Abstract
We report the outcome of 24 patients (13 men and 11 women) treated with enlargement of the lumbar vertebral canal (developed in Yamaguchi University) for lumbar canal stenosis and lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis patients from October 1999 to December 2000. Mean age at the time of surgery was 67.3 years (range, 49—75 years). The mean follow-up period was 12.4 months (range, 6—19 months). Vertebra treated included L4 in 15 patients, L3 L4 in 6 patients, L3, L2 L3, L2 L3 L4 in three patients respectively.
We evaluated the surgical outcome using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association back score (JOA score, full point is 29). The evaluations based on the Hirabayashi recovery rate were as follows ; 9 cases excellent (75100%), 7 good (5075%), 5 fair (2550%), 3 poor (025%). Complications included displacement of the replaced lamina in 2 cases (one of them was associated with nerve root compression), screw breakage in 1 case and nonunion in 1 case.
We think that this enlargement of the lumbar vertebral canal might be a worth while method if cases are selected carefully.
