Publications by authors named "William M Costigan"

Background: Interspinous devices were introduced in the field of spine surgery as an alternative to traditional pedicle screw fixation in selected patients for treatment of spinal stenosis and fixation. These devices designs have evolved from non-fixated extension blocks to sophisticated interspinous fixation devices (IFDs). There is an absence of literature comparing the biomechanical fixation strength of different IFD plate designs and the role of set screw locking systems.

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Background: Spinal stenosis treatment includes laminectomies with or without fusion or with interspinous distraction with or without fixation. Lack of published data on interspinous fixation devices (IFD) at L5-S1 is less considered as an option due to the smaller anatomical S1 spinous process and the higher stresses from the immobile sacrum. Our objective was to evaluate the outcomes of an IFD used as a stand-alone treatment for spinal stenosis at L5-S1 and L4-5 compared to historical data on open laminectomies.

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Background: The direct lateral trans-gluteal muscle splitting transiliac approach was popularized to fixate the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) using three cannulated triangular titanium implants (TTIs) wedges. Publications support efficacy of the direct lateral approach but a paucity of literature to help surgeons revise these implants when they fail. Intuitively the implants can be removed but require an open incision and dissection through the gluteal muscles and scar tissue which can lead to muscle and neurovascular injuries.

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