Lumbar spinal stenosis: a review of current concepts in evaluation, management, and outcome measurements

The purpose of this review is to present current information from the literature regarding the pathoanatomy, clinical presentation, differential diagnosis, treatment, and outcome assessment methods for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Lumbar spinal stenosis is a frequently encountered condition, particularly in the elderly. Treatment requires an accurate diagnosis, but differential diagnosis of lumbar stenosis can be difficult. The literature to date has focused primarily on surgical treatment. The long-term efficacy of surgery has been questioned, and surgical procedures are associated with increased costs and risks of morbidity in an elderly population. A trial of conservative care is recommended in most cases, but there are presently no randomized controlled studies in the literature comparing surgical versus conservative management, or evaluating the effectiveness of any specific conservative treatment approach. The existing literature has further been criticized for having poorly defined outcome measures. The assessment of treatment outcomes should be multifactorial, including measures of pathoanatomy and impairments, as well as patient-centered measures such as level of disability, patient expectations, and satisfaction. The present level of understanding of lumbar spinal stenosis is deficient in many areas, including differential diagnosis, treatment, and outcome assessment. Future research should address these deficits to improve the management of patients with this condition.