An observational study in Motor Deficits, Lumbar Discectomy and Muscle Weakness, sponsored by Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki. Recruiting at 3 sites in Greece. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-02-17.
Sponsored by Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki · Observational
Lumbar disc herniations may result in lower limb weakness. In such cases, there is a strong indication for surgical intervention through microdiscectomy. This clinical study aims to investigate preoperative factors that may influence the postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing this procedure.
Background: Motor deficits owing to neural compression caused by lumbar disc herniation are a common problem encountered in spine surgery. Microdiscectomy is considered the preferred procedure for the treatment of limb paresis related to a herniated disc. Nevertheless, there is a restricted number of clinical studies in the literature investigating the role of preoperative factors that could influence the postoperative outcome in these patients.
Aim: To investigate the prognostic factors determining the outcome in patients with lower limb paresis caused by a herniated lumbar disc subjected to microdiscektomy.
Study type: Primary clinical research, observational prognostic study. Materials: Patients suffering from a motor deficit due to lumbar disc herniation to undergo lumbar microdiscectomy in three neurosurgical departments.
Protocol: Prospective multicenter study. This research will discover the prognostic value of two primary and five secondary preoperative factors. Primary factors: a) the severity of paresis, b) the duration of paresis. Secondary factors: a) age, b) body mass index, c) diabetes mellitus, d) anatomic location of the herniated disc, e) morphology of the herniated disc.
Outcomes: The key evaluation criterion is the muscle strength of the most severely affected lower limb muscle according to the six-point (0-5) Medical Research Counsil (MRC) Scale for Muscle Strength. After the comparison between the postoperative and preoperative muscle strength, the outcome of paresis will be recorded as: a) full recovery, b) partial recovery or c) no recovery.
Sample size: Forty (40) patients.
Patients visiting the three recruitment hospitals, all located in North Greece.
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients suffering from motor deficit because of lumbar disk herniation scheduled to undergo single-level microdiskectomy.
Muscle Strength
The strength of lower main muscles will be assessed and will be rated according to the Medical Research Council Scale for Muscle Strength. The scale takes values between 0 and 5, with 5 being the best possible (healthy).
Time frame: Perioperative
Duration of paresis before surgical treatment
Time between the initiation of paresis and surgical treatment measured in days
Time frame: Baseline
Age
The age of participant as measured in years
Time frame: Baseline
Obesity
Body Mass Index (BMI) measured as the ratio between the mass measured in kilograms over the square of height measured in meters. There will be two groups of patients: a) with obesity and b) without obesity.
Time frame: Baseline
Diabetes Melitus
Participant is diagnosed with diabetes melitus (yes/no)
Time frame: Baseline
Hernia location
Categorisation of hernia location based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to a) central, b) subarticular, c) foraminal, and d) extra-foraminal.
Time frame: Baseline
Hernia morphology
Hernia morphology will be categorised based on radiology images to a) central, b) extrusion and c) sequestation.
Time frame: Baseline
Level of Pain
The pain level of participants will be measured using the Numeric Rating Scale for Pain which ranges from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable).
Time frame: Perioperative
Functionality
The functionality of participants will be measured using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) which consists of 10 questions using a 5-level Likert scale with 0 being the best.
Time frame: Perioperative
Quality of life assessment
This outcome will be measured using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. It is using 5-Level Likert scale, with 0 being the best. Also, it includes a self-report of health status using a 0 to 100 scale, 100 being best.
Time frame: Perioperative
Plan to share: No
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Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki