Lumbar scoliosis associated with spinal stenosis in idiopathic and degenerative cases

Degenerative de novo scoliosis is commonly present in older adult patients. The degenerative process including disc bulging, facet arthritis, and ligamentum flavum hypertrophy contributes to the appearance of symptoms of spinal stenosis. Idiopathic scoliosis has also degenerative changes that can lead to spinal stenosis.

The aetiology, prevalence, biomechanics, classification, symptomatology, and treatment of idiopathic and degenerative lumbar scoliosis in association with spinal stenosis are reviewed.

Review study is based on a review of pertinent but non-exhaustive literature of the last 20 years in PubMed in English language.

Retrospective analysis of studies focused on all parameters concerning scoliosis associated with stenosis.

Very few publications have focused specifically on idiopathic scoliosis and stenosis, and this was before the advent of modern segmental instrumentation. On the other hand, many papers were found for degenerative scoliosis and stenosis with treatment methods based on aetiology of spinal canal stenosis and analysis of global sagittal and frontal parameters. Satisfactory clinical results after operative treatment range from 83 to 96 % but with increased percentage of complications. Recent literature analysed the importance of stabilizing or not the spine after decompression in such situation knowing the increasing risk of instability after facet resection. No prospective randomized studies were found to support short instrumentation. Long instrumentation and fusion to prevent distabilization after decompression were always associated with higher complication rates. Imbalance patients with unsatisfactory compensation capacities were at risk of complications.

Operative treatment using newly proposed classification system of lumbar scoliosis with associated canal stenosis is useful. Sagittal balance and rotatory dislocation are the main parameters to analyse to determine the length of fusion.