Results of posterior decompression with non-instrumented lumbar fusion surgery in cases of degenerative lumbar canal stenosis presenting with neurogenic claudication in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Degenerative lumbar canal stenosis remains an important public health problem in today’s date. With the overall average age of the world’s population rising steadily it is important to have an optimal treatment plan affordable to the masses. Non-instrumented fusion after decompression remains an important treatment option which is affordable to the masses and effectively treats the instability occurring due to degeneration process. This study aims to understand the results of such treatment in a tertiary care center catering to the masses.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was conducted in 34 patients with diagnosed degenerative lumbar canal stenosis with neurogenic claudication who underwent decompressive laminectomy with a posterolateral strut graft posterolateral fusion from July 2018 to August 2020. Each patient was followed up for 12 months.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the present study, a total of 34 patients with degenerative lumbar canal stenosis with neurogenic claudication were included. There were 18 male and 16 female patients. The pre-operative Swiss spinal stenosis Score was 61-80 (52.9%) and these scores improved to a majority of patients in the category of 21-40 (82.4%) at 1 year postoperatively. The average VAS score was 4.7±1.8 preoperatively while the average post op VAS score was 0.8±0.77.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Non-instrumented fusion of the vertebrae with decompression has significantly improved results at 1 year follow up postoperatively and it is an excellent easy and cost-effective technique if used in a properly selected patient. Further studies are required to assess its long-term results.</p>