Spinal decompression improves walking capacity in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis
Introduction: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a degenerative condition causing back and leg pain, limiting walking due to neurogenic claudication. It affects 9–11 % of the population, rising to 47 % in those over 60, with cases expected to increase as the population ages. Non-surgical treatments are...
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Brain and Spine |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772529425000876 |
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| author | Mikkel Ø. Andersen Leah Y. Carreon Stefan Hummel Elisabeth C. Smith Andreas K. Andresen |
| author_facet | Mikkel Ø. Andersen Leah Y. Carreon Stefan Hummel Elisabeth C. Smith Andreas K. Andresen |
| author_sort | Mikkel Ø. Andersen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a degenerative condition causing back and leg pain, limiting walking due to neurogenic claudication. It affects 9–11 % of the population, rising to 47 % in those over 60, with cases expected to increase as the population ages. Non-surgical treatments are considered first-line options, although their effectiveness remains uncertain. Decompression surgery is still commonly performed for severe cases, even though a review comparing conservative treatments with surgical procedures, including spinal decompression, found no clear superiority of surgery. In Denmark, LSS accounts for 35 % of spinal surgeries in adults. Research question: Does spinal decompression improve walking distance and gait speed in patients suffering from LSS? Methods: Consecutive patients scheduled for decompression due to spinal stenosis enrolled at a regional spine centre. Timed walking distance (maximum of 1000m) was performed at baseline and at 3-, and 12 months post-op. Results: One hundred and one patients were included in the study, mean age was 70.7 years, 77 % were female, with 90 % having had symptoms for more than 6 months prior to surgery.Walking distance (123.9m–791.1m, p < .001) and speed (0.91 m/s to 1.17 m/s, p < .001) improved at one year after surgery. Discussion and conclusion: Patients with severe walking impairment caused by spinal stenosis experienced substantial improvement of both walking speed and walking distance at all follow-up time points after undergoing spinal decompression. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ed40f9685eb9426cb19b9974a9615f54 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2772-5294 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain and Spine |
| spelling | doaj-art-ed40f9685eb9426cb19b9974a9615f542025-08-20T03:09:39ZengElsevierBrain and Spine2772-52942025-01-01510426810.1016/j.bas.2025.104268Spinal decompression improves walking capacity in patients with lumbar spinal stenosisMikkel Ø. Andersen0Leah Y. Carreon1Stefan Hummel2Elisabeth C. Smith3Andreas K. Andresen4Center for Spine Surgery and Research, Lillebaelt Hospital, Kolding, Denmark; Institute of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230, Odense M, Denmark; Corresponding author. Center for Spine Surgery and Research, Lillebaelt Hospital, Kolding, Denmark.Center for Spine Surgery and Research, Lillebaelt Hospital, Kolding, Denmark; Institute of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230, Odense M, DenmarkCenter for Spine Surgery and Research, Lillebaelt Hospital, Kolding, DenmarkCenter for Spine Surgery and Research, Lillebaelt Hospital, Kolding, DenmarkCenter for Spine Surgery and Research, Lillebaelt Hospital, Kolding, Denmark; Institute of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230, Odense M, DenmarkIntroduction: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a degenerative condition causing back and leg pain, limiting walking due to neurogenic claudication. It affects 9–11 % of the population, rising to 47 % in those over 60, with cases expected to increase as the population ages. Non-surgical treatments are considered first-line options, although their effectiveness remains uncertain. Decompression surgery is still commonly performed for severe cases, even though a review comparing conservative treatments with surgical procedures, including spinal decompression, found no clear superiority of surgery. In Denmark, LSS accounts for 35 % of spinal surgeries in adults. Research question: Does spinal decompression improve walking distance and gait speed in patients suffering from LSS? Methods: Consecutive patients scheduled for decompression due to spinal stenosis enrolled at a regional spine centre. Timed walking distance (maximum of 1000m) was performed at baseline and at 3-, and 12 months post-op. Results: One hundred and one patients were included in the study, mean age was 70.7 years, 77 % were female, with 90 % having had symptoms for more than 6 months prior to surgery.Walking distance (123.9m–791.1m, p < .001) and speed (0.91 m/s to 1.17 m/s, p < .001) improved at one year after surgery. Discussion and conclusion: Patients with severe walking impairment caused by spinal stenosis experienced substantial improvement of both walking speed and walking distance at all follow-up time points after undergoing spinal decompression.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772529425000876Lumbar spinal stenosisNeurogenic claudicationSpinal decompressionWalking speedWalking distance |
| spellingShingle | Mikkel Ø. Andersen Leah Y. Carreon Stefan Hummel Elisabeth C. Smith Andreas K. Andresen Spinal decompression improves walking capacity in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis Brain and Spine Lumbar spinal stenosis Neurogenic claudication Spinal decompression Walking speed Walking distance |
| title | Spinal decompression improves walking capacity in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis |
| title_full | Spinal decompression improves walking capacity in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis |
| title_fullStr | Spinal decompression improves walking capacity in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spinal decompression improves walking capacity in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis |
| title_short | Spinal decompression improves walking capacity in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis |
| title_sort | spinal decompression improves walking capacity in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis |
| topic | Lumbar spinal stenosis Neurogenic claudication Spinal decompression Walking speed Walking distance |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772529425000876 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mikkeløandersen spinaldecompressionimproveswalkingcapacityinpatientswithlumbarspinalstenosis AT leahycarreon spinaldecompressionimproveswalkingcapacityinpatientswithlumbarspinalstenosis AT stefanhummel spinaldecompressionimproveswalkingcapacityinpatientswithlumbarspinalstenosis AT elisabethcsmith spinaldecompressionimproveswalkingcapacityinpatientswithlumbarspinalstenosis AT andreaskandresen spinaldecompressionimproveswalkingcapacityinpatientswithlumbarspinalstenosis |