UNLABELLED We set out to assess the efficacy of radiofrequency-induced intradiscal nucleoplasty in reducing pain in symptomatic patients with MRI-defined lumbar disc herniation and their satisfaction with the procedure. We compared the patients' pain intensity and severity of disability scores before and after undergoing the procedure in a retrospective questionnaire. These patients reported st...

A variety of implant-related short and long-term complications after lumbar fusion surgery are recognized. Mid to long-term complications due to cage migration and/or cage subsidence are less frequently reported. Here, we report a patient with a complete cage migration into the superior adjacent vertebral body almost 20 years after the initial posterior lumbar interbody fusion procedure. In thi...

We present a literature review of the diagnosis and treatment of acquired lumbar spinal stenosis (LS), with a brief description of new surgical techniques. LS is the most common cause of spinal surgery in individuals older than 65 years of age. Neurogenic claudication and radiculopathy result from compression of the cauda equina and lumbosacral nerve roots by degenerated spinal elements. Surgic...

Background. We conducted a pilot study to investigate the value of an Iso-C3D imaging system in determining the extent of decompression of lumbar spinal stenosis during surgery. We now address the question whether this imaging has become a routine tool. Material and Methods. Ten patients who underwent unilateral decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis were intraoperatively examined using the I...

Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) is a relatively new technique of lumbar arthrodesis via posterior transforaminal approach to the disc, indicated mainly in cases of degenerative disc disease, low grade spondylolisthesis and reoperation for disc herniation, specially when there is indication for interbody fusion and posterior decompression. The main advantage of TLIF is that it allo...

Over 1.2 million patients are diagnosed with, and in active treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) at any given time. Typically, these patients experience discomfort while walking or standing, for any length of time. The LSS treatment algorithm contains a gap of under-treated patients between epidural steroid injections (ESI) and open surgery. With the introduction of a minimally invasive l...

Papilloedema is not always an adequate predictor of potential complications from lumbar puncture, and many clinicians are using computed tomography (CT) before lumbar puncture in an effort to identify more accurately the "at risk" patient. This paper identifies the following anatomical criteria defined by CT scanning that correlate with unequal pressures between intracranial compartments and pr...

Seventy-eight patients who had been operated on for bony entrapment of lumbar nerve roots were studied in an attempt to define the clinical syndrome, and to assess the results of a new technique of decompression which preserves spinal stability. The mean age of the patients was 45 years and 28 of them had previously undergone spinal operations. Pain in the leg was the predominant symptom, with ...

The incidence of chronic and debilitating conditions in the aging population is steadily increasing, and the treatment of extreme elderly patients with spinal conditions can be challenging. Spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis can dramatically affect patient quality of life, and patients commonly seek a surgical solution for their condition. Many extreme elderly patients are cautioned against ...