Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-018-2359-8 ORIGINAL ARTICLE • SPINE - MICROSURGERY Clinical outcomes after lumbar spine microdiscectomy: a 5‑year follow‑up prospective study in 100 patients Ioannis D. Gelalis 1  · Evangelos I. Papanastasiou 1,3  · Emilios E. Pakos 1  · Avraam Ploumis 2  · Dimitrios Papadopoulos 1  · Maria Mantzari 1  · Ioannis S. Gkiatas 1  · Marios D. Vekris 1  · Anastasios V. Korompilias 1 Received: 20 August 2018 / Accepted: 3 December 2018 © Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature 2018 Abstract Background To evaluate the effect of lumbar microdiscectomy (LM) in pain, disability and quality of life in a 5-year period and to identify potential demographic and clinical risk factors. Methods One hundred patients who underwent LM by the same surgeon participated in this prospective study. Clinical assessment was made with validated questionnaires preoperatively and up to 5 years postoperatively. Subsequently, associa- tions between clinical outcomes and demographic data were recorded. Results In every assessment questionnaire, there was a significant improvement in the first postoperative month, which lasted up to 1 year post-discectomy. After that, improvement was statistically significant (p < 0.05) but without clinical importance. Women reported more pain preoperatively and 1 month after surgery. Urban residents also presented more pain preoperatively. Older patients had more pain, disability and worse quality of life 1–5 years postoperatively. Similarly, patients with lower education presented the worst scores in every questionnaire at the same time. Smokers reported less pain 1.5–4 postoperative years. Higher alcohol consumption and obesity were associated with lower levels of preoperative pain. However, obese patients had worse SF-36 and ODI scores after the 6th postoperative month. Patients with heavy jobs presented the worst preoperative ODI scores. Conclusion Significant clinical improvement was recorded from the first postoperative month to the first postoperative year; stabilization was noticed later on. Feminine gender, urban residency, older age, low level of education, obesity and heavy physical occupation were negative prognostic factors. Oddly smoking and alcohol were correlated with less pain. Keywords Lumbar microdiscectomy · Clinical improvement · Demographic risk factors Abbreviations AUDIT Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test BMI Body mass index LDH Lumbar disc herniation LM Lumbar microdiscectomy MC Modic changes * Evangelos I. Papanastasiou vangelispapanastasiou@yahoo.gr Ioannis D. Gelalis idgelalis@gmail.com Emilios E. Pakos epakos@yahoo.gr Avraam Ploumis aploumis@cc.uoi.gr Dimitrios Papadopoulos di_papadopoulos@yahoo.gr Maria Mantzari mariamantzari@hotmail.com Ioannis S. Gkiatas john.gkiatas@gmail.com Marios D. Vekris vekrismd@otenet.gr Anastasios V. Korompilias koroban1960@gmail.com 1 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Stavrou Niarchou Anenue, 45500 Ioannina, Greece 2 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic, University of Ioannina Medical School, Ioannina, Greece 3 Larissa 41335, Greece