X-STOP device may play a vital role in spine surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis

Implications: The X-STOP device, and other intespinous spacers, may replace conventional surgery for a large number of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.

More studies, long term follow-up, and comparison to current surgical options will still need to be assessed prior to making spacers standard treatment.

Analysis: The FDA recently approved X-STOP for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis.  There is also a device marketed and sold by Nuvasive, Inc. which is approved for a similar indication.

These devices are designed to create a focal kyphosis in the lumbar spine, which will presumably control the symptoms of nerve root compression.

While patients with mild disease will do well without any operative intervention, those with moderate stenosis may do well with the interspinous spacers.  Patients with severe disease are better served with a standard decompression procedure such as laminectomy.  The majority of symptomatic patients are in the moderate stenosis category.