Role of the Self-Administered, Self-Reported History Questionnaire (SSHQ) to Identify Types of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS): A Sensitivity Analysis

Abstract

Background: This study aims to evaluate the self-administered, self-reported history questionnaire (SSHQ) to identify types of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).

Materials and Methods: This was a prospective clinical study. A total of 235 patients with LSS were asked to respond to the SSHQ. All these patients recovered following surgical treatment. The LSS patients’ classification was derived based on history, physical examinations, and imaging studies. It is considered a gold-standard. Radicular and neurogenic claudication types of LSS based on SSHQ introduced by Konno et al. Two categories of LSS were determined based on SSHQ tool and gold-standard. Finally, sensitivity analysis carried out to evaluation of diagnostic values of SSHQ.

Results: The mean age of patients was 59.4 (SD=11.3) years; and 58.3% were female. According to gold standard criteria, patients have been diagnosed as radicular type (n = 103), and neurogenic claudication type (n = 132). The questionnaire had sensitivity, specificity and accuracy to be desirable in diagnosing for categorization of two types of LSS: 97.8%, 66.6%, 96.8% for radicular type, and 97.0%, 80.0%, 95.7% for neurogenic claudication type.

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the SSHQ is a reliable measure and may be a clinical diagnosis support tool between the two types of LSS patients.

Keywords: Lumbar spinal stenosis, SSHQ, neurogenic claudication, radicular pain