What Is Baastrup Disease or Kissing Spine on an Imaging Report?

Short answer: Baastrup disease, sometimes called kissing spine, refers to close contact or irritation between the bony spinous processes in the back of the spine. It is one possible imaging finding, not an automatic diagnosis of the pain source.

What the wording usually describes

The phrase may appear with extension-related low back pain or degenerative spine changes. It matters most when the pain location, exam, and imaging level fit together and when other sources such as discs, facets, SI joints, or hips have been considered.

Details that make the finding more or less important

whether the report names one level or multiple levels
whether there is fluid, edema, or bursa-like change between spinous processes
whether pain is central and worsens with back extension
whether other degenerative findings are more likely to explain symptoms
whether prior imaging shows a stable or changing pattern

How to discuss it at a pain visit

Ask whether this finding matches the painful area and movement pattern. A pain visit can separate a report phrase from the more practical question of which structure is likely driving symptoms.

Related PSG resources: lower back pain, facet joint pain, and pain management.

Sources include NCBI StatPearls - Baastrup Disease, AAOS OrthoInfo - Low Back Pain, RadiologyInfo - MRI Spine. This article is educational and cannot diagnose the cause of pain from an imaging phrase alone.

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