OBJECTIVETo investigate value of X-ray, CT and MRI for the diagnosis of lumbar spinal stenosis.

METHODSThe data of 130 patients with clinical diagnosis and typical imaging signs of lumbar spinal stenosis were analyzed. The present study included 83 males and 47 females with an average age of 43.5 years (range from 27 to 75 years). CT examination was performed in all patients, routine X-ray examination in 23 patients and routine MRI in 57 patients.

RESULTSThe lumbar spinal stenosis showed at L(3,4) plane in 25 patients, L(4,5) in 48 patients and L5S1 in 57 patients. CT showed hyperostosis of lumbar posterior marginal, vertebral lamina, inferior articular process in 46 patients, hypertrophy of superior and inferior articular processsus in 7 patients, calcification or ossification of ligamentum flavum in 13 patients, vertebral body spondylolisthesis in 5 patients, lateral recess stenosis in 24 patients, and intervertebral foramen stenosis in 35 patients. MRI showed intervertebral disk hernia with disc associated with ligamentum flavum hypertrophy in 23 patients, ligamentum flavum symmetrical hypertrophy in 18 patients,extensive multi-segmental ligamentum flavum hypertrophy in 9 patients,and local ligamentum flavum hypertrophy in 7 patients.

CONCLUSIONThe main cause of secondary lumbar spinal stenosis is degeneration. Traditional X-ray examination has great limitations in diagnosis of lumbar spinal stenosis. CT and MRI have advantages of multi-directional imaging and the high resolution. CT can show well ligament calcification and ossification and other bone change which are showed not well on MRI, so CT is recommended to lumbar spinal stenosis.