Tricyclic antidepressants have not been explicitly studied in the conservative treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. A retrospective chart review was conducted in a subset of patients with chronic low back pain and lumbar spinal stenosis managed with low dose tricyclic antidepressants. Of 26 patients, 20 reported improvement in back pain. The majority of patients reported improvement with an ini...

Of 232 patients with evidence of lumbar spinal stenosis, 13 had symptoms of meralgia paraesthetica. Myelography demonstrated that in all but one of these 13 cases the L3-4 level was involved by stenosis; in 12 matched control patients with spinal stenosis, none had involvement at this level. We found that both the ligamentum flavum and the laminae at L3-4 level were thicker than in a control gr...

Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis is a common condition and the most usual indication for spinal surgery in adult patients. The main objective of this study was to investigate clinical outcomes, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and satisfaction among patients with a diagnosed lumbar spinal stenosis who were surgically treated, and whether these outcomes differed according to gender and ...

BACKGROUND The lumbar spine includes 5 lumbar vertebral bodies, L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5. At each level, there is a disc space defined by the two bones (vertebral bodies) in the back; for example, there is a disc space at the L5-S1 level etc. The normal front to back (anterior to posterior or AP diameter) measurement of the spinal canal is typically 18-20 mm, but some patients have narrowing call...

Study Design Validation study of a morphological grading system for central lumbar spinal stenosis. Objective To evaluate and validate the inter- and intraobserver agreement of a morphological grading system for central lumbar spinal stenosis on magnetic resonance imaging between neurosurgeons and radiologists. Methods Two neurosurgeons and two radiologists independently assessed the morphologi...

BACKGROUND Lumbar spinal stenosis is the most common reason for spinal surgery in elderly patients. However, the surgical management of spinal stenosis is controversial. The aim of this review was to list aspects a surgeon considers when choosing a specific type of treatment. METHODS Appraisal of arguments reported in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) included in systematic reviews publishe...

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to report the findings resulting from chiropractic care using flexion distraction spinal manipulation for a patient with low back and radicular pain due to spinal stenosis caused by a synovial cyst. CASE REPORT A 75-year-old man presented with low back pain radiating to the right anterior thigh and down the left posterior leg of 3 years' duration. Phy...

Neurogenic claudication is most frequently observed in patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. We describe a patient with lumbar epidural varices secondary to obstruction of the inferior vena cava by pathological lymph nodes presenting with this syndrome. Following a diagnosis of follicular lymphoma, successful chemotherapy led to the resolution of the varices and the sym...

Osteoporosis has become a major medical problem as the aged population of the world rapidly grows. Osteoporosis predisposes patients to fracture, progressive spinal deformities, and stenosis, and is subject to be a major concern before performing spine surgery, especially with bone fusions and instrumentation. Osteoporosis has often been considered a contraindication for spinal surgery, while i...

Osteoporosis has become a major medical problem as the aged population of the world rapidly grows. Osteoporosispredisposes patients to fracture, progressive spinal deformities, and stenosis, and is subject to be a major concernbefore performing spine surgery, especially with bone fusions and instrumentation. Osteoporosis has often beenconsidered a contraindication for spinal surgery, while in s...