[The narrow lumbar canal. Study of a surgical series of 139 cases]. / Canaux lombaires étroits. Etude d'une série opératoire de 139 cas.

ABSTRACT

Over a period of 9 years, 139 patients with a mean age of 61 years were operated upon for disorders due to narrow lumbar vertebral canal. Clinical expression varied lumbago, movement sciatica, intermittent claudication... Importance must be attached to discordance of examination findings in apparently benign root pain (67% of cases). The two key examinations of radiologic investigation are radiculography and a CT scan. Treatment is surgical, generally by a two-stage wide laminectomy combined with abrasion of an articular facet (64%), excision of osteophytic pads (35%) and/or treatment for a soft herniated disc (26%). Recovery was obtained in 35% of cases and pronounced improvement in 49% (84% of very good and good results) as evaluated by patients and surgeons.