Lumbar spinal stenosis in elderly patients

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Geriatric Medicine

Background:

• Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is common in the elderly, caused by degenerative changes.
• Symptoms include pain and neurological claudication, impacting quality of life.
• Surgical intervention is often considered for severe cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical, radiological, and short-term surgical outcomes of LSS treatment in patients over 65.
• To assess the effectiveness of decompressive laminectomy and related procedures.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 32 patients (age 65+) with LSS over 3 years.
• All patients underwent midline decompressive laminectomy with foraminotomies; discectomy was added for disc herniation.
• Clinical and radiological data were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Most common symptoms were pain (96.9%) and neurological claudication (90.6%).
• Average spinal canal diameter was <11.5 mm in 71.9%.
• Short-term partial recovery was observed in 62.5%; 68.8% had laminectomy (87.5% total).

Conclusions:

• Decompressive surgery is an effective treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis in older adults.
• Surgery demonstrates efficacy even in patients exceeding 75 years of age.
• Total laminectomy was more frequent in older patients due to smaller canal diameter.