Surgical Treatment of Lumbar Canal Stenosis

we exmamined the effect of lumbar spinal instability on surgical outcome of lumbar canal stenosis. Thirty-two patients with lumbar canal stenosis who underwent fenestration were studied. Anteroposterior and angular displacement were determined for each lumbar motion segment on the preoperative lateral flexion-extension radiographs. These measurments were compared with the surgical outcome. Fenestration resulted in good outcome in 12 of 14 patients who had less than 10% of dynamic anteroposterior translation and greater than -5° of angular rotation in flexion. However, fenestration was effective in only 7 of 18 patients who had greater than 10% of dynamic anteroposterior translation and less than -5° of angular rotation in flexion.