Study design: We performed a retrospective study using the Short Form-36 Health Survey questionnaire (SF-36), clinical examination, and neuroradiologic and neurophysiologic measurements.
Objectives: To evaluate patient outcomes, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and clinical and neurophysiologic picture in a follow-up study of surgery for lumbar stenosis (LS).
Summary of background data: In LS patients, clinical, neuroradiologic, and neurophysiologic findings were not related with validated measurement of the outcomes that are more relevant to patients such as functional status and symptoms.
Methods: Thirty patients surgically treated for LS were recontacted and evaluated by means of self-administered questionnaires (SF-36), clinical examination, and neuroradiologic and neurophysiologic measurements. Preoperative and follow-up clinical and neurophysiologic findings were registered. Relations between patient-oriented data and validated conventional clinical, neuroradiologic, and neurophysiologic measurements were evaluated.
Results: A comparison between preoperative and postoperative clinical picture shows an improvement of most parameters tested. A comparison between preoperative and postoperative neurophysiologic picture shows a worsening of most parameters tested. A comparison between the current sample and Italian normative data for the SF-36 shows a worsening of physical aspects of health-related quality of life; conversely, there is an improvement of some mental domains.
Conclusions: Follow-up evaluation of surgical treatment for LS showed a mild impairment of physical aspects of HRQoL, as measured by patient-oriented evaluation. Clinical examination findings showed significant improvement. Conversely, neurophysiologic follow-up showed a discordant outcome. We think that, to better assess the surgical indication, further study should be performed focused on natural history and the association between neurophysiologic evolution and patient outcome, etc.