Barricaid and the topic of annular closure for herniated disc patients feature in two articles in the most recent issue by IJSS, the International Journal of Spine Surgery. This journal is the official publication of ISASS, the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery. ISASS is among the largest societies of spine surgeons, and describes itself as “dedicated to advancing major evolutionary steps in spine surgery,” on its website.
The first mention, a research article by Aleksandr Krutko (et. al.) describes a retrospective analysis of 133 consecutive patients diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation and a large defect in their annulus, who were treated with an annular closure device (ACD). At 12 months, 1.5% experienced an index-level reherniation, and 3.0% experienced a reoperation in this high-risk patient group. “This real-world evidence supports a promising benefit-risk profile for augmenting limited microdiscectomy with a bone-anchored ACD and provides some insights into the patient populations that may have a greater chance of realizing significant improvements in pain and function,” said the authors, in conclusion.
Secondly, IJSS featured the ISASS Policy Guidance on Surgical Treatment of Lumbar Disc Herniation with Radiculopathy, released in December 2019. The policy states that “there is new scientific evidence that supports the use of bone-anchored annular closure in patients with large annular defects, who are at greater risk for recurrent disc herniation.”
As the only PMA-approved annular closure device, and the only device available to treat this patient population, Barricaid is well positioned to deliver on its promise to reduce needless suffering in at-risk lumbar herniated disc patients. View the IJSS issue in full here.