Superior Cluneal Nerve Entrapment Syndrome in Adolescents

Although low back pain is a common symptom in adolescents, the etiology of the pain is frequently unknown. One cause of low back pain that is not widely considered in adolescents and young adults is superior cluneal nerve entrapment syndrome (SCNES). This study describes this disorder in adolescents and young adults and their outcomes after surgical decompression.  Methodology: This is a retrospective case series of 10 patients who underwent surgical decompression of the nerve at a single institution from 2018 to 2020.

All patients with both preoperative and postoperative pain scores reported lower pain scores at their first surgical follow-up. This improvement in postoperative pain scores was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Also, at the latest postoperative follow-up, all patients reported symptom were better than prior to the surgical decompression. One patient required a revision decompression after symptoms recurred. The only complication, postoperative numbness, was reported in two patients. It was unclear whether the numbness was at the incision site or in the distribution of the superior cluneal nerve.

Surgical decompression demonstrated improvement in preoperative pain symptoms in all adolescents in this series with low back pain from SCNES.