FRAGMENT EXCISION VERSUS CONVENTIONAL DISC REMOVAL IN THE MICROSURGICAL TREATMENT OF HERNIATED LUMBAR DISC

100 patients who had a lumbar microdiscectomy were retrospectively compared with 100 microsurgically treated patients who had only a removal of the herniated disc fragment. We were able to show that there are less ''reherniations'' in the fragment removal group and the clinical outcome is often better regarding postoperative problems of instability.