title: Sporting activity following discectomy for lumbar disc herniation.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate to what extent patients could resume physical activity following surgery for herniated lumbar disks. We analyzed a cohort of 1003 patients who underwent lumbar spine surgery within 1 year. Out of this cohort, 93 patients were selected according to our inclusion criteria (age 20-35 years, mediolateral single level disk herniation, no comorbidity at the lumbar spine, and treatment with conventional subtotal diskectomy). This group was evaluated after a minimum follow-up of 28 months in a telephone questionnaire; participants were questioned about pre- and postoperative physical activities. The questionnaire was answered by 67 patients. Twenty-six patients were lost to follow-up because they had relocated. The follow-up group had a mean age of 30 years. Five patients underwent a second procedure due to recurrent disk herniation. All patients showed a pain reduction. At follow-up, no patient needed constant pain medication. Eighty-two percent of the patients were pain free during practicing sports. Sixty-two patients performed some type of sport after surgery. Concerning the type and frequency of physical activities, no significant change between pre- and postoperative behavior occurred. The 5 patients with recurrent disk herniation did not behave differently. Single-level lumbar disk surgery does not limit or compromise sportive activity in young people.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Anichstrasse 35, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dollinger
authors.forename: Alois A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Obwegeser
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gabl
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lackner
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koller
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Galiano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013177:Sports / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult