Enlargement of the lumbar vertebral canal in lumbar canal stenosis.

A new surgical technique, enlargement of the spinal canal, was carried out on eight patients with lumbar canal stenosis. The conditions of all the patients have improved, and there have been no complications so far. A laminectomy is performed in which both sides of the pars interarticularis are cut out with an osteotome to eliminate the cause of the stenosis. The ventral side of the removed lamina is then ground with a surgical air drill to enlarge the posterior area of the lumbar canal. The lamina is subsequently replaced and fixed with screws. This method makes it possible to remove the cause of the stenosis. By replacing the removed lamina, the additional advantage of avoiding weakening vertebral stability is afforded.