One group received steroids mixed with local anesthetics (lidocaine group) and the other group used steroids mixed with normal saline (saline group). After exclusion of these groups, 29 patients (14 males, 15 females) participated in this study and were randomly divided into two groups using a one-to-one randomization method. Among the patients presenting typical symptoms of spinal stenosis that were confirmed by MRI and SEPs, we excluded patients who had a lower limb vascular disorder, a psychological problem, another musculoskeletal disorder or symptoms of a neurogenic bladder or bowel. The electrodiagnostic study was performed using a certified machine (Medelec Synergy Oxford Instruments, Surrey, UK). A latency delay of over 3 ms was defined as abnormal. For each nerve type, SEPs were obtained twice and the average of two latencies of the symptomatic side was compared with contralateral side.
SEPs were obtained at both of the saphenous nerves, the superficial peroneal nerves and sural nerves. Included patients had an anterior-posterior (AP) diameter of the spinal canal of less than 12 mm confirmed through sagittal imaging, and an AP foraminal diameter of less than 3 mm confirmed through parasagittal imaging, both by MRI, and were found to have abnormal somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs). Patients diagnosed with spinal stenosis underwent MRI and electrodiagnostic examinations. Fifty-three patients with a history of intermittent claudication and lower limb radicular pain or paresthesia were screened from October 2012 to January 2014.
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