[Prognosis of the outcome of the surgical treatment of the acquired lumbar spinal stenosis].

Not clear-cut indications exist until now for surgical interventions in lumbar spinal stenosis. The satisfying surgical results range from 55% to 98%. The purpose of the present case study was to optimize the data related with the neurological status, magnetic-resonance tomography and with defining the factors having an influence on surgical results. A total of 77 patients were divided into 2 groups: group 1 comprised patients with the signs of intermittent claudication and group 2 comprised patients with pains in legs. The surgical treatment consisted in decompression of the spinal neural structures and, in cases of instability, in fixing the damaged spinal segments. The splendid surgical results were registered in 20 patients (66%) of group 1 and good results were obtained, in this group, in 10 patients (34%); the splendid results were obtained in 10 patients (21%) of group 2, good results--in 17 patients (37%), satisfactory results--in 11 patients (23%) and unsatisfactory--in 9 patients (19%) of group 2. The surgical treatment in neurogenic intermittent claudication with a scanty neurological symptomatology ensures good results. While, in case of pain in legs with definitely pronounced neurological symptomatology, the surgical treatment does not provide for a full-value regression of symptoms.