Lateral decompression of a pathological disc in the treatment of lumbar pain and sciatica.

The posterolateral approach external to the vertebral canal allows decompression and the escape of disintegrating bits of abnormal nucleus pulposus. This simple, rapid, and least traumatic procedure is sufficient to relieve and to cure a significant number of patients (approximately 40%) suffering from intervertebral disc-related lumbar pain or sciatica. Among 225 patients with 338 discs operated on by the lateral decompression technique in the interval from 1978 to 1984, the overall results are encouraging.