Lomber Spinal Stenoz: Klinik ve Radyolojik Özellikler Arasındaki İlişki
Objective: In this study we investigated the relation between the clinical and radiological findings of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).
Methods: Thirty patients with LSS who had neurogenic intermittent claudication (NIC) and thirty controls were included in the study. The BMI, duration of NIC, duration of low back and/or leg(s) pain and association of the pain with walking up and downhill were recorded. The level of pain was evaluated by VAS and the effects of the pain on the daily living activities was evaluated by Oswestry pain questionnaire form. The patients were examined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in flexion and extension positions.
Results: Oswestry pain questionnaire score and duration of low back and leg pain increased in the patients who had high BMI (p=0.001, p=0.02 and p=0.04, respectively). The duration of gait was short at the patients who had high BMI, VAS, Oswestry scores and decreased spine lenght (p=0.02, p=0.02, p=0.000 and p=0.01, respectively). When compared with the controls, in the patients only at L4-5 level, lateral recess and interfacetal diameter decreased significantly when the position changed from flexion to extention (p<0.05). In most of the patients dural area was under 100 mm2.
Conclusion: We found that duration of the gait is short in the patients with high BMI, short spine legth and severe pain. Although the radiologic changes were extensive in MRI, there was no correlation between the degree of clinical symptoms and narrowing of spinal canal
Keywords : Lumbar spinal stenosis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)