[The extent of temperature sense and pain appreciation recovery in the dermatomes of cauda equine roots after lumbar intervertebral dischernia elimination].

Temperature sense and pain appreciation has been studied in the dermatomes of cauda equine roots in patients with lumbar intervertebral disc hernia before treatment, in the immediate and long-term periods of observation after disc hernia elimination. Temperature sense and pain appreciation has been determined to be disordered not only in the dermatome of compressed root, but in the dermatomes located proximally and distally as well. The manifestation of negative changes was observed to a greater extent during temperature sense examination. After disc hernia elimination the recovery of temperature sense and pain appreciation in the dermatomes of cauda equine roots is rather limited, especially in the area of compressed root innervations. The positive shifts of temperature sense and pain appreciation values in different zones of examination in the immediate periods of observation after surgery were noted, on the average, in 55% of cases, those in the long-term periods of observation--in 36% patients only. The improvement of pain appreciation (heat pain) was noted to a greater extent both in the immediate and long-term periods of observation.