Post-Laminectomy Syndrome

Applies to: Back

Post-Laminectomy Syndrome

Post-laminectomy syndrome, also called failed back syndrome (FBS), is a condition where a patient experiences chronic back or leg pain after back surgery, usually laminectomy.

Contributing factors include, but are not limited to:

  • Residual or recurrent herniated disc
  • Persistent pressure on spinal nerve after surgery
  • Altered joint mobility
  • Joint hypermobility with instability
  • Formation of scar tissue
  • Depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness
  • Spinal muscular deconditioning

An individual may be predisposed to the development of FBS due to systemic disorders such as diabetes, autoimmune disease, and vascular disease.