Lumbar spinal stenosis and pseudostenosis. Definition and classification of pathology.

The concept of lumbar stenosis is defined and a classification of the diverse types is proposed. This is based on a correlation of the findings at operation with those of radiographs and axial tomography in patients with spinal stenosis or with disc hernia in a narrow spinal canal. The spinal canal can only be considered stenosed if the osseous canal is narrowed to the point at which it causes compression of the dural sac with or without nerve root involvement. Lumbar spinal stenosis can be divided into: Stenosis of the spinal canal, stenosis of the root canal, and stenosis of the intervertebral foramen.