Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarify the effectiveness of microsurgical medial and lateral foraminal widening for lumbar foraminal stenosis. Five patients (three men, two women, age range from 45 to 78 years) with L-5 foraminal stenosis and associated leg pain underwent this operation. The mean follow-up period was 10.2 months. The clinical results, as rated by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score (JOA score), improved significantly. Preoperative and postoperative scores were 12.6±3.9, and 21.8±3.0, respectively. Postoperative radiographs showed neither lumbar instability nor the fracture of pars of interarticularis. We found that microsurgical foraminal widening was effective and valuable for the treatment of these patients with lumbar foraminal stenosis, by maintaining the mobility of the lumbar spine.
