Posterior dynamic stabilization: The interspinous spacer from treatment to prevention.

INTRODUCTION: Managements of lumbar stenosis evoluted over the time from decompression to dynamic stabilization preserving the motion segment passing by the rigid fixation. After long years of rigid fusion, adjacent segment disease became more and more frequent and the concept of dynamic stabilization emerged. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report our experience with posterior dynamic stabilization using an interspinous distracter (ISD). One hundred and eight patients were operated between September 2008 and January 2012 with different lumbar spine pathologies. The ages of our patients were between 45 years and 70 years, with a mean age of 55 years. With our growing experience, indication of ISD became narrowed and the interspinous spacer became an absolute tool for adjacent segment disease as a treatment as well as prophylactic with rigid stabilization. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Overall clinical improvement was noted in ISD-treated patients, with considerable satisfaction in 77% of patients on average. The patient at first reported an improvement of their radicular pain with a mean reduction of 3.6/10 on visual analog scale. Post-operative walking distance progressively increased during the next 3 months. Whereas, a radiological evaluation at 3 months showed a mean of 42% improvement of the disc height. On the other hand, all patients operated with posterior dynamic stabilization (PDS) at the time of rigid stabilization showed no adjacent segment disease compared to those operated with posterior arthrodesis (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Interspinous spacer after surgical decompression for spinal stenosis by excision of Ligamentum flavum demonstrates excellent short-term and long-term results for improvement in back pain, neurogenic claudication, and patient satisfaction. It provides restoration of disc height, reduction of vertebral slip and it's a necessary tool in the management and the prevention of adjacent segment disease.

Ossification of ligamentum flavum, a rare cause of myelopathy: First case report of a Lebanese patient.

Ossification of ligamentum flavum (OLF) is a well-known pathology causing myelopathy, although it is a rare disease. The most commonly affected population is from the Far East and mainly Japanese. However, few reports and studies have shown the prevalence of the disease all over the world. We report the case of a 33-year-old man presenting with signs of progressive myelopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed Th2-Th11 OLF with severe narrowing and intramedullary hypersignal at the level Th2-Th3. This is the first Lebanese case reported in the literature. A decompressive laminectomy with flavectomy was done. This case adds to the previous reported cases on the occurrence of the disease in different populations.

Early modified functional hemispherectomy in a young infant with Ohtahara syndrome and hemimegalencephaly.

We report on the youngest infant treated with modified functional hemispherectomy at the age of 5 months for Ohtahara syndrome and hemimegalencephaly as underlying pathology, and we depict the favorable outcome regarding seizure control and psychomotor development. These results highlight the potential usefulness of early surgery in such conditions.

The interspinous spacer: a new posterior dynamic stabilization concept for prevention of adjacent segment disease.

Introduction. Posterior Dynamic stabilization using the interspinous spacer device is a known to be used as an alternative to rigid fusion in neurogenic claudication patients in the absence of macro instability. Actually, it plays an important in the management of adjacent segment disease in previously fused lumbar spine. Materials and Method. We report our experience with posterior dynamic stabilization using an interspinous spacer. 134 cases performed in our institution between September 2008 and August 2012 with different lumbar spine pathologies. The ages of our patients were between 40 and 72 years, with a mean age of 57 years. After almost 4 years of follow up in our patient and comparing their outcome to our previous serious we found that in some case the interspinous distracter has an important role not only in the treatment of adjacent segment disease but also in its prevention. Results and Discussion. Clinical improvement was noted in ISD-treated patients, with high satisfaction rate. At first, radicular pain improves with more than 3/10 reduction of the mean score on visual analog scale (VAS). In addition, disability score as well as disc height and lordotic angle showed major improvement at 3 to 6 months post operatively. And, no adjacent segment disease was reported in the patient operated with interspinous spacer. Conclusion. The interspinous spacer is safe and efficient modality to be used not only as a treatment of adjacent segment disease but also as a preventive measure in patients necessitating rigid fusion.