Abstract
In some cases, the cause of low back pain and leg pain can not be supported by diagnostic imaging. This study investigates tight filum terminale (TFT) which is tethered cord syndrome with normal conus position. The diagnosis was followed by Komagata's criteria :1) low back pain, 2) non-dermatomal leg pain, 3) bladder-bowel dysfunction, 4) spinal stiffness, and 5) positieve provocation test. The operation was the transaction of the filum terminale internum at S1 level. With regard to post surgical improvement of the clinical findings after the operation, the low back pain or leg pain, muscle power and sensory disturbance, bladder-bowel dysfunction and spinal stiffness respectively improved by 96%, 68%, 79% and 80%. The change was seen in the VAS scales from 10 to 3.3 in average. TFT should be considered as differential diagnosis for low back pain, especially when no abnormality in imaging was present.
