{{Infobox medical condition (new) | name = Baastrup's sign | synonyms = Kissing spine | image = Image:Gray90.png | caption = A diagram of a human vertebral body. With Baastrup's sign, the posterior spinous process, pointing down and to the left, is abnormally thickened due to repetitive microtrauma. | pronounce = | field = | symptoms = | complications = | onset = | duration = | types = | causes = | risks = | diagnosis = | differential = | prevention = | treatment = | medication = | prognosis = | frequency = | deaths = }} '''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 spine, 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 lumbar extension, for example when flat on their stomach.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whonamedit.com/synd.cfm/1296.html|title=Who named it - Baastrup's sign}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal| last1 = Lin | first1 = E.| title = Baastrup's disease (kissing spine) demonstrated by FDG PET/CT| journal = Skeletal Radiology| volume = 37| issue = 2| pages = 173–175| year = 2008| pmid = 18087748| doi = 10.1007/s00256-007-0379-2| s2cid = 1317481}}</ref> The condition has been seen in humans, canines, particularly with boxer breeds,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Baastrup's+disease|title=Medical Dictionary Online - Baastrup's}}</ref> and certain breeds of horses.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare/article.php?aid=58084|title=Horse and Hound: Explaining kissing spines}}</ref> This disorder is named after Christian Ingerslev Baastrup.
==Diagnosis== [[File:Baastrup CT sagittal.png|left|thumb|100px|Sagittal CT of the lumbar spine showing '''Baastrup's sign'''.]] 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.<ref>{{Cite journal| issue = 2| volume = 82| pages = 250–252| year = 2001| doi = 10.1053/apmr.2001.18052| pmid = 11239319| journal = Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation| title = Baastrup's disease correlating with diffuse lumbar paraspinal atrophy: a case report| last2 = Harris | first1 = A. | first2 = A.| last3 = Quint | first3 = D.| last1 = Haig}}</ref>
==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 may be attempted to relieve pain symptoms and remove the abnormally enlarged portions of bone.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=912982082|title=Baastrup's Disease - General Practice Notebook}}</ref> {{clear}}
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == {{Medical resources | DiseasesDB = | ICD10 = {{ICD10|M|48|2|m|45}} | ICD9 = {{ICD9|721.5}} | ICDO = | OMIM = | MedlinePlus = | eMedicineSubj = | eMedicineTopic = | MeshID = }} {{Commonscat|Baastrup's disease}}
{{Dorsopathies}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baastrup's Sign}} Category:Skeletal disorders