[Causes of reoperations in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis treated with instrumentations].
OBJECTIVE
In present study we analyze the causes leading to reoperation patients treated for lumbar spinal stenosis with laminectomy and lumbar instrumentation.


METHODS
74 patients operated between January of 1996 and December of 2000 with a minimum 4 year follow-up were seleted for the study.


RESULTS
16 patients (21.1%) underwent a new surgical intervention. The main cause for reoperation was stenosis of the adjacent level superiorly to the instrumentation (in 50%). Other causes were radicular fibrosis, persistence of stenosis after the surgery, neuropatic pain, failure of the instrumentation system, transpedicular screws misplacement and break of screws.


CONCLUSIONS
Complications related with the initial surgical procedure are low, as half of the reoperations were due to stenosis of the segment superior to the fixation.
Gómez de la Riva
A
A
Servicio de Neurocirugía, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid.
Isla
A
A
Pérez-López
C
C
Ortega
R
R
Fernández-Miranda
J C
JC
Heredero
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001863:Bone Screws; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome