Spine stabilization effective for patients under 65 years old: 3 findings

Spine

Minimally invasive interlaminar spine stabilization is a safe and effective alternative to spinal fusion in patients under 65 years old, according to research presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, March 12 to 16.

New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery investigators compared the five-year outcomes of decompression surgery with interlaminar stabilization to decompression with posterior lumbar fusion in patients 65 years old and younger. They collected data from the original investigational device exemption clinical trial for Paradigm Spine's coflex Interlaminar Stabilization device, which included 322 patients from 21 sites in the U.S. enrolled between 2006 and 2008.

The HSS study included 181 patients from the clinical trial, with 131 in the interlaminar stabilization group and 50 in the posterior lumbar fusion group. The researchers found on average:

  • Patients in the spine stabilization group had a shorter hospital stays — 1.79 days — compared to spine fusion patients — 3.06 days.
  • Spinal stabilizations typically took 96.5 minutes on average, compared to 153.3 minutes for spine fusion.
  • Device-related complications in the first 24 months preoperatively affected 0.8 percent of spine stabilization patients, compared to 6 percent of spine fusion patients.

At five-year follow-up, researchers did not find statistically significant difference in patient-reported outcomes between the groups in terms of pain relief, function or patient satisfaction. The researchers also noted that interlaminar spine stabilization is a much more cost-effective option than fusion.

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