title: [Micro-decompression procedure for lumbar spinal stenosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate clinical result of the micro-decompression procedure for lumbar spinal stenosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  From September 2001 to May 2006,87 patients (male 60, female 27) with lumbar spinal stenosis underwent micro-decompression. The age of patients were from 43 to 80 years with an average of 51 years. Among them,2 cases with spinal stenosis occured in L(3,4), 47 in L(4,5), 38 in L5S1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were followed up for 18-48 months with an average of 26 months. The results were excellent in 52 cases, good in 28, poor in 7, according to Macnab of back leg pain standard. The rate of excellent and good was 92%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Operative treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis is focused at the areas causing symptomatic neural root compression rather than prophylactic decompression at areas of nonsymptomatic disease. The micro-decompression procedures are more likely to be well tolerated by older patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Orthopaedics, the General Hospital of Lanzhou Military Area, Lanzhou 730050, Gansu, China.
authors.forename: Gong-lin
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bao-feng
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Tie-jun
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Yong-heng
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ke-ming
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome