Degenerative Elderly Acute Lumbar Symptoms

A total of 10 patients with a chronic degenerative spinal stenosis, showed acute signs of compressive radicular compromise. Surgical treatment was deemed necessary for adequate management of acute segmental pain. We think this type of patients should be taken separately, as a different group with clinical and surgical implications.Patients and Methods This study reports 10 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, that in the course of the natural history, showed acute symptoms correlated to herniated discs, facet joint cyst, and curling flaval ligament compressing neural tissue. Motor deficit was frequent and required urgent decompression. Fusion was added in cases of mechanical concurrent instability. Oswestry disability index and visual analogical scale was measured pre- and postoperatively.Results Clinical and radiologic acute compressive signs were detected in chronic degenerative lumbar stenosis patients. These patients had a good response to surgical treatment according to ODI and VAS records. We propose the acronyms DEALS (degenerative elderly acute lumbar symptoms) to denominate this type of acute clinical presentation.