Intraspinal lumbar synovial cysts: diagnosis and surgical management.
BACKGROUND
Lumbar synovial cysts are a common association of facet joint degenerative disease. However, it is relatively rare for these cysts to cause symptoms of radiculopathy and nerve root compression.


METHODS
We report a series of eight cases which were treated over a period of 20 months. There were five female and three male patients with a mean age of 66 years, and an average follow-up of seventeen months. All patients had pre-operative flexion/extension radiographs and MRI scans. Two patients had failed non-surgical treatment, two were associated with a Grade 1 spondylolisthesis, and all were associated with facet joint arthropathy. There were five cases occurring at L4/5 and three at L5/S1.


RESULTS
All patients underwent identical procedures, which involved exploration, hemi-laminotomy, flavectomy and minimal facet joint excision. No patient required posterior lumbar interbody fusion and at follow-up five patients had excellent and three had good results.
Indar
R
R
Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow, Essex, UK. rupertindar@hotmail.com
Tsiridis
E
E
Morgan
M
M
Aldham
C H
CH
Hussein
A A
AA
D000368:Aged; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000379:methods*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D013581:Synovial Cyst / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome