gms | German Medical Science

54. Jahrestagung der Norddeutschen Orthopädenvereinigung e. V.

Norddeutsche Orthopädenvereinigung

16.06. bis 18.06.2005, Hamburg

Treatment of spinal stenosis by decompression and dynamic augmentation with the interspinous titanium-u.: first experiences with 200 patients

Meeting Abstract

Search Medline for

  • corresponding author D. Adelt - Ostseeklinik Damp, Neurochirurgie, Damp

Norddeutsche Orthopädenvereinigung. 54. Jahrestagung der Norddeutschen Orthopädenvereinigung e.V.. Hamburg, 16.-18.06.2005. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2005. Doc05novEP100

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/nov2005/05nov170.shtml

Published: June 13, 2005

© 2005 Adelt.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.


Outline

Text

Only a few years ago we had great discussions about treatment of spinal stenosis weather to stabilise a decompressed stenosis or not.

Today interspinous implants are on market and are used especially for constellations concerning spinal stenosis, a problem which is caused by arthrotic facet joints.

Many patients suffer from their neurologic deficits caused by compression of nervous tissue but also they suffer from back-ache caused by arthrotic-joint-problems.

We treated round about 200 patients by decompression and by dynamic stabilisation using the Titanium-U. With this implant no rotation of this segment is possible and the centre of rotation stays nearest to the natural rotation centre. There is flexibility in extension and controlled motion in flexion. Additionally the patient benefits of a small amount of distraction of the joint space inserting this implant.

In summary the range of motion of the facet joint is reduced, for rotation terminated - just as the treatment for arthrotic joint is: - imobilisation.

A preoperative existing macro-instability such as spondylolisthesis may be, is not treatable with this implant. We make our decision of operation strategies by flexion and extension x-rays. Slippage of vertebral bodies will be fused, a slight step of vertebral bodies will be accepted.

Our experiences with 200 patients are good, the benefit for the patients is not to ignore, although the augmentation effect is hard to proof. The most important problem - the stenosis - is decompressed and a pain relief is obvious. On the other hand back-pain results often not just from one single level.

The complication rate is low, we had two dislocations and one epidural hematoma after surgery.