Surgical indications for lumbar degenerative disease

Abstract

Lumbar degenerative disease is a common and debilitating condition that describes the age-dependent pathologic changes that occur in the spine. Degenerative disease of the lumbar spine accounts for a relatively large proportion of the annual health-care expenditures in the USA and is responsible for considerable indirect losses due to time-off of work (Xuemeiet al. 2004). A study by Hanson et al. assessed the health status of patients with musculoskeletal pathology requiring surgical treatment and found that patients with lumbar spinal conditions (i.e., chronic low back pain, stenosis, and spondylolisthesis) suffered from considerable disability when compared to patients with other orthopedic conditions, such as hip and knee arthritis (Hansson et al. 2008).