Baastrup's sign is an orthopedic and radiographic disorder that often occurs in elderly humans. It is characterized by enlargement of the posterior spinous processes of the

lumbar In tetrapod anatomy, lumbar is an adjective that means ''of or pertaining to the abdominal segment of the torso, between the diaphragm and the sacrum.'' The lumbar region is sometimes referred to as the lower spine, or as an area of the back i ...

spine Spine or spinal may refer to: Science Biology * Vertebral column, also known as the backbone * Dendritic spine, a small membranous protrusion from a neuron's dendrite * Thorns, spines, and prickles, needle-like structures in plants * Spine (zoolog ...

, with normal intervertebral disc height and neuroforamina. The reason it is referred to as ''kissing spine'' is because the posterior spinous processes ' kiss' and touch one another as the individual goes into

extension Extension, extend or extended may refer to: Mathematics Logic or set theory * Axiom of extensionality * Extensible cardinal * Extension (model theory) * Extension (predicate logic), the set of tuples of values that satisfy the predicate * E ...

, for example when flat on their stomach. The condition has been seen in humans, canines, particularly with boxer breeds, and certain breeds of

horses The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

. This disorder is named after

Christian Ingerslev Baastrup Christian Ingerslev Baastrup (24 January 1885, in Copenhagen – 24 October 1950, in Copenhagen) was a Danish physician specializing in radiology. The Baastrup's sign Baastrup's sign is an orthopedic and radiographic disorder that often occurs in ...

Diagnosis

The salient feature of the disorder is the exuberant osteophytosis that occurs at posterior lumbar spinous processes. Osteophytes are coarse calcifications at the edges of bone that form due to repetitive stress and trauma. There is also

atrophy Atrophy is the partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body. Causes of atrophy include mutations (which can destroy the gene to build up the organ), poor nourishment, poor circulation, loss of hormonal support, loss of nerve supply t ...

and fatty replacement of paraspinal musculature, which can be detected by CT or MRI.

Treatment

The malpositioning seen on radiography may not cause any symptoms at all. If there are related symptoms, however, therapeutic options include chiropractic care,

physical therapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...

and nerve block injections. As a last resort, decompressive

laminectomy A laminectomy is a surgical procedure that removes a portion of a vertebra called the lamina, which is the roof of the spinal canal. It is a major spine operation with residual scar tissue and may result in postlaminectomy syndrome. Depending ...

may be attempted to relieve pain symptoms and remove the abnormally enlarged portions of bone.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baastrup's Sign Skeletal disorders