ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Posterior lumbar or lumbosacral spinal fusion in degenerative lumbar disease has the problems of adjacent level disease as well as surgical complications. An interspinous device used for dynamic stabilization can also be applied to the adjacent segment for spinal fusion to reduce the severity of these problems. The authors reviewed the adjacent interspinous stabilization using an interspinous spacer(CoflexTM paradigm spine,Germany) combined with posterior lumbar or lumbosacral spinal fusion in degenerative lumbar disease. Method: From January 2007 to July 2008, ten patients with degenerative lumbar disease underwent posterior lumbar or lumbosacral spinal fusion with adjacent interspinous stabilization using CoflexTM. The indications for this type were adjacent segmental disc protrusion, adjacent segmental degenerative changes or high surgical risk groups, such as elderly patients or osteoporotic patients undergoing multiple leveled fusions. CoflexTM was inserted into the adjacent segmental interspinous space. The control group consisted of fifteen patients, who underwent posterior lumbar or lumbosacral spinal fusion without interspinous stabilization. The radiological parameters and clinical outcomes were compared. All patients were followed-up for more than twelve months. RESULTS: The visual analogue scale(VAS) in both groups postoperatively and at the twelve month follow-up were improved. In the CoflexTM group, the postoperative and twelve month follow-up X-ray showed no significant change in posterior disc height, interpedicular height, segmental lordotic angle, flextion-extension angulation and translation and no significant segmental instability. The control group showed a higher level of segmental lordotic angle, translation and a lower posterior disc height, interpedicular height, flextion-extension angulation and three patients showed adjacent segmental instability. CONCLUSION: CoflexTM can be used to stabilize the adjacent segment of spinal fusion in degenerative lumbar disease and might be effective in preventing adjacent segmental degeneration. However, further study will be needed to confirm this observation.