Degenerative Spine
A 68-year-old retired teacher presents with 18 months of bilateral leg pain and heaviness that worsens with walking and standing. She can walk about 100 meters before needing to rest. Leaning forward on a shopping cart relieves symptoms. She has no back pain. Examination shows normal strength but symptoms reproduced by lumbar extension. MRI shows multilevel central canal stenosis at L3-4, L4-5, and L5-S1. Regarding lumbar spinal stenosis:
Mark each as TRUE or FALSE
Lumbar stenosis results from degenerative narrowing of the central canal, lateral recess, or neural ...
Neurogenic claudication presents as bilateral leg pain, heaviness, or weakness with standing/walking...
MRI findings always correlate with symptoms; asymptomatic stenosis on imaging requires surgery; ankl...
Diagnosis is clinical, supported by imaging; MRI is the gold standard showing central canal cross-se...
Treatment begins conservatively with activity modification, physical therapy (flexion-based exercise...
Answer the questions to see explanations
Click T (True) or F (False) for each option