Postlaminectomy instability–is fusion essential in degenerative lumbar stenosis surgery?

Abstract

Aim: To examine the incidence of postlaminectomy instability in cases of lumbar spinal stenosis who underwent facet-preserving laminectomy and decompression with the classical laminectomy technique, together with comorbid diseases, and to determine whether fusion is needed. Material and Method: The patients who were operated by the same surgeon in the same hospital between 2017 and 2019 and followed up in terms of instability in the postoperative 1st and 6th months were evaluated retrospectively with their clinical findings, comorbid diseases and radiological images. White and Panjabi's instability criteria were used. It was analyzed with SPSS 23.00 statistical package program. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics (number, percentage distribution, mean and standard deviation), t-test and ANOVA. Results: A total of 53 patients, 22 male (41.5%) and 31 female (58.5%) were included in the study. Age, surgical precedures and comorbid diseases were investigated. None of the patients, but 2 patients with osteoporosis with or without diabets, had postlaminectomy instability. Conclusion: It has been shown in our study that decompressive and facet-preserving surgery performed at 2 levels or less using only the classical laminectomy technique does not cause instability in patients without osteoporosis alone or with diabetes, especially in the first 6 months, and can be safely applied to patients. Osteoporosis alone or in association with diabetes mellitus suggests increased postoperative instability.