ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate operative skill and recent clinical effects of remaining bulk ligamentum flava and treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion by micro-endoscope.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-two cases with lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion included 31 males, 21 females; aged from 28 to 45 years,mean 36 years; L(4,5) in 24 cases, L5S1 in 28 cases. Under the micro-endoscope, all patient were excised the vertebral plate partly, decompressed the nerve root, remaining bulk ligament flava and excised the herniated nucleus pulposus.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Forty-six of 52 patients were followed up for 5 to 51 months with an average of 34.5. According to the effect of Nakai standards,the results were excellent in 34 cases, good in 9 cases, fair in 3 cases. The operation time was 45 to 75 minutes and bleeding was 40 to 80 ml. There were no nerve root injury and endorachis tear complications.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The bulk ligamentum flava remaining cure intervertebral disc protrusion by micro-endoscope, demic natural anatomic structure is retained through technically manipulate and spinalis constancy is kept.</p>