Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Aka: Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, Lumbar Canal Stenosis, Lumbar Stenosis, Cauda Equina Pseudoclaudication, Neurogenic Claudication, Pseudoclaudication
III. See Also
IV. Pathophysiology
- Predisposition with congenitally narrow canal 13 mm
- Degenerative condition
- Resulting changes
- Facet joint hypertrophy
- Ligamentum flavum hypertrophy
- Vertebral degeneration
- Intervertebral Herniated disc
- Spondylolisthesis
V. Symptoms: General
- Constant back pain (often presenting symptom)
- Thigh and leg stiffness
VI. Symptoms: Leg (neurogenic Intermittent Claudication)
- Characteristics
- Leg Fatigue (dullness) or Leg Weakness
- Leg numbness or Paresthesias (tingling sensation)
- Bilateral Leg Pain (burning or cramping)
- Involves buttocks and thighs
- Spreads distally into feet
- Provocative
- Provoked by lying prone or extending Lumbar Spine
- Worse with walking
- Not provoked by Bicycle riding
- Palliative
- Promptly relieved with sitting
- Severe symptoms
VII. Signs
- Complete Neurologic Exam (often normal)
- Brief ambulation to elicit leg symptoms
- Immediately repeat Neurologic Exam
- Lower extremity Sensory Exam changes
- Lower extremity Motor Exam changes
- Lower extremity vascular exam
- Rule-out Vascular Claudication cause
VIII. Complications
IX. Differential Diagnosis
- Vascular Claudication
- Mass lesions of spine
- Conus Medullaris
- Cauda equina neoplasm
- Benign cystic spinal lesions
- Neurofibromatosis
- Ependymoma
- Hemangioblastoma
- Dermoid
- Epidermoid
- Lipoma
- Spine Metastases with nerve compression
- Large Central DIsc Herniation
- Spondylolisthesis
- Degenerative lumbar Vertebra subluxation (L4-5)
- Lumbar Spine Trauma or Vertebral Fracture
- Epidural Abscess
- Inflammatory arachnoiditis
X. Imaging
- L-Spine XRay alternative diagnosis findings
- Degenerative spine changes
- Occult Spina bifida
- Spondylolisthesis
- L-Spine MRI findings (preferred)
- Loss of epidural fat (T1 weighted images)
- Loss of CSF signal at dural sac (T2 weighted images)
- Degenerative disc disease
- L-Spine CT
- Classic “Cloverleaf” or “Trefoil” canal appearance
XI. Management
- Neurologic deficits
- Pseudoclaudication and no neurologic deficits
- Mild symptoms
- Progressive Exercise
- Anesthetic block
- Effects last 1 month
- Epidural Corticosteroids
- No benefit over anesthetic block alone
- Fukasaki (1998) Clin J Pain 14:148-51 [PubMed]
- Friedly (2014) N Engl J Med 371(1):11-21 [PubMed]
- Moderate to severe symptoms
- Surgical intervention indications
- Time to first symptoms: 2 minutes or less
- Total ambulation time: 7 minutes or less
- Surgical decompression ro laminectomy
- May relieve leg symptoms
- Will not relieve back pain
- Surgical intervention indications
- Mild symptoms