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Related Experiment Videos

Postoperative gas bubble foot drop. A case report.

R B Raynor1, L Saint-Louis

  • 1St. Vincent's Hospital, New York, NY, USA. rbr5@aol.com

Spine
|February 20, 1999
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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A rare case of foot drop after disc surgery was caused by an intraspinal gas bubble. This condition, known as vacuum disc, resolved spontaneously with observation, highlighting a conservative management approach for this unusual complication.

Area of Science:

  • Neurosurgery
  • Spinal Surgery
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Degenerative disc disease can lead to intradiscal gas accumulation, termed vacuum disc, typically considered benign.
  • Recurrent lumbar disc herniation and vacuum disc were diagnosed preoperatively.
  • The patient underwent microdiscectomy for lumbar disc extrusion with initial excellent recovery.

Observation:

  • Postoperatively, the patient developed foot drop and leg pain 10 days after surgery.
  • Imaging revealed a 4-mm intraspinal gas bubble compressing the nerve root.
  • The patient received a 10-day course of oral steroids.

Findings:

  • The intraspinal gas bubble and associated radiculopathy resolved spontaneously.
  • The patient became asymptomatic within 6 weeks.

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  • Conservative management with observation proved effective.

    • Implications:

    • Intraspinal gas accumulation, even post-surgery, can cause neurological deficits like foot drop.
    • Spontaneous resolution of intraspinal gas and symptoms is possible.
    • Initial observation may be a suitable management strategy for intraspinal gas causing radiculopathy, avoiding surgical intervention.