Spinal claudication.

Spinal claudication is due to marked narrowing of the spinal canal with resulting pressure on the cauda equina. The characteristic symptoms are variable discomfort in the back and legs, brought on by exercise and/or extension movements of the hips and low back. The neurological examination may be normal or may reveal dysfunction of one or more lumbosacral nerve roots. Myelography and, particularly, body CT scanning are definitive diagnostic procedures. Most patients respond satisfactorily to extensive surgical decompression.