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Classification of lumbar spinal stenosis

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

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:

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