The Effect of an Interspinous Process Implant on Facet Loading During Extension

Abstract

Interspinous process decompression will unlikely cause adjacent level facet pain or accelerated facet joint degeneration. Furthermore, pain induced from pressure originating in the facets and/or posterior anulus of the lumbar spine may be relieved by interspinous pro-cess decompression. Clinical results from patients with a component of lower back pain suggest that this is a valid conclusion.