title: Lumbar spinal stenosis treatment with Aperius perclid interspinous system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to report clinical outcome and imaging changes of percutaneous Aperius stand-alone implant in patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis and neurogenic intermittent claudication, which did not respond to conservative treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2008 and July 2010, 37 patients (20 males and 17 females) with mean age of 64.3 years underwent surgery for the onset of claudicatio spinalis with Aperius PercLID interspinous device (Medtronic). In all patients, the diagnosis was: foraminal stenosis, in one case (2.7 %) it was associated to a degenerative anterior listhesis (I grade), in three cases (8.1 %) it was associated to an intraforaminal disc herniation. The mean follow-up was of 18 months (range 2-35 months). The patients were evaluated through the Oswestry disability index, Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ), VAS scales. In all cases were obtained preoperative and in postoperative radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The VAS score decreased significantly after surgery: the patients presented a mean VAS of seven preoperatively and two postoperatively (p < 0.001). The ZCQ score significantly decreased postoperatively, with an average reduction of 21.89 % (p < 0.001). The ODI score as well showed a significant reduction postoperatively of an average 26.09 % (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite of the brief follow up, the preliminary results are encouraging, showing a significantly decrease of the disability parameters, a marked improvement of the function with the vanishing of the claudicatio spinalis and the following increase of the free interval during the walk. Aperius PercLID system seems to offer an alternative to the traditional decompression surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Sciences M Boni, Universitas Studiorum Insubriae, Viale Borri 57, 21100 Varese, Italy. michele.surace@uninsubria.it
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Surace
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fagetti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fozzato
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cherubino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007383:Intermittent Claudication / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome