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Related Experiment Videos

Lumbar disk herniation with contralateral symptoms.

Hasan Kamil Sucu1, Fazil Gelal

  • 1Department of Neurosurgery, Izmir Ataturk Research and Training Hospital, Izmir, Turkey. hsucu@yahoo.com

European Spine Journal : Official Publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
|October 19, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Contralateral lumbar disk herniation can cause leg pain. Surgery on the herniation side alone effectively resolves symptoms, suggesting traction, not direct compression, is the cause.

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Area of Science:

  • Neurosurgery
  • Orthopedics
  • Spinal Surgery

Background:

  • Lumbar disk herniation typically causes ipsilateral leg pain.
  • Contralateral symptoms are less common and their cause is debated.

Observation:

  • Five patients presented with predominantly contralateral leg pain due to lumbar disk herniation.
  • Imaging revealed broad-based, central-paracentral herniations with apex deviation away from symptom side.

Findings:

  • Surgical intervention on the herniation side alone resolved contralateral symptoms in all patients.
  • This suggests sciatica can arise from contralateral lumbar disk herniation.
  • Traction, rather than direct compression, is proposed as the mechanism for contralateral symptoms.

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Implications:

  • Surgical decompression on the herniation side may be sufficient for contralateral leg pain.
  • Understanding herniation mechanics is crucial for diagnosing and treating atypical sciatica.
  • This approach may avoid unnecessary surgery on the symptomatic side.