It is recognised that those patients who present sciatica and significant preceding back pain will be disappointed, following discectomy, with the relief of the sciatica alone, as considerable degenerate disc will remain.

Though a bilateral fenestration exposure as much disc possible was removed right down to the back of the anterior longitudinal ligament. Intervertebral fusion was not used.

Of 25 patients, with a mean follow up of 20 months, 59% reported a significant improvement in pain (p< 0. 05) and function (p< 0. 05) following surgery. Post-operative radiography did not reveal malalignment or instability.

Prolo D et al. Toward uniformity results of lumbar spine operation. A paradigm applied to posterior lumbar interbody fusions. Spine, 1986: 11:601–6.