SPINAL STENOSIS: Review of 60 Cases / 대한정형외과학회잡지

ABSTRACT

Spinal stenosis is a localized narrowing of the spinal canal due to structural abnormalities. It may be caused by diminution of the sagittal diameter, volume changes of the lateral recesses and the intervertebral foramena. Its symptoms are somewhat different from those of classical herniated intervertebral disc and are characterised by a chronic, less localized and usually bilateral nerve root compression syndrome. During the period of 5 years and 8 months, from January 1973 when the concept of spinal stenosis was adopted to August 1978, we saw at Seoul National University Hospital 65 cases of spinal stenosis and operated on 58. 60 of the cases were reviewed and following observations were made 1. There were 30 males and 30 females. The youngest age was 9 years and the oldest 62 years, the average being 41.5 years. 80% of the patients were between 30 and 60 years of age. 2. The etiology of spinal stenosis was as follows Congenital/developmental 5, Degenerative 11, Combined 19, Spondylolitic/spondylolisthetic 19, Iatrogenic 1, Miscellaneous 5. 3. Chief complaints on admission were as follows Back pain only 17, back pain and sciatica 22. intermittent claudication 11, numbness 5, weakness 4, and bladder incontinence 1. 4. Lasegue test was positive in only 11 cases, 7 of which being bilateral. 5. Myelogram was performed on 44 patients, yielding following findings: Hourglass bilateral defects 13, complete block 12, unilateral focal defect 7, multiple defects 6, almost complete block 2, uniformly narrow canal 2, and negative 2. 6. Decompressive surgery was carred out on 58 patients as in the following One level 21. two levels 21, and more than three levels 16. The longest follow-up was 4 years and the shortest 1 month, the average being one year and six months. Results were as follows excellent 31.4%. good 53%. fair 13.7% and poor 1.9%.