Abstract
Introduction
The Lasègue Sign (LS) is frequently observed in patients with LDH. There is evidence that the persistence of the LS in the postoperative period is related to poor clinical outcome. However, the clinical relevance of this sign in the preoperative period of LDH is controversial. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the predictive value of the LS in patients who undergo microdiscectomy because of LDH, and to investigate its relation with the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures during 1-year follow-up.
Patients and Methods
A total of 95 patients with clinical and radiological diagnosis of LDH who underwent microdiscectomy were included. The patients were assessed by a neurological examination and answered validated instruments to assess pain, disability, QoL, and mood disorder in the preoperative period, and 1, 6, and 12 months after surgery.
Results
A preoperative LS was identified in 56.8% (n = 54/95) of the cases. There was no difference between the groups in the preoperative period regarding HRQoL. At 1-year follow-up, no statistically significant difference in HRQoL was observed in the Lasègue group. The discrimination capacity of the preoperative LS to determinate variations in HRQoL outcomes 1-year postoperatively was low.
Conclusion
LS is not a good predictor of outcome after microdiscectomy for LDH.