The application effect of mobile internet technology in the postoperative follow-up management of patients with lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application effect of mobile Internet technology in the postoperative follow-up management of patients with lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion. METHODS: 100 patients with lumbar disc herniation undergoing percutaneous lumbar discectomy were randomly divided into two groups. The control group (50 cases) received routine follow-up management, and the intervention group (50 cases) received follow-up management based on mobile Internet technology. The score of self-management ability, the score of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) Lumbar Function Scale, the score of the functional exercise compliance scale of orthopaedic patients, the rate of good and good rehabilitation and the rate of recurrence were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant time × group interaction effects for self-management ability (F interaction = 14.276, P < 0.001), JOA score (F interaction = 13.543, P < 0.001), and rehabilitation exercise adherence (F = 10.132, P < 0.001), indicating that the intervention group experienced a significantly slower decline in rehabilitation exercise adherence and showed greater improvements in self-management ability and JOA scores over time. At 3 months post-discharge, the intervention group showed a significantly higher excellent rehabilitation rate (92.00% vs. 76.00%, P < 0.05) and was associated with a lower short-term recurrence rate (0.00% vs. 10.00%; Fisher's exact test, P = 0.056), although this difference did not reach statistical significance. The potential for reducing recurrence risk warrants further investigation in adequately powered studies with extended follow-up periods. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis identified the mobile Internet-based intervention as the strongest independent predictor of excellent recovery (adjusted OR = 8.42, 95% CI: 2.75-25.78, P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression models confirmed that the intervention was significantly associated with higher scores in self-management behavior (β = 0.712, P < 0.001), exercise adherence (β = 0.694, P < 0.001), and lumbar function (β = 0.654, P < 0.001) at 3 months. CONCLUSION: Follow-up management based on mobile Internet technology significantly enhances postoperative self-management ability, promotes lumbar function recovery, and significantly mitigates the decline in rehabilitation exercise compliance in patients with lumbar disc herniation. At 3 months post-discharge, the intervention was associated with a lower short-term recurrence rate (0.00% vs. 10.00%), but this difference did not reach statistical significance by Fisher's exact test (P = 0.056), and the study was not powered to detect recurrence differences. Longer-term follow-up in larger samples is required to determine whether the intervention confers a sustained reduction in recurrence risk. Regression analyses confirm that this intervention is a strong independent factor contributing to these superior outcomes. However, as both participants and providers were not blinded to group assignment, the observed effects may be partially attributable to increased attention and contact time rather than the digital intervention alone.Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT07547410.