Comparable increases in dural sac area after three different posterior decompression techniques for lumbar spinal stenosis: radiological results from a randomized controlled trial in the NORDSTEN study.

Purpose: To investigate changes in dural sac area after three different posterior decompression techniques in patients undergoing surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis. Decompression of the nerve roots is the main surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis. The aim of this study was to radiologically investigate three commonly used posterior decompression techniques.

Methods: The present study reports data from one of two multicenter randomized trials included in the NORDSTEN study. In the present trial, involving 437 patients undergoing surgery, we report radiological results after three different midline retaining posterior decompression techniques: unilateral laminotomy with crossover (UL) (n = 146), bilateral laminotomy (BL) (n = 142) and spinous process osteotomy (SPO) (n = 149). MRI was performed before and three months after surgery. The increase in dural sac area and Schizas grade at the most stenotic level was evaluated. Three different predefined surgical indicators of substantial decompression were used: (1) postoperative dural sac area of > 100 mm, (2) increase in the dural sac area of at least 50% and (3) postoperative Schizas grade A or B.

Results: No differences between the three surgical groups were found in the mean increase in dural sac area. Mean values were 66.0 (SD 41.5) mm in the UL-group, 71.9 (SD 37.1) mm in the BL-group and 68.1 (SD 41.0) mm in the SPO-group (p = 0.49). No differences in the three predefined surgical outcomes between the three groups were found.

Conclusion: For patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, the three different surgical techniques provided the same increase in dural sac area.

Clinical Trial Registration: The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov reference on November 22th 2013 under the identifier NCT02007083.