title: Surgical versus Conservative Treatment for Lumbar Disc Herniation with Motor Weakness.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to assess outcomes during first one year for patients with severe motor weakness caused by lumbar disc herniation that underwent surgical or nonsurgical treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 46 patients with motor weakness because of lumbar disc herniation who were treated at neurosurgical department and rehabilitation in our hospital from 2006 to 2010, retrospectively. Each group had 26 surgical treatments and 20 conservative treatments. We followed up 1, 3, 6 months and 12 month and monitored a Visual Analogue rating Scale (VAS) of back and leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and degree of motor weakness. We analyzed the differences between surgical and nonsurgical groups using Mann-Whitney U test and repeat measure ANOVA in each follow-up periods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the recovery of motor weakness, surgical treatment uncovered a rapid functional recovery in the early periods (p=0.003) and no difference between groups at the end of follow-up period was found (p>0.05). In VAS of back and leg, the interaction between time and group was not found (p>0.05) and there was no difference between groups (p>0.05). In ODI, the interaction between time and group was not found (p>0.05) and there was no difference between groups (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical treatment for motor weakness caused by herniated intervertebral disc resulted in a rapid recovery in the short-term period, especially 1 month. We think early and proper surgical treatment in a case of motor weakness from disc herniation could be a good way for providing a chance for rapid alleviation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Hong-Seok
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kyung-Woo
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: Sang Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ahn
keywords: Disc; Herniation; Lumbar Region; Surgery; Weakness