ABSTRACT
Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a very rare clinical entity in the pediatric age group, therefore only a few clinical studies have until now investigated the clinical behavior of pediatric LDH. The natural clinical history, postoperative neurological recovery with radiological follow-up and quality of life related to the disorder continue to be unknown. We prospectively planned and designed two groups of LDH patients scheduled for surgery in this study. The operations were performed by the same surgeon in a randomized fashion. The first group consisted of pediatric patients and the second group of adult patients. Both groups contained 32 cases. Postoperative neurological recovery was assessed using the visual analog scale and Aberdeen Low Back Pain Scale. Postoperative peridural fibrosis was also evaluated in postcontrast magnetic resonance sections. After 3 years of follow-up, all parameters were significantly better in the pediatric LDH group with no recurrence of the disease. The pediatric LDH group was postoperatively better than the adult group both clinically and radiologically. Although LDH seems a catastrophic disease in the pediatric age group, the clinical picture and neurological recovery have a significantly more benign course than in adult patients even in operated cases.