title: Influence of tibial trancutaneous repetitive electrical nerve stimulation on neurogenic claudication and F-wave in lumbar spinal stenosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether repetitive tibial nerve stimulation (RTNS) affects neurogenic claudication and F-wave conduction in lumbar spinal stenosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  An intervention study: before/after trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for 12 central lumbar spinal stenosis patients were compared with 13 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A conditioning RTNS at the ankle, 0.3-ms duration square-wave pulses with an intensity 20% higher than the motor threshold, was applied at a rate of 5/s for 5 min. We assessed the effects of RTNS on the claudication distance at which the lumbar spinal stenosis patients can no longer continue walking due to increasing leg symptoms, and on tibial F-wave measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A comparison between mean pre-RTNS and post-RTNS revealed a significant difference in claudication distance (66 m (standard deviation (SD) 19) vs 133 m (SD 37); p = 0.003), mean F-wave minimal latency (48.3 ms (SD 1.7) vs 44.8 ms (SD 1.0); p = 0.007) and mean F-wave conduction velocity (53.3 m/s (SD 2.0) vs 55.5 m/s (SD 1.9); p = 0.009) in the lumbar spinal stenosis group, but not in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RTNS has beneficial effects on neurogenic claudication and F-wave conduction in central lumbar spinal stenosis patients. This phenomenon may have practical value in providing a new therapeutic modality for lumbar spinal stenosis.
authors.affiliation: , Orthopaedic surgery, Kochi Medical School, 783-8505 Nankoku, Japan. mk480158@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumon
authors.forename: Toshikazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeuchi
authors.forename: Kazunobu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kida
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takemasa
authors.forename: Noritsuna
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Katsuhito
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kiyasu
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tadokoro
authors.forename: Shinichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D065187:Controlled Before-After Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009431:Neural Conduction; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013979:Tibial Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology