[Selective posterior radiculotomy in the treatment of spasticity: immediate and long-term results]

Immediate and late results of a series of 44 patients suffering from spastic syndromes, operated on from January 1973 to December 1976 by selective posterior rootlet section, have been analyzed and reported. The operation consisted of a selective section of the dorsomedial part of the rootlets constituting each posterior root and was performed usually from L1 to S1 bilaterally. Thirty patients improved markedly after the operation and there were no immediate or late complications. The procedure caused no sensory disorders. The indications and contraindications to the operation are discussed.