ABSTRACT

Lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS) is rarely seen in a young population. Because of the long life expectancy of young patients, the long-term efficacy of treatment should be considered for cases of LSCS seen before the fifth decade. In this study, we evaluated the long-term results for patients who received surgery for LSCS in our clinic, together with the literature.

Patients and methods:

Twenty-one patients under the age of 50 received surgery for lumbar spinal canal stenosis, and their clinical and radiological findings, and surgical approaches and outcomes, were evaluated.

Results:

LSCS was more common in women under the age of 50. Male patients most frequently presented with left leg pain, while female patients had equally-distributed complaints. The most common physical examination findings were a positive Lasegue test and dermatome hypoesthesia. LSCS at a single level was most frequently observed at the L3–4 level. A one-sided laminectomy with foraminotomy was performed on most of the cases.

Conclusions:

Less invasive surgical approaches should be preferred in patients with LSCS under the age of 50. Because of the longer life expectancy for this group of patients, the long-term results of the surgical procedure should be considered. According to our results, in patients with unilateral symptoms, simple decompression with hemilaminectomy and foraminotomy provided an adequate improvement in the clinical condition. Total laminectomy and posterior transpedicular stabilization should be performed for a select group of patients, particularly those with complex spinal stenosis due to early and late surgical complications.