The lumbar shield: a progress report.

The lumbar shield is a silicone implant designed to prevent postoperative perineural adhesions, indicate a recurrent intervertebral disc rupture, facilitate further surgery at that level, and aid in the postoperative management of the patient. Over three years it has been implanted in 123 experimental patients. There are 83 control patients. Statistical analysis of the results indicates that for the first three months, those patients with the lumbar shield had less postoperative pain. The diagnosis of a recurrent lumbar disc rupture on lateral lumbar spine radiographs is illustrated. The ease of secondary surgery for a recurrent lumbar disc rupture is emphasized. The value of the lumbar shield in postoperative management is discussed, especially in the workmen's compensation/medicolegal groups. One conclusion is that the frequency of multiple secondary surgical procedures on patients with unsatisfactory initial results could be reduced by the use of the lumbar shield.