title: Outcome after laminectomy for lumbar spinal stenosis. Part I: Clinical correlations.
abstract: All patients who underwent decompressive lumbar laminectomy in the Washtenaw County, Michigan metropolitan area during a 7-year period were studied for the purpose of defining long-term outcome, clinical correlations, and the need for subsequent fusion. Outcome was determined by questionnaire and physical examination from a cohort of 119 patients with an average follow-up evaluation interval of 4.6 years. Patients graded their outcome as much improved (37%), somewhat improved (29%), unchanged (17%), somewhat worse (5%), and much worse (12%) compared to their condition before surgery. Poor outcome correlated with the need for additional surgery, but there were few additional significant correlations. No patient had a lumbar fusion during the study interval. The outcome after laminectomy was found to be less favorable than previously reported, based on a patient questionnaire administered to an unbiased patient population. Further randomized, controlled trials are therefore necessary to determine the efficacy of lumbar fusion as an adjunct to decompressive lumbar laminectomy.
authors.affiliation: Section of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Tuite
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Doran
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Papadopoulos
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: McGillicuddy
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Oyedijo
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Grube
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lundquist
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Gilmer
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Schork
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D007866:Leg / Q000503:physiopathology; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018579:Patient Selection; D012086:Reoperation; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology