PREDICTORS OF FUNCTIONAL MOBILITY IN PATIENTS WITH SYMPTOMATIC DEGENERATIVE LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS

Gökşen Gökşenoğlu^{1, *}, Nurdan Paker¹, Ufuk Başaran Demircioğlu², Derya Buğdaycı¹, Mustafa Aziz Yıldırım¹

¹Istanbul Physical Treatment Rehabilitation Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul - ²Sultangazi Haseki Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul

Introduction: Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the central, lateral and neural foramen of the spinal canal by a combination of bone and soft tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the determinants of functional mobility in patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).

Material and methods: In total, 100 patients who had been admitted to our outpatient clinic with complaints of lower back pain and who had been diagnosed as having LSS based on clinical findings and magnetic resonance imaging were included in the study. The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test was used to evaluate functional mobility in patients. The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was used to investigate low back-related disability. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess pain. The diameter of the spinal canal was measured via magnetic resonance imaging.

Results: The mean age was 64.21±6.91 (50–79) years; 72% of the patients were female and 28% were male. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 29.28±5.15 (19.8-44.7) kg/m². Back pain at rest measured using VAS has a score of 6.74±1.59. The mean duration of the symptoms was 83.20±50.12 months. The mean walking distance was 585.60±574.32 metres. The mean diameter of the anteroposterior central canal was 8.78±0.89 mm. The mean TUG test time was 13.28±4.71 sec. The mean ODI score was 53.88±16.93. On performing multiple regression analysis, it was found that the TUG test could be interpreted with age and the ODI scores.

Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it was found that the determinants of functional mobility in patients with LSS are age and ODI scores. As the functional mobility deteriorates in spinal stenosis, the quality of life goes worse and disability increases. The TUG test is a useful objective tool that can be used in the clinic setting for patients with LSS.