Expansive laminoplasty for lumbar spinal stenosis

Abstract

Expansive laminoplasty, a procedure used for cervical myelopathy, was carried out in 4 patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. The method was used in relatively young patients with severe low back and sciatic pain who had intraspinal ossification at multiple segments, with or without developmental spinal stenosis. The advantages of osteoplastic enlargement of the lumbar spinal canal with reinforcement of spinal stability are confirmed by our follow up of 2 to 5 1/2 years. The results were very satisfactory in each case. The indications and operative technique are described.

Expansive lumbar laminoplasty for degenerative spinal stenosis in patients below 70 years of age

“…Bone union of expansive laminoplasty usually occurs 3-4 months after surgery; the range of flexion/extension in a The evaluation system for the treatment of low-back pain disorders devised by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (Table 1) b There is a significant decrease in disc angle motion compared with the preoperative value L1-L5 is reduced with slight segmental mobility remaining [13,18]. In the present study, the postoperative disc space angle on functional radiographs after laminoplasty revealed a stabilizing effect in the expanded area.…”

“…The laminae and facet joint are decorticated with an air drill, and corticocancellous sliver bone graft and cancellous bone chips from the posterior ilium are placed in the decorticated bone surfaces (Fig. 1) [17,18].…”

“…For decompression of the nerve root tunnel, unroofing of the tunnel can be performed in the same manner. If intraspinal intervention, such as discectomy or removal of ossification of the ligamentum flavum, is necessary, access to the lesion is easy through the laminal opening after rotatory elevation of the laminae [13,17,18].…”

“…However, repeat surgery and progression of radiological degenerative changes cannot be avoided even using trumpet laminectomy [9]. From 1983, for active patients with this disease, we utilized expansive laminoplasty to obtain both neural decompression and spinal stability [13,17,18]. The purpose of the present study was to review the clinical and radiological outcome of posterior decompres-sion surgery with fusion for d e g e n e r a t i v e l u m b a r stenosis in patients b e l o w 70 years o f age at the t i m e o f operation.…”

Expansive laminoplasty for lumbar intradural lipoma

“…In this paper we report the pre-and postoperative neurological state of three patients who underwent tumour resection and expansive laminoplasty [8,11,12]. Case 1 A man, 43 years of age, noticed numbness in his right leg in 1987.…”