classification of lumbar spinal stenosis

Last reviewed 10/2020

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) can be classified according to:

• aetiology
• primary or congenital
• rare
• causes include:
• idiopathic
• achondroplasia.
• hypochondroplasia
• diastrophic dwarfism
• Morquio's syndrome
• hereditary exostosis
• cheirolumbar dysostosis
• secondary or acquired
• causes include:
• degenerative
• Iatrogenic post-surgical
• metabolic Paget's disease, fluorosis
• post traumatic
• stenosis due to spondylolisthesis
• combined
• congenital with secondary degenerative changes
  
  
• anatomy
• central
• occurs at the level of the intervertebral disc with midline sagittal narrowing
• within the lateral recess
• occurs when the traversing nerve root is compressed beneath the superior articular process of the inferior vertebra, i.e. beneath the thickened facet joint.
• in the foramen
  
  
• typical and complex lumbar spinal stenosis
• typical
• no previous lumbar spine operation or radiographic evidence of instability
• complex
• previous lumbar spine operation with evidence of radiographic instability

Reference:

• (1) Rajagopal TS, Marshall RW. Focus on understanding and treating spinal stenosis 2010.