"Young" lumbar spinal stenotic: review of 268 patients younger than 51 years.

Historically, most patients with the lumbar spinal stenosis have been older than 66 yr when initially diagnosed; however, with a growing awareness of this entity, it is increasingly being identified at an earlier age. A 5-yr retrospective review of hospital records was initiated to determine the frequency of lumbar spinal stenosis in a population of patients of <51 yr of age. Of 2751 patients admitted with this diagnosis, 268 (9.8%) were <51 yr of age.