Incarceration of Spinal Nerve Root through Incidental Durotomy as a Cause of Sciatica

Incidental durotomies are a frequent complication during spinal surgery. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage from a dural tear may be visually apparent intraoperatively, but occasionally, a tear may not be recognized during the procedure. We report our experience in 2 cases of postoperative incarceration of nerve root as a cause of sciatica, without CSF leakage intraoperatively. When durotomy attributable to surgical manipulation does occur, intraoperative identification is mandated. If a patient develops unexplainable postoperative pain and neurological deficits after lumbar discectomy, incarceration of nerve root should be considered in the differential diagnosis.