Comment on “Controversies about Interspinous Process Devices in the Treatment of Degenerative Lumbar Spine Diseases: Past, Present, and Future”

Abstract EN

We read with extreme interest the article by Gazzeri et al., entitled “Controversies about Interspinous Process Devices in the Treatment of Degenerative Lumbar Spine Diseases: Past, Present, and Future” [1], published in Biomed Research International Volume 2014, Article ID 975052.

In this manuscript the authors present a literature review about commercialized interspinous devices, with particular attention to their possible clinical indications.

The authors describe some of those devices, defining their biomechanical properties and the therapeutic capabilities, analysing the therapeutic results available in the literature for some devices.

Conclusion of the article is that the available scientific evidence is not sufficient to permit conclusions for or against the placement of an interspinous spacer for the treatment of lumbar stenosis (2011 NASS guidelines).

The authors also add that if related to their minimal invasiveness, interspinous spacers seem to have a robust pathophysiological substrate and promise to play an important role in the future degenerative lumbar microsurgery, especially in the older population.

The article is really interesting but deserves an in-depth comment on many topics.

Firstly it is mandatory to focus on the pathological substrate responsible for the disease that those devices are going to treat.