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Undiagnosed Peripheral Nerve Disease in Patients with Failed Lumbar Disc Surgery
Tomohiro Yamauchi1, Kyongsong Kim1,2, Toyohiko Isu1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Kushiro Rosai Hospital, Hokkaido, Japan.
Study Design:
Retrospective study (level of evidence=3).
Purpose:
We examine the relationship between residual symptoms after discectomy for lumbar disc herniation and peripheral nerve (PN) neuropathy.
Overview Of Literature:
Patients may report persistent or recurrent symptoms after lumbar disc herniation surgery; others fail to respond to a variety of treatments. Some PN neuropathies elicit symptoms similar to those of lumbar spine disease.
Methods:
We retrospectively analyzed data for 13 patients treated for persistent (n=2) or recurrent (n=11) low back pain (LBP) and/or leg pain after primary lumbar discectomy.
Results:
Lumbar re-operation was required for four patients (three with recurrent lumbar disc herniation and one with lumbar canal stenosis). Superior cluneal nerve (SCN) entrapment neuropathy (EN) was noted in 12 patients; SCN block improved the symptoms for eight of these patients. In total, nine patients underwent PN surgery (SCN-EN, n=4; peroneal nerve EN, n=3; tarsal tunnel syndrome, n=1). Their symptoms improved significantly.
Conclusions:
Concomitant PN disease should be considered for patients with failed back surgery syndrome manifesting as persistent or recurrent LBP.
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