Lumbar spinal stenosis. A cause of continued pain and disability in patients after total hip arthroplasty.

Eight patients, all with continued posterior hip pain following total hip arthroplasty, were seen during a 15-month period. In each patient, that pain and other disabling symptoms were traced to a degenerated, stenotic lumbar spine. The relationship of lumbar stenosis to degenerative hip disease is presented. Myelography was used to diagnose the stenosis in all patients, and findings were confirmed at laminectomy. Wide decompressive laminectomy and partial facetectomy was followed by complete relief of pain and other disabling symptoms in the 6 patients who were able to undergo it.