O-010 Effective minimally invasive treatment of moderate lumbar spinal stenosis with the superion interspinous spacer

Introduction and purpose Mild lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is treated with conservative measures although long term success remains elusive. Patients with severe radicular symptoms often require surgical intervention. However, there is a significant therapeutic void for patients with moderate LSS. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness and safety of the Superion Interspinous Spacer (Vertiflex, Inc, San Clemente, California, USA) in patients with moderate LSS. Materials and methods This prospective study enrolled 121 patients (aged 58±14 years) with moderate LSS who were treated at EMMA Klinik (Seligenstadt, Germany) between February 2008 and August 2009 and followed-up at 1 (n=111), 3 (n=96), 6 (n=81) and 12 (n=52) months. Patients were treated with the Superion Interspinous Spacer, a minimally invasive spinal implant that limits back extension at the symptomatic level. Study outcomes included back function with Oswestry Disability Index, axial and extremity pain severity with a visual analog scale, health related quality of life with Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores from the SF-36, and adverse events. Results Back function rapidly improved from pretreatment (60.2±7.9%) to 1 month (33.6±10.3%) with continued improvement through to 12 months (21.0±13.7%), a 64% overall improvement (p Conclusion The Superion Interspinous Spacer is an effective and safe treatment option for patients with moderate LSS who are unresponsive to conservative care.