A prior blog entry provided an overview of a spine surgical research 
study that Dr. Kenneth Renkens is participating in for severe spinal stenosis. This blog entry will highlight another spine surgical treatment for less severe lumbar spinal stenosis.
Again, spinal stenosis is a degenerative disease (as a result of aging) and is when one or more areas of the spine narrows resulting in back pain. With this newer minimally invasive procedure called X-STOP® - a titanium metal implant is inserted into the spinous processes of the vertebrae. Once inserted in the affected area of the lumbar spine, it decompresses the affected spinal canal area which has narrowed as a result of lumbar spinal stenosis. The X-STOP then opens this narrowing; taking the pressure off of the nerves and this relieves the back pain. Below is an image of the XSTOP (Image provided by Kyphon).
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