Biomaterial Database

Erosion of the spinous process: a potential cause of interspinous process spacer failure. 2010

Jimmy D Miller, and Mary C Miller, and Marsha G Lucas

Department of Surgery, Greenwood Leflore Hospital, Greenwood, Mississippi, USA. jdmiller_54@yahoo.com

Interspinous process spacers have recently become available for treatment of symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis. To date, there have been few data regarding the causes of failure. The authors present 2 cases in which there was erosion of the spinous processes adjacent to the interspinous process spacers. In 1 patient, the recurrence of symptoms was likely related to the erosive changes. Such abnormal changes allow settling of the posterior spinal elements and probably results from continued motion at the treated levels.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007383	Intermittent Claudication	A symptom complex characterized by pain and weakness in SKELETAL MUSCLE group associated with exercise, such as leg pain and weakness brought on by walking. Such muscle limpness disappears after a brief rest and is often relates to arterial STENOSIS; muscle ISCHEMIA; and accumulation of LACTATE.	Claudication, Intermittent
D008159	Lumbar Vertebrae	VERTEBRAE in the region of the lower BACK below the THORACIC VERTEBRAE and above the SACRAL VERTEBRAE.	Vertebrae, Lumbar
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009038	Motion	Physical motion, i.e., a change in position of a body or subject as a result of an external force. It is distinguished from MOVEMENT, a process resulting from biological activity.	Motions
D009336	Necrosis	The death of cells in an organ or tissue due to disease, injury or failure of the blood supply.
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly
D013122	Spinal Diseases	Diseases involving the SPINE.	Disease, Spinal,Diseases, Spinal,Spinal Disease