title: [Sciatic foramina radiculalgia. Apropos of 16 cases].
abstract: Over a period of six years, the authors have seen sixteen cases of foraminal sciatica with an L5 topography which possesses the following unusual clinical features: long history of back pain with a grumbling course and without any acute episodes, progressive sciatica without any predisposing factors, paresthesiae particularly on standing with normal amipaque saccoradiculography and unresponsive to medical treatment. The operative finding in all of these patients was a disc compression in the intervertebral foramen (hernia, disc residue or softened disc), which was frequently associated with factors reducing the calibre of the foramen: abnormal position of the root and lowering of the pedicular roof caused by lumbosacral disc degeneration. This multi-factorial compression therefore required, depending on the case, curettage of the disc or a localized annulectomy combined with a facettectomy. The long term results of the operation can be considered to be favourable, in view of the long history of root pain (an average of 4 years) which largely explains the incomplete nature of the post-operative success.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000209:etiology*; D012585:Sciatica / Q000209:etiology*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots
vernacular_title: Les radiculalgies sciatiques foraminales. A propos de seize observations.