Post-operative radiculitis following one or two level anterior lumbar surgery with or without posterior instrumentation

Abstract The purpose of this study was to define risk factors for non-compression radiculitis following anterior lumbar surgery with or without posterior instrumentation and to define a time to resolution. In this study, we followed 58 consecutive patients who had anterior lumbar surgery with or without posterior instrumentation. We identified those with and without post-operative radiculitis. There as a 36.5% rate of postoperative radiculitis. We found that there was a moderate to strong correlation with height change and radiculitis (p = 0.044). Additionally patients treated with rh-BMP2 had a higher risk of developing symptoms. In all of the patients who developed postoperative radiculitis, symptoms resolved by 3 months. In conclusion 36.5% of patients developed post operative radiculitis. This was associated with the use of rh-BMP2, as well as increasing disc height through surgery. All symptoms resolved by 3 months posoperatively.