Abstract
We describe a technique for microsurgical widening of the nerve root canal in the lumbosacral spine. We also report our early results in 31 patients (19 men and 12 women; average follow-up, 3.2 years) with such foraminal stenosis but without osseous defects in the pars interarticularis and/or spondylolisthesis. The affected nerve root was decompressed by interlaminar medial foraminotomy followed by lateral laminotomy and foraminotomy using a microsurgical technique. The procedure aimed at preserving bony continuity of the pars interarticularis and segmental motion. Neurological results showed a favourable improvement of radicular symptoms and of intermittent claudication. The need for segmental fusion at the operated segment was excluded in 30 patients, but one patient subsequently required a transpedicular screw procedure with bone grafting. We recommend the present technique for effective decompression of the nerve root within the neural foramen, simultaneously maintaining lumbar spine mobile function.
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Baba, H., Uchida, K., Maezawa, Y. et al. Microsurgical nerve root canal widening without fusion for lumbosacral intervertebral foraminal stenosis: technical notes and early results. Spinal Cord 34, 644–650 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1996.116
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sc.1996.116
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