HealthFirst reporter Leslie Toldo tells us about the new technique that could make life easier for a lot of patients.
This spring is used to treat spinal stenosis, caused by wear and tear on the back over the years.
It narrows your spine where the nerves pass through, and just does not feel good at all.
A lot of patients have spinal fusions to correct the problem, but the spring is easier on patients.
You wouldn't know it by his footwork, but just a few months ago, 68-year-old Harry Roussos was forced out of the game.
"At one point, actually, I collapsed ... I had a big problem on the soccer field."
He quit coaching because the pain and numbness in his legs was just too severe. "It hit me pretty hard. I was dribbling the ball and I shot the ball. The way I turned ... it impacted my lower back."
Saint Johns University orthopedic spine surgeon Hyun Bae implanted a spring called coflex into Roussos' spine. The goal was to relieve the pressure on his spine and nerves.
"Really, where that nerve gets compressed is right here. A lot of times as the disc collapses this is what happens," Bae said.
This u-shaped titanium alloy device is inserted between two vertebrae to prop up the narrowed spinal canal. "It's not stiff because it is this titanium u that really provides that spring."
Traditional fusion surgery, where the vertebrae are fused together, limits mobility and it means one year of recovery that leads to more back pain. The coflex allows you to retain flexibility and means only one month of recovery time.
It will stiffen with age, and it's only available to those with leg and back pain.
Two days after surgery, Roussos was back on the pitch. "I can dribble the ball, I can shoot."
Not bad for a guy who started playing 64 years ago.
Only 35 patients in the entire U.S. have the coflex, but more than 25,000 people in Europe have one.
BACKGROUND: Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of one or more areas in the spine. This narrowing can put pressure on the spinal nerves or spinal cord. Depending on what nerves are compressed, there can be numbness in the legs, back, shoulders, and arms, limb weakness, and problems with bladder and bowel function. Many people have evidence of spinal stenosis on X-rays, but have no signs or symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they often start gradually and worsen over time. The most common parts of the spine affected by spinal stenosis are the neck and lower back. Symptoms vary, depending on the location of the stenosis. This condition usually comes with age and wear and tear of muscles and tendons. Surgery is needed in severe cases. The typical surgery to fix spinal stenosis is spinal fusion, which stops the pain but limits mobility substantially. COFLEX is the newest surgery option for spinal stenosis. (SOURCE: The Mayo Clinic)
COFLEX: The COFLEX is titanium "U-shaped" spring that goes in the spine to support the back. This new device is rapidly taking over spinal fusion surgery. Backs must be able to twist, stretch, and bend in all directions and the COFLEX device aims to restore full mobility and stop back pain. The device provides a spinal dynamic stabilization without the use of screws. The implant is designed to be surgically placed between the spinous processes, which are the bones we can see and feel in our backs. When the COFLEX has been implanted it creates space in the spinal canal by restoring the space in between vertebrae. This space makes for larger spaces for nerves and nerve roots to pass through, thus, eliminating the symptoms of spinal stenosis. (SOURCE: COFLEX spine study)
CANDIDATES FOR SPINAL STENOSIS: Candidates for spinal stenosis are individual patients who are suffering from moderate to severe spinal canal stenosis and are between the ages of 40 and 80. These people should have spinal instability and have undergone at least six months of conservative care, including one epidural injection that didn't provide relief. Conservative care includes; pain medication drugs and other un-invasive treatments. Lastly, to qualify, candidates must not have had a spinal fusion. (SOURCE: COFLEX spine study)
AFTERMATH OF THE SURGERY: COFLEX implants require a minimally invasive surgery, and possibly a much better alternative to spinal fusion. Spinal fusion may take a year of recovery time while COFLEX's recovery time is only one month. (SOURCE: BioPortfolio) Right now, study on this device is closed- so no new patients are being accepted.
