A population-based cohort study on natural history of lumbar spinal stenosis: the Wakayama Spine Study

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25462305
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Orthopaedic surgery
• Research Institution: Wakayama Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Yamada Hiroshi 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (70275361)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): Yoshimura Noriko 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 准教授 (60240355) ; Masatoshi Teraguchi 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 博士研究員 (00554544) ; Nobuki Asai 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (00621822) ; Ryouhei Kagotani 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 学内助教 (00597081)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 腰部脊柱管狭窄症 / 疫学 / 自然経過 / 予後 / 危険因子 / 縦断的研究 / 脊椎 / 神経科学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A large scale longitudinal population-based cohort study was conducted to elucidate natural history of lumbar spinal stenosis. 778 out of 1009 participants of 1st investigation which was held four years ago were enrolled in this study (a 77% follow-up rates). Interestingly only 37% out of symptomatic LSS participants in a baseline still had a symptom. Whereas, 27% out of radiological LSS participants in a baseline developed disease. As a result of statistical analysis, radiological abnormality was not identified as a risk factor of symptomatic LSS. Given this results of longitudinal study, LSS may be a self-limited disease that resolves spontaneously with or without specific treatment and conservative therapy should be considered as first priority in a daily practice.

Free Research Field

整形外科