Takenaka H, et al. - Through a prospective study of subjects with lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSS; n=113), the researchers explained objective predictors of postoperative 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) and generated prediction equations. Patient characteristics, pain, surgical factors, surgery type, and minimum area of the dural sac, and objective physical function were assessed. In comparison with preoperative 6MWD, significant improvement in 6MWD at 6 months follow-up was noted. Trunk muscle strength and pain progressed markedly than the preoperative score. Age, body weight, number of operation segments, surgery type, preoperative trunk extensor strength, and preoperative 6MWD were the predictors of postoperative 6MWD. Hence, for 6 months postoperative 6MWD, younger age, lower body weight, one level operative segment, decompression surgery, and better preoperative scores for trunk extensor strength and 6MWD were concluded predicting better scores. Moreover, preoperative reduction in body weight and elevation of trunk extensor strength could be correlated with enhanced postoperative 6MWD scores.