ABSTRACT

Background: The diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation is based on clinical history and examination, imaging studies, and electrophysiologic studies. Many factors have been reported as affecting recovery following surgical decompression. Electrophysiological studies has role in the diagnosis and predicting the prognosis of lumbar disc herniation.

Aims and Objectives: To study the prognostic value of the late response (F wave and H reflex) in lumbar disc herniation (L5-S1) treated surgically.

Materials and Methods: The study was conducted from January 2014 to April 2015 on fifty patients presented with lumbar disc herniation (L5-S1) and admitted in the department of spine surgery for surgical decompression. Both preoperative and 3 months postoperative electrophysiological studies were done.

Results: Preoperative F wave were abnormal in 74% of patients while H reflex were abnormal in all patients. 3 months follow up postoperative, 82% of patients had good outcome and improved neurological symptoms and 18% of patients still complaining of low back pain and sciatica. Postoperative F wave results showed 56% of patients had abnormal F wave response while H reflex results showed 52% of patients had abnormal H reflex. There were significant difference between both groups regarding to age, BMI, duration of disease, preoperative F wave and H reflex.

Conclusion: Old age patients with high BMI, long duration of neurological symptoms, absent F wave and H reflex response had unfavorable outcome postoperative.