TOPS Surgery (Total Posterior Spine System)

TOPS is a motion-preserving option used in selected lumbar cases after decompression. The device is designed to stabilize the segment while preserving some motion, rather than creating a fusion across that level.

TOPS may be appropriate in carefully selected patients with lumbar stenosis and low-grade spondylolisthesis who may benefit from decompression and stabilization while preserving motion at that segment.

Motion-preserving procedures can be appealing, but they are not appropriate for every patient. Anatomy, the degree of instability, the amount of decompression required, and long-term treatment goals all matter. In some situations, fusion remains the more reliable option. The right choice depends on the patient and the problem, not on novelty alone.

• Infection
• Nerve injury
• Device failure or migration
• Need for revision surgery
• Persistent symptoms

Hospital stay is often one to two days, with return to light activity over the following weeks. Recovery varies depending on the underlying pathology and the extent of decompression required.