[Management of cervical and lumbar stenosis]

Spinal stenosis is most common in elderly patients and is defined as narrowing of the spinal canal and (or) lateral nerve root canals. The underlying processes leading to spinal stenosis are degenerative changes in facet joints and intervertebral discs and buckling of the ligamentum flavum. Spinal stenosis can occur in both the cervical and the lumbar spine. Cervical stenosis mayleat to the development of radiculopathy and (or) myelopathy. The majority of patients respond to nonoperative management. Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis presents with back and (or) leg paints of valuing severity and duration. Nonoperative treatment associated with lumbar spinal stenosis consists of restituting and avoiding those maneuvers that reproduce pain. Surgical treatment of cervical and lumbar stenosis includes decompressive lamine ctomy, often fusion and instrumentation.