Stand-alone interspinous spacer versus decompressive laminectomy for treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the two-year clinical outcomes of a prospective, randomized controlled trial of an FDA-approved interspinous spacer with the compilation of published findings from 19 studies of decompressive laminectomy for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis.


METHODS
Back and leg pain, Oswestry disability index (ODI), and Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ) values were compared between spacer- and laminectomy-treated patients preoperatively and at 12 and 24 months.


RESULTS
Percentage improvements between baseline and 24 months uniformly favored patients treated with the spacer for back pain (65% vs. 52%), leg pain (70% vs. 62%), ODI (51% vs. 47%) and ZCQ symptom severity (37% vs. 29%) and physical function (36% vs. 32%).


CONCLUSIONS
Both treatments provide effective and durable symptom relief of claudicant symptoms. This stand-alone interspinous spacer offers the patient a minimally invasive option with less surgical risk.
a Neurosurgical Spine Institute , Lakeway , TX 78738 , USA.
Carl
C
Lauryssen
b Orange County Neurosurgical Associates , Laguna Hills , CA 92653 , USA.
Robert J
RJ
Jackson
c Tucson Orthopaedic Institute , Tucson , AZ 85712 , USA.
Jeffrey M
JM
Baron
d Upstate Bone and Joint Center , East Syracuse , NY 13057 , USA.
Richard A
RA
Tallarico
d Upstate Bone and Joint Center , East Syracuse , NY 13057 , USA.
William F
WF
Lavelle
e Rush University Medical Center , Chicago , IL 60612 , USA.
Harel
H
Deutsch
f Independent Scholar , San Francisco , CA 94115 , USA.
Jon E
JE
Block
g Chicago Back Institute , Chicago , IL 60625 , USA.
Fred H
FH
Geisler
D001416:Back Pain / Q000209:etiology; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
Superion; interspinous spacer; laminectomy; lumbar spinal stenosis