Unilateral fenestration in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis

The results of decompression by fenestration restricted to the clinically r elevant level and side in 50 cases of spinal stenosis are presented. Forty- two patients underwent unilateral and 37 single level procedures. The mean follow-up time was 32 months. Patient assessment of outcome was: 32% excell ent, 28% good, 28% fair, 4% marginal and 8% poor. This is comparable to pub lished series. Two patients developed contralateral leg symptoms during the study. MRI showed neither case to be due to progressive stenosis. It is pr oposed that fenestration type surgery restricted to the clinically relevant level and side provides adequate spinal decompression whilst minimizing th e extent of the surgical intervention.