[Lumbar lateral recess stenosis. Clinical symptoms, diagnostic modalities and surgical management].
BACKGROUND
In spite of its importance for lumbar radicular syndroms only a few reports about lumbar lateral recess stenosis exist in literature. Most important clinical symptom is radicular pain, which may be exercise-dependent. Confirmation of diagnosis and differentiation from disc herniation requires imaging like CT, MRI or post-myelo-CT. Surgical treatment options include selective decompression techniques like foraminotomy, medial facettectomy and undercutting as well as hemilaminectomy, laminotomy and wide laminectomy or fusion.


METHODS
We treated 35 patients with selective decompression techniques.


RESULTS
In the follow-up 5 up to 18 months after surgery 25 patients for themselves described the results as good or excellent. Therefore, individually tailored selective microsurgical decompression is an appropriate and successful treatment strategy for lumbar lateral recess stenosis, if conservative treatment fails.
Wörner
B
B
Klinik für Neurochirurgie der Stadt Villingen-Schwenningen.
Lange
M
M
Fink
U
U
Oeckler
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000175:diagnosis; D007796:Laminectomy; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome