Clinical Instability of the Lumbar Spine After Microdiscectomy

Overview

Journal Acta Neurochir (Wien)

Specialty Neurosurgery

Date 1993 Jan 1

PMID 8122535

Citations 34

Authors

E Kotilainen

S Valtonen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

A total of 190 patients treated microsurgically for a virgin single level lumbar disc herniation were examined physically after a mean follow-up period of 3 years (range 21-68 months). Included were 99 (52%) men and 91 (48%) women with a mean age of 42 years. During the observation period, sciatica had completely recovered or markedly diminished in 172 (90%) patients, and 142 (75%) patients had returned to work. However, as many as 29% of the patients occasionally suffered from low back pain. Clinical examination revealed various signs and symptoms of segmental instability of the lumbar spine in 22% of the surgical patients. There was a significant association between postoperative instability and unsatisfactory long-term outcome: of the 42 patients with instability, 62% suffered from low back pain and 45% were on sick leave or retired because of the back, while the corresponding numbers for those patients without instability were 20% and 8%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Moreover, the mean value of the Oswestry index in instability patients was as high as 34% (SD 12), indicating moderate disability, whereas a significantly (p = 0.0001) lower Oswestry Index 16% (SD 13), indicating minimal disability, was detected in patients without instability.

Citing Articles

Risk factor analysis of persistent low back pain after microdiscectomy: A retrospective study.

Garcia Lopez A, Herrero Ezquerro M, Martinez Perez M Heliyon. 2024; 10(19):e38549.

PMID: 39391475 PMC: 11466599. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38549.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict the risk of residual low back pain after tubular microdiskectomy of lumbar disk herniation.

Zhu F, Jia D, Zhang Y, Feng C, Peng Y, Ning Y Eur Spine J. 2024; 33(6):2179-2189.

PMID: 38647605 DOI: 10.1007/s00586-024-08255-0.

Bionate Lumbar Disc Nucleus Prosthesis: Biomechanical Studies in Cadaveric Human Spines.

Vanaclocha A, Vanaclocha V, Atienza C, Clavel P, Jorda-Gomez P, Barrios C ACS Omega. 2022; 7(50):46501-46514.

PMID: 36570209 PMC: 9774399. DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c05294.

Influence of microsurgical decompression on segmental stability of the lumbar spine - One-year results in a prospective, consecutive case series using upright, kinetic-positional MRI.

Daentzer D, Venjakob E, Schulz J, Schulze T, Schwarze M BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022; 23(1):742.

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Six Revision Surgeries for Massive Epidural Fibrosis with Recurrent Pain and Weakness in the Left Lower Extremity.

Choi H, Jo D Medicina (Kaunas). 2022; 58(3).

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