Ken Josefsberg, a 44-year-old triathlete and financial advisor, was in excruciating pain and couldn’t stand erect. After consulting a physician, Josefsberg learned he was suffering from spinal stenosis—a narrowing of the spinal canal that causes pressure on the nerves. Over the next eight months, the physician treated him with a series of spinal steroid injections.

Unfortunately, the lumbar epidurals offered little relief, so Josefsberg sought a better so-lution. Through a personal contact, he found Hyun Bae, MD, a renowned spine specialist at Saint John’s Health Center. Dr. Bae considered Josefsberg to be a good candidate for participation in the coflex™ device clinical trial.

“The coflex is a U-shaped titanium alloy device that is inserted between two vertebrae to prop up the narrowed spinal canal,” explained Dr. Bae. “The procedure is minimally invasive and requires an incision of only 1 to 2 inches. Blood loss is limited and healing proceeds rapidly. With the coflex device, the nerve roots are decompressed and spinal mobility is preserved. This is a viable alternative to traditional screw fixation and fusion, which limits mobility.”

Josefsberg underwent the procedure in January 2008 and was walking within a couple of days. “I returned to work about a week after the surgery,” he recalled. “And five months later, pain-free, I got back on my bike.” In mid-2008, Josefsberg resumed his triathlon training, and in 2009, he participated in four triathlons. “I’m signed up for a Miami Half Ironman in October, and I also plan to compete in the New Zealand Ironman in March 2011,” he said.

Josefsberg gives Dr. Bae and the Saint John’s staff much of the credit for his remarkable recovery. “I found Dr. Bae to be a patient and clear communicator, and I was confident in his skills,” he said. “The staff was also very warm, and I always felt comfortable and well cared for.”

Saint John’s is one of 12 centers nationwide participating in the coflex trial. “We have implanted the device in 35 patients so far, and the trial is still open,” Dr. Bae said. To qualify, patients must be age 40 to 80, have been diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis and have undergone at least six months of nonsurgical treatment, including at least one epidural steroid injection.?

For more information about the spine program at Saint John’s, call 1-800-STJOHNS or visit www.espineinstitute.com