Foraminal Imaging and Symptoms in Single-Level Degenerative Lumbar Stenosis

October 30, 2026 updated by: Dongping Wang, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Correlation Analysis Between Foraminal Imaging Morphology and Clinical Symptoms in Patients With Single-Level Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

This retrospective observational study investigated the correlation between foraminal imaging morphology (evaluated by MRI 4-level score and CT Haleem-Botchu classification) and the severity of clinical symptoms in patients with single-level degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. A total of 120 adult patients treated between January 2024 and December 2025 were included. Patients were categorized into mild, moderate, and severe groups based on their Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores. The study analyzed the correlation of imaging grades with clinical functional scores (ODI and VAS) and identified independent imaging factors associated with symptom severity. No new treatments or extra hospital visits were involved.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

To ensure data validity, two independent radiologists, who were blinded to the patients' clinical information and grouping, evaluated the imaging grades at the responsible segment on the symptomatic side. Inter-observer reliability was assessed using the weighted Kappa coefficient.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
120

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • China
    • Guangdong
      • Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, 510405
        • The First Affiliated Hospital of Guanazhou University of Traditional Chinese Mledicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510405

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

This retrospective cohort study initially screened 289 consecutive patients diagnosed with single-level degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis between January 2024 and December 2025. After applying strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, a final cohort of 151 eligible patients was established. From this cohort, a stratified sampling method was applied to select 120 patients (40 patients per group) to ensure balanced statistical power, categorizing them into mild (VAS 1-3), moderate (VAS 4-7), and severe (VAS 8-10) symptom groups based on their baseline Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores. Clinical and imaging data were extracted for correlation and regression analysis.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Clinically and radiologically diagnosed with single-level degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis.
  2. Underwent lumbar CT and MRI examinations.
  3. Availability of both lumbar CT and MRI examinations of evaluable quality for foraminal morphology assessment (including Haleem-Botchu CT classification and MRI 4-level score).

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Multi-level lumbar spinal stenosis.
  2. History of previous lumbar decompression, fusion, or internal fixation surgery.
  3. Concomitant lumbar spondylolisthesis or degenerative scoliosis.
  4. Concomitant spinal tumors, infections, tuberculosis, or fresh fractures.
  5. Severe medical diseases, mental disorders, or inability to cooperate.
  6. Missing key baseline clinical parameters.
  7. Incomplete imaging datasets.
  8. Time interval between imaging examination and clinical evaluation > 1 month.
  9. Non-standard MRI scanning protocols.
  10. Severe spinal deformity affecting standardized measurement.
  11. Concomitant confounding neurological diseases.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: COHORT
  • Time Perspectives: RETROSPECTIVE

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Mild Group

Patients with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score of 1-3 (n=40). This is a retrospective observational group with no interventions.
Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort

This is a retrospective observational study using existing medical records and imaging data. No treatments, drugs, or interventions were administered to the participants.
Moderate Group

Patients with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score of 4-7 (n=40). This is a retrospective observational group with no interventions.
Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort

This is a retrospective observational study using existing medical records and imaging data. No treatments, drugs, or interventions were administered to the participants.
Severe Group

Patients with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score of 8-10 (n=40). This is a retrospective observational group with no interventions.
Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort

This is a retrospective observational study using existing medical records and imaging data. No treatments, drugs, or interventions were administered to the participants.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Correlation Between Imaging Grading and VAS Pain Scores
Time Frame: Baseline (at index imaging; single time-point cross-sectional assessment)

The correlation between the severity of foraminal stenosis (assessed by MRI 4-level score and CT Haleem-Botchu classification) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores in patients with single-level degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. The association was analyzed using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient.
Baseline (at index imaging; single time-point cross-sectional assessment)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Correlation Between Imaging Grading and ODI Scores
Time Frame: Baseline (at index imaging; single time-point cross-sectional assessment)

The correlation between foraminal imaging morphology and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores. The association was analyzed using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient.
Baseline (at index imaging; single time-point cross-sectional assessment)
Factors Independently Associated with Symptom Severity
Time Frame: Baseline (at index imaging; single time-point cross-sectional assessment)

Multivariable ordinal logistic regression was used to identify independent imaging factors (MRI and CT grading) associated with clinical symptom severity, adjusting for baseline characteristics such as age, gender, and symptom duration.
Baseline (at index imaging; single time-point cross-sectional assessment)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 29, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 30, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 30, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 30, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • DWang-FS2026
  • JY2026-498J (Other Identifier: Ethics Committee Teaching and Research Branch The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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