Lumbar nerve root compression at the intervertebral foramina caused by arthritis of the posterior facets

✓ The authors report their experience with 12 cases in which the roots of the sciatic nerve were compressed at the intervertebral foramina by degenerative arthritis (arthrosis) of the posterior facets, and in which foraminotomy and facetectomy brought relief of pain. Patients with disc narrowing, spondylolisthesis, and transitional vertebrae place unusual stress on the posterior facets. This may lead to hypertrophy and the development of marginal osteophytes that project downward with eventual constriction of the intervertebral foramen and entrapment of the nerve root. Such alterations are common in patients over 40, and when found in the presence of unremitting sciatic pain without evidence of a herniated disc or other etiology, a causal relationship must be considered.