SPINAL STENOSIS AND HEALTH-STATUS

Study Design. This study examined the hypothesis that a small adult vertebral canal is a marker of early impairment of growth, and that other sensitive systems may be impaired similarly, producing an adult relationship among a small canal, poor health, and academic ability. Objectives. Comparisons of health and some aspects of academic ability were made between patients whose canals were above and those below the mean at L5. Methods. Seventy-five patients were examined, 42 men and 33 women. They had comprehensive cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive system health assessments. Their post-school qualifications were recorded, and they were assessed by the Mill Hill vocabulary test and the progressive matrices test. Results. Twenty-two men and 21 women had canals above the mean, and 20 men and 12 women had canals below the mean. A significant difference did not exist in the age of those with wider and narrower canals. Cardiovascular symptoms and gastrointestinal symptoms were more common in men and women with narrower canals (P = 0.04 and 0.048), but there was no significant difference in respiratory symptoms. Those with wider canals had more post-school qualifications than those with smaller canals (P = 0.04), and in men, their performance in the Mill Hill vocabulary test and the progressive matrices test approached significance (P = 0.08 and 0.06). Conclusions. The association between a smaller vertebral canal and impairment of health and certain intellectual abilities may result from an adverse environment that affects several growing systems early in life. If the small canal is a marker of a generalized developmental disturbance, it is to some degree, preventable.