X-STOP surgical implant for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis: clinical practice recommendations for neurosurgical nurse practitioners.

Lumbar spinal stenosis is a common condition that affects the aging population because of the natural degenerative changes the spine undergoes during the aging process. The symptoms cause decreased functionality and quality of life. Traditional surgical treatment has been a decompressive laminectomy with or without a fusion. However, a newer less-invasive surgical technique called X-STOP interspinous process device is available for the treatment of neurogenic intermittent claudication because of lumbar spinal stenosis. The main goal of this procedure is to allow the patient to restore functional ability and improve quality of life, which bears significant importance in the aging population. Knowledge of the X-STOP interspinous process device can assist neurosurgical advanced practice nurses in providing optimum care for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis when nonsurgical therapies have failed.