The postoperative lumbar spine: evaluation of epidural scar over a 1-year period.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

We documented the morphological changes on enhanced MR imaging studies that occur in epidural scar over a period of 1 year after lumbar diskectomy.

METHODS:

The study population was culled from a randomized, multicenter clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of a device inhibiting postoperative epidural fibrosis after single-level, unilateral laminectomy/diskectomy for herniated lumbar disk. Analysis was restricted to 71 control subjects who did not receive the device. All patients underwent surgery after receiving clinical and MR examinations, with follow-up MR studies at 6 and 12 months. Evaluation of all MR images was performed by one interpreter, who was blinded to treatment arm and clinical findings. The extent of epidural scar seen at the 6- and 12-month MR examinations was graded on a scale of 0 to 4 for each quadrant at each imaging section encompassing the surgical level.

RESULTS:

Eighty-five percent of the patients had no change in the amount of anterior epidural scar between the 6- and 12-month MR examinations; 75% of the patients showed no change in the amount of posterior epidural scar between the 6- and 12-month examinations.

CONCLUSION:

The majority of our patients had no change in the amount of epidural scarring visible at enhanced MR imaging over a 1-year period after lumbar laminectomy/diskectomy.

• Authors: J S Ross, N Obuchowski, R Zepp
• Journal: AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology (AJNR Am J Neuroradiol) Vol. 19 Issue 1 Pg. 183-6 (Jan 1998) ISSN: 0195-6108 [Print] United States
• PMID: 9432177 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Cicatrix (pathology, surgery)
• Diskectomy
• Epidural Space
• Fibrosis (prevention & control)
• Humans
• Intervertebral Disc Displacement (surgery)
• Laminectomy
• Lumbar Vertebrae (pathology, surgery)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Postoperative Complications (prevention & control)
• Time Factors