needle into the affected lumbar disc. A heating probe is then passed down through the needle and into the disc. The heating element is then activated which destroys the small nerve fibers that have grown into cracks or tears in the disc, thus causing pain. The heat also partially shrinks the tissue, which triggers the body to try to heal the remaining disc. The success rate of IDEA may be as low as 23% or as high as 70%, depending on how it is studied.
Indications: Internal Disc Disruption, Torn Annulus