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Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume, Vol 85-B, Issue 8,
1146-1150.
doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.85B8.14625 Copyright © 2003 by British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery Surgical treatment of lumbar disc herniation in elderly patientsK. Fujii, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon; T. Henmi, MD, Chief Orthopaedic Surgeon; Y. Kanematsu, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon; T. Mishiro, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon; and T. Sakai, MD, Orthopaedic SurgeonDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Health Insurance Naruto Hospital, 32 Kotani Kurosaki, Naruto, Tokushima 772-8503, Japan. Correspondence should be sent to Dr K. Fujii. Between 1995 and 1999, 12 patients aged 65 years or more (mean 70.2) with lumbar disc herniation, underwent partial laminectomy and nucleotomy. The results were compared with those of 25 younger patients aged between 20 and 40 years (mean 30.1), who underwent the same surgical procedure. The Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score was used to assess the clinical outcome. The minimum follow-up was 12 months. The pre- and post-operative total JOA scores and the rate of improvement of the JOA score were not significantly different between the elderly (11.1, 24.3 points, and 74.1%), and the younger group (11.6, 26.4 points and 84.5%). The results of this study indicate that the outcome of lumbar discectomy in elderly patients is as good as in younger patients.
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