Results of Early Operative Treatment of Sciatica
Abstract
RESULTS OF EARLY OPERATIVE TREATMENT OF SCI A TIC A Opinions about the indications for operative treatment of sciatica have changed in the last thirty years during which tiinc this treatment has been used. At thc beginning thc. indications ~ v c r e very strict. Friberg & Hirsch tlrscribetf the average prc.opcrativc duration of thc discwx as being 4vb years in a series olwrated 1)etwc.n the years 1939-1940 ( 1946). Since then the indications havc. I)CYXI broadcned and during the last ten years the opinion has h e n t h a t operation \vas indicated if the patient, in spite of 2-3 months conservative treatiilcnt with rest and physiotheraltg, still had pronounccd pain ( O'Connel 1950, Sijderberg 1956, Hirsch 1957-~1958). Ho\vc\,c.r, :IS carly :IS 1947, Horr considebred t h a t it \vas 1)ossiblc to opc.ratc. a t :in earlier stagc. Early operation of 1)rol~il)scd intervcrtchral disc \vas also tliscussc~tlby Hirsch a t the saiiic time as hc. descrihed thc primary results of 29 c ; i w s operated within two months o f the onset of the illncss (1955-1958). To find out if the results of early operntion of a prolapsed disc a r