Neurogenic bladder dysfunction in protruded lumbar disk and after laminectomy.

Bladder and urethral innervation was studied in 18 patients with protruded lumbar disk or persistent back pain after laminectomy. A high incidence of neurogenic dysfunction of the detrusor muscle was found, whereas impaired function of the striated external urethral sphincter was rare. The lesions were encountered among the patients with protruded lumbar disk as well as among the patients with sequelae after laminectomy, suggesting that neurogenic bladder dysfunction in cauda equina injury due to protruded disk is often irreversible.