title: Unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression of lumbar spinal stenosis. Part I: Anatomical and surgical considerations.
abstract: A unilateral laminotomy for bilateral access to the lumbar spinal canal was investigated in human cadaver spine specimens to test its practicability in the treatment of spinal stenosis. Micro-surgical decompression was performed by partial resection of the ipsilateral facet, the medial portion of the laminar arch, the contralateral facet and by complete removal of the ligamentum flavum. Anatomical, radiological and morphometrical studies on 4 adult cadaver spine specimens have proved the feasibility of this unilateral approach. Complete bilateral flavectomy and partial bilateral facetectomy were the essential surgical steps for an adequate operative decompression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Medical Faculty, Technical University of Aachen, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Spetzger
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bertalanffy
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Naujokat
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: von Keyserlingk
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gilsbach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000379:methods*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed