title: Precise and limited decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis.
abstract: Fifty-eight consecutive patients with lumbosacral nerve root entrapment due to spinal stenosis were treated with modified microsurgical decompression. Only the clinically relevant sides and levels were decompressed while the spinous processes, the interspinous ligaments, the medial portion of ligamentum flavum and the functionally important parts of the facet joints were preserved. The reviewers rated recovery as good or excellent in 71% of patients while patient self-assessment indicated 76% good or excellent outcome. These data suggest that microsurgical decompression of spondyloarthritic changes can effectively relieve the signs and symptoms of nerve root compression and that with careful evaluation of all available data the number of nerve roots requiring decompression is often fewer than what is suggested by diagnostic images alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Saarland, Homburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Caspar
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Papavero
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Sayler
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Harkey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D007796:Laminectomy; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed