A Comparative Analysis of Static Balance Between Patients With Lumbar Spinal Canal Stenosis and Asymptomatic Participants

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess static balance in patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis who qualified for surgical decompression of associated neural structures and compare them with asymptomatic participants. METHODS: This case-controlled study evaluated a sample of 50 patients with spinal canal stenosis (stenosis group) and 48 participants with no history of clinical symptoms of back pain. Static balance was assessed by conducting quantitative analysis of balance reaction parameters in quiet standing with the eyes closed. RESULTS: Higher values were observed in total length of center of pressure (COP) path, length of COP path in the anterior-posterior plane, mean amplitude of COP projection in the anterior-posterior plane, maximal amplitude between the 2 most distant points in the anterior-posterior plane, mean COP velocity, and sway area marked by the moving COP in the stenosis group compared with the asymptomatic group. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed statistically significant differences in static balance parameters between patients with spinal canal stenosis compared with the asymptomatic group.