Neurological long-term sequelae after spinal anaesthesia in a tropical setting: a case control study.

Spinal anaesthesia (SA) is an important form of anaesthesia in tropical countries. It is considered to have few long-term complications or sequelae, although this hypothesis has not been proven in a rural tropical setting. In a case control study we found SA to he a significant risk factor for lower back pain, reflex abnormalities and muscular atrophy and mild impairment of muscle power in patients examined between 3 months and 4 years after SA. These long-term sequelae need to be confirmed in a larger prospective study employing all possible neurophysiological and neuroimaging techniques.