Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
A Mobile Outside-in Technique of Transforaminal Lumbar Endoscopy for Lumbar Disc Herniations
Published on: August 7, 2018
[Sports after surgical treatment of a herniated lumbar disc: a prospective observational study]
J Weber1, C Schönfeld, A Spring
1Gesellschaft für MikroNeuroChirurgie mbH, Wirbelsäulenklinik Gensingen. palaeoweber@gmx.de
Aim:
Lumbar discectomy is the most frequent spinal surgical procedure in Germany. Surgeons vary widely in their preferences with regard to patients' return to sports after spinal surgery. The self-reported sporting activity before and after microdiscectomy was evaluated in a prospective observational study with 5 year follow-up.
Method:
One hundred and five patients (mean age 45.4 years) with self-reported sporting activity before lumbar single-level discectomy were re-evaluated after 5 years. The clinical outcome was graded using a modified Prolo scale (pain and medication).
Results:
Based on the Prolo scale, an excellent (n = 80) or good (n = 17) outcome was achieved in 92.4% of patients. Altogether, 91.4% of patients (n = 96) resumed sporting activities: 87 patients returned to their previous sport. Only 8.6% of the patients (n = 9) were unable to return to sports, for various reasons (e.g., poor general health, lumbar pain, or lack of time). The mean time until return to sports after operation was 5.8 months (range 6 weeks to 24 months).The recurrence rate was 5.7% (n = 6), with 3 of the herniations occurring before the return to sporting activities (after 1, 2 and 7 months).
Conclusions:
The success rate of single-level microdiscectomy in athletes was frequently good or excellent, with over 90% of patients able to return to sports. The reherniation rate after postoperative athletic activity was comparable with results reported in the literature.
