Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Introduction to the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) Spine Committee Recommendations.

introductionLumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a common degenerative disease that every spine surgeon will come across in daily practice. Despite this, the natural history and treatment have not been well established and standardized as yet, and there have been few guidelines published on this topic to date. The aim of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Society Spine Committee Consensus Conference is to define evidence-based and expert-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of LSS, considering the different possibilities and facilities in countries worldwide.

methodsAn international committee of spinal surgeons reunited to perform the Consensus Conference on the topic of LSS. The Delphi method was applied to administer a questionnaire and obtain a consensus on various topics. A multidisciplinary committee defined 6 panels: 1) natural course and diagnosis of LSS; 2) conservative treatment and follow-up; 3) percutaneous techniques; 4) decompressive surgery; 5) fusion surgery; 6) mobility preserving surgery. The statements and the literature review were presented and voted.

resultsA total of 44 statements were stated and then voted by 16 experienced spine surgeons to obtain the final results. A total of 36 statements reached a consensus, of which 34 reached a positive consensus and 2 a negative consensus, whereas no consensus was reached in 8 cases.

conclusionsIn the absence of evidence-based medicine, these recommendations offer support for all practitioners, independent from economic resources and personal experience. Obviously, further studies are needed and will be well accepted to support or modify these recommendations.