Diagnosis and treatment are evolving in lumbar spinal stenosis. The lesion is world widely common and becoming more complicated as human life spam is getting longer. Foraminal stenosis is one of examples which are often overlooked, but recent imaging technology, e.g. MRI diffusion-weighted imaging, has been improving precision of the diagnosis. Idiopathic scoliosis with degenerative disc disease and de novo degenerative scoliosis are subject to lumbar canal stenosis. In this lesion, not only the segmental lesion, but also standing spinal alignment should be clarified for the diagnosis and treatment strategy.

In this specialized issue of European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, “Foraminal stenosis, the hidden stenosis”, was reviewed by Dr. Sumihisa Orita et al. (Japan) [1], “Lumbar spinal stenosis in adult (elderly) spinal deformity” was by Dr. Le Huec et al. (France) [2], “The global alignment in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis: our experience using the EOS full body images” was by Dr. Jean-Yves Lazennec et al. (France) [3], “Surgical and non-surgical treatments for lumbar spinal stenosis” was by Dr. Gen Inoue et al. (Japan) [4], and finally “Minimally invasive surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis” including a critical review on interspinous process devices was by Dr. Wouter Moojen and Dr. Niels A. van der Gaag (the Netherlands) [5].

We are privileged with the honour of editing this specialized issue: Lumbar spinal stenosis. The authors in this edition outshine among their counterparts.

We are confident that our readers will gain outstanding knowledge on the up-to-date diagnosis, approaches, and techniques in the management of spinal stenosis, for the benefit of their patients.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.