title: Clinical instability of the lumbar spine after microdiscectomy.
abstract: A total of 190 patients treated microsurgically for a virgin single level lumbar disc herniation were examined physically after a mean follow-up period of 3 years (range 21-68 months). Included were 99 (52%) men and 91 (48%) women with a mean age of 42 years. During the observation period, sciatica had completely recovered or markedly diminished in 172 (90%) patients, and 142 (75%) patients had returned to work. However, as many as 29% of the patients occasionally suffered from low back pain. Clinical examination revealed various signs and symptoms of segmental instability of the lumbar spine in 22% of the surgical patients. There was a significant association between postoperative instability and unsatisfactory long-term outcome: of the 42 patients with instability, 62% suffered from low back pain and 45% were on sick leave or retired because of the back, while the corresponding numbers for those patients without instability were 20% and 8%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Moreover, the mean value of the Oswestry index in instability patients was as high as 34% (SD 12), indicating moderate disability, whereas a significantly (p = 0.0001) lower Oswestry Index 16% (SD 13), indicating minimal disability, was detected in patients without instability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Turku University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kotilainen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valtonen
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery*; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000209:etiology*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational; D012585:Sciatica / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome