Patient Outcomes After Minimally Invasive Excision of Lumbar Synovial Cysts, With and Without a Spondylolisthesis, in an Ambulatory Care Center Setting.

Background: Lumbar synovial cysts are thought to signal facet joint degeneration and possible instability, leading some surgeons to routinely add a fusion to the decompressive procedure. These recommendations were formulated before the minimally invasive surgery (MIS) era. Here we describe our outcomes in surgical treatment of lumbar synovial cysts using MIS techniques.