Operative treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation in upper segments through posterior-lateral approach

Objective:To explore clinical effect and indications of posterior-lateral approach operation for lumbar intervertebral disc herniation in upper segments.Methods:Twenty-seven patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation,16 cases were male and 11 cases were female with an average age of 35.6 years(rang from 18 to 61).Single segment disc herniation was 23 cases:L1,2 6 cases,L2,3 12 cases,L3,4 5 cases.Multi-segment disc herniation was 4 cases:L1,2+L4,5 1 case,L2,3+L3,4 2 case,L3,4+L4,5 1 case.All cases were treated through posterior-lateral approach to excise intervertebral disc and osteophytes.Some patients with lumbar instablility were treated with antogenous-grafting and internal fixation.Results:All the patients were followed up 12-53 months with an average of 29 months.According to Otani's classification the result was excellent in 13 cases,good in 10,advance in 4.Conclusion:Surgical treatment through posterior-lateral approach is a good method for lumbar intervertebral disc herniation in upper segments.Proper indication is important in clinical application.