Baastrup's sign is an

orthopedic Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

and

radiographic Radiography is an imaging technique using X-rays, gamma rays, or similar ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation to view the internal form of an object. Applications of radiography include medical radiography ("diagnostic" and "therapeut ...

disorder that often occurs in elderly humans. It is characterized by enlargement of the posterior spinous processes of the lumbar spine, with normal intervertebral disc height and neuroforamina. The reason it is referred to as ''kissing spine'' is because the posterior spinous processes '

kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

' and touch one another as the individual goes into lumbar extension, for example when flat on their stomach. The condition has been seen in humans,

canines Canine may refer to: Zoology and anatomy * a dog-like Canid animal in the subfamily Caninae ** ''Canis'', a genus including dogs, wolves, coyotes, and jackals ** Dog, the domestic dog * Canine tooth, in mammalian oral anatomy People with the surn ...

, particularly with boxer breeds, and certain breeds of horses. 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 and fatty replacement of paraspinal musculature, which can be detected by CT or

MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves ...

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 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