Postoperative lumbar spinal instability occurring or progressing secondary to laminectomy.

The manifestations and pathomechanism of postoperative lumbar spinal instability, occurring or progressing secondary to laminectomy, was clarified by means of functional radiographic analysis in a series of 46 patients over 40 years of age. The relation between instability and the clinical symptoms also is discussed. In patients under 60 years of age, instability at the operated level tended to appear in cases of wide laminectomy more often than in cases of partial laminectomy. Occurrence or progress of instability seems to be promoted by resection of the posterior spinal elements rather than the disc. It is further considered that the postoperative aggravation of clinical symptoms may be influenced not only by instability, but also by the other factors.