Introduction and Aims: To evaluate the long-term results of an operation which does not involve instrumentation or fusion and which leaves the midline structures intact.

Method: A retrospective clinical and radiological review of consecutive patients.

Results: One hundred and sixty patients (87 females and 73 males) with a mean age at operation of 68 (range 40–90); the majority of patients (79%) had either a one or two level bilateral decompression. The most common level decompressed was the L4/5 level (91%). The mean post-operative follow-up was 22 months.

Summary of background data: spondylosis, commonly involving a degenerative listhesis, is the most common cause of stenosis in the lumbar spine. The symptoms arise from root compromise of the stenotic level and surgery offers the only permanent cure. To date, the standard procedure remains a laminectomy with fixation and fusion in the presence of possible instability. A laminectomy, however, destabilises the spine and the instrumented fusion makes it a much bigger operation in patients often not best placed to cope with it. There has been, therefore, a need for an effective operation that does not compromise spinal stability.

Conclusion: At six weeks post-operation, 141 patients (85%) reported relief of leg pain and this rose to 90% at six months. One hundred and fifty-three patients (96%) reported an increase in their walking distance. Of those patients who also presented with back pain pre-operatively, 79% reported an improvement. There were no significant post-operative complications. The results were sustained at follow-up.

The operation of limited segmental decompression for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis has been found to be effective, safe, and providing good long-term results, without compromising the existing spinal stability. Appropriate patient selection and attention to operative technique are of paramount importance.