Korean J Spine.  2017 Mar;14(1):1-6. 10.14245/kjs.2017.14.1.1.

Assessment of Clinical Symptoms in Lumbar Foraminal Stenosis Using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire

• Eguchi Y
• Suzuki M
• Yamanaka H
• Tamai H
• Kobayashi
• Orita S
• Yamauchi K
• Suzuki M
• Inage K
• Kanamoto H
• Abe K
• Aoki Y
• Koda M
• Furuya T
• Takahashi
• Ohtori S

• KMID: 2377780
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14245/kjs.2017.14.1.1

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
It is important to develop an easy means of diagnosing lumbar foraminal stenosis (LFS) in a general practice setting. We investigated the use of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire (JOABPEQ) to diagnose LFS in symptomatic patients.
METHODS
Subjects included 13 cases (mean age, 72 years) with LFS, and 30 cases (mean age, 73 years) with lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS) involving one intervertebral disc. The visual analogue scale score for low back pain and leg pain, the JOABPEQ were evaluated.
RESULTS
Those with LFS had a significantly lower JOA score (p<0.001), while JOABPEQ scores (p<0.05) for lumbar dysfunction and social functioning impairment (p<0.01) were both significantly lower than the scores in LSCS. The following JOABPEQ questionnaire items (LFS vs. LSCS, p-value) for difficulties in: sleeping (53.8% vs. 16.6%, p<0.05), getting up from a chair (53.8% vs. 6.6%, p<0.001), turning over (76.9% vs. 40%, p<0.05), and putting on socks (76.9% vs. 26.6%, p<0.01) such as pain during rest, and signs of intermittent claudication more than 15 minutes (61.5% vs. 26.6%, p<0.05) were all significantly more common with LFS than LSCS.
CONCLUSION
Results suggest that of the items in the JOABPEQ, if pain during rest or intermittent claudication is noted, LFS should be kept in mind as a cause during subsequent diagnosis and treatment. LFS may be easily diagnosed from LSCS using this established patient-based assessment method.

Keyword

Lumbar foraminal stenosis; Clinical symptom; Diagnosis; Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire

MeSH Terms

Asian Continental Ancestry Group*
Back Pain*
Constriction, Pathologic*
Diagnosis
General Practice
Humans
Intermittent Claudication
Intervertebral Disc
Leg
Low Back Pain
Methods
Spinal Canal