title: A series of 60 juxtafacet cysts: clinical presentation, the role of spinal instability, and treatment.
abstract: Spinal instability may be a cause of juxtafacet cyst formation and the pain and disability that occur after surgical excision of the cyst. To determine the role of instability, a retrospective review of charts identified 60 facet cysts in 56 patients treated over a 6-year period. Three patients developed an asynchronous cyst at the same level but on the opposite side of the previously resected cyst and one patient had a recurrent cyst in the same location. Forty-one cysts were present in patients with radiculopathy and 16 in patients with neurogenic claudication. Two patients presented with myelopathy and one had cauda equina syndrome. Thirty-six of the 60 cysts were located at L4-5, the most mobile segment. Fifteen patients had spondylolisthesis, of whom two experienced worsening spondylolisthesis postoperatively. Seven patients had scoliosis and 20 had systemic arthritis. Fifty-five cysts were resected via mesial facetectomy. Six of the patients undergoing this procedure had transverse process fusions at initial surgery for preoperative instability. Two others required fusion for post-operative instability and increased spondylolisthesis. Follow-up review was available in 95% of patients with an average duration of 12 months. Forty patients had excellent relief of symptoms, 12 had occasional back pain, and one patient did poorly. Flexion/extension views of the spine are recommended both pre- and postoperatively to identify the need for fusion in patients with juxtafacet cysts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, USA.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Sabo
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Tracy
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Weinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D003560:Cysts / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*