Low-back pain after lumbar fusion. Surgical and computed tomographic analysis.
Forty-eight patients with persistent pain after lumbar fusion were examined using computed tomography (CT). A total of 157 findings were observed, obviously with greatly varying significance. The main lesions were fragmentation of the fusion mass (16 patients), hair-line pseudarthrosis (9 patients), and spinal stenoses (8 patients). These were also the most frequent indications for reoperation in 20 patients. If the indication for reoperation was fragmentation, hair-line pseudarthrosis, or central spinal stenosis, the results were usually good during a follow-up period that ranged from 6 months to 4 years. At reoperation, 21 of 27 main lesions detected by CT were confirmed; six CT findings were partially or totally incorrect. However, we consider CT to be the best method for examining these problematic patients, but emphasize the choice of relevant CT diagnoses.
Laasonen
E M
EM
Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
Soini
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011542:Pseudarthrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D012086:Reoperation; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed