OBJECTIVE: to analyze the postoperative changes in patients undergoing lumbar discectomy, both in patients whose evolution has been satisfactory, as in those with "Failed lumbar Surgery Syndrome", emphasizing the fair value that the nuclear magnetic resonance has. METHODS: the work environment consists of two groups: Group I, five patients with satisfactory evolution and asymptomatic. Group II is composed of ten patients with unsatisfactory results and/or Failed Lumbar Syndrome. The results obtained in the nuclear magnetic resonance image were analyzed, emitting a diagnosis with external evaluation without knowledge of the clinical status of patients, and a correlation with clinical status in both groups was performed. RESULTS: the clinical preoperative manifestations had a very similar distribution. Transoperatory complications were not reported in any of the two groups. In all the groups, the histopathology study was carried out and it was reported the disk degenerated or hyalinization. In Group I, it was not found any abnormality, despite its clinical state. In all the patients, postoperative fibrosis data was found in four cases, and residual disk root was compressed in five patients. In Group II, only in eight patients, the nuclear magnetic resonance showed abnormal findings. The abnormal findings were: fibrosis postoperative in five cases (50%), residual disk in three cases (30%), and data root compression in six cases (60%). CONCLUSION: there is no congruence between the nuclear magnetic resonance and clinic findings, in postoperative patients, of lumbar disectomy with a satisfactory development, who, so far, are asymptomatic. The nuclear magnetic resonance is not reliable in these patients.
Magnetic resonance imaging; Failed back surgery syndrome; Spine