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Lumbar spinal stenosis. Clinical and radiologic features
T Amundsen1, H Weber, F Lilleås
1Department of Neurology, Ullevål Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Spine
|May 15, 1995
Summary
Symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis often shows extensive radiologic findings not correlating with modest clinical symptoms. This study found no clear link between spinal canal narrowing severity and patient affliction levels.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Radiology
- Spinal Disorders
Background:
- Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) diagnosis is common, encompassing diverse spinal disorders.
- Understanding the clinical and radiologic characteristics of LSS is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate clinical and radiologic characteristics in symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis.
- To investigate the relationship between clinical presentation and radiologic findings in LSS patients.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, randomized study of 100 patients with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis.
- Clinical examination combined with plain radiography, myelography, and computed tomographic imaging.
Main Results:
- Patients presented with long-standing, multilevel, bilateral symptoms including sciatica, neurogenic claudication, and low back pain.
- Radiologic imaging revealed spinal canal narrowing and nerve root compression, often more severe than clinical findings suggested.
- No definitive association was found between the degree of spinal canal narrowing and the severity of clinical symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis exhibits varied radiologic presentations with limited correlation to clinical symptoms.
- Radiologic findings in LSS are frequently more extensive than suggested by the clinical picture.
- The degree of spinal canal narrowing does not reliably predict the extent of clinical affliction in LSS patients.