PHILLIPSBURG — Orthopedic surgeon Vito Loguidice, M.D. recently performed, at Warren Hospital, the first procedure in the area to treat leg pain and numbness caused by lumbar spinal stenosis using the Superion Interspinous Spacer (ISS) from Vertiflex Inc.
Loguidice’s surgery is part of a clinical study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the Superion ISS for the treatment of leg pain caused by moderate lumbar spinal stenosis.
Spinal stenosis, the degenerative narrowing of the spaces in the spine that can lead to spinal cord and/or nerve root compression, is believed to be the cause of leg and back pain for nearly 1.2 million Americans.
The device is a possible alternative to traditional spinal surgery that can potentially act as a support column to open the passageways through which the nerve roots travel from the lumbar spine to the legs.
Chronic pain in the lower back region along with the radiating leg pain that often accompanies it is typically treated with physical therapy and other noninvasive therapies. When such treatments no longer provide relief, patients may be offered a surgical procedure.
The intent of the Superion ISS is to provide patients with a minimally invasive surgical technique performed through a single, half-inch incision that is designed to stabilize the affected level(s) while allowing the patient to move without significant restriction.
Over the next year, surgical sites throughout the United States will be implanting the Superion ISS as part of this clinical study. Loguidice is part of a select group of prominent spine surgeons who have been chosen to participate in the study.
