Spinal Canal Dimensions and Prevalence of Lumbar Stenosis on MRI Among Adults at Jos University Teaching Hospital

Lumbar spinal stenosis is a degenerative condition characterised by narrowing of the spinal canal, resulting in compression of neural elements and causing low back pain, radiculopathy, and neurogenic claudication. Magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard for diagnosing lumbar stenosis, and accurate normative reference dimensions for the lumbar spinal canal are essential for meaningful radiological interpretation. Population-specific normative data for North Central Nigerian adults are lacking. This study aims to document lumbar spinal canal dimensions on magnetic resonance imaging and determine the prevalence of radiological lumbar stenosis among adults presenting with low back pain at Jos University Teaching Hospital, Plateau State. Canal anteroposterior diameter, transverse diameter, and dural sac cross-sectional area will be measured at each lumbar level. Data will be stratified by age, sex, and aetiology of low back pain. The study expects to generate normative lumbar spinal canal dimensions for the Plateau State adult population and provide prevalence data on lumbar stenosis that will guide radiological reporting and neurosurgical referral decisions in North Central Nigeria.

Keywords: lumbar stenosis, spinal canal, MRI morphometry, Jos, low back pain