Annulotomy is a mandatory step to perform intradiscal decompression to resolve a disco radicular conflict. However, this manoeuvre can lead to post surgical complications such as vertebral instability and [[back pain]]. Coblation assisted microdiscectomy (CAM procedure) allows a quoted removal of disc without anulus damage
((Fabrizi AP, Zucchelli M. Surgical intradiscal decompression without annulotomy
in lumbar disc herniation using a coblation device: preliminary results. Acta
Neurochir Suppl. 2005;92:107-9. PubMed PMID: 15830979.
)).