The importance of a cost-effective treatment option for patients with large annular defects is underscored by a recently published Level IA expert review and meta-analysis of four comparative studies (n=801 patients) including two randomized controlled trials involving more than 600 patients.
In this review, the authors (L Miller, R Todd Allen, B Duhon, K Radcliff) identified 50 published papers on the Barricaid device since 2012. The analysis determined that at two years, the risks of symptomatic reherniation and reoperation were approximately 50 percent lower in patients who had the Barricaid implanted following lumbar discectomy, when compared to lumbar discectomy alone.
Based in part on this compendium of clinical data, the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) issued a policy supporting the use of the Barricaid device in patients with large annular defects.
R. Todd Allen MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UC San Diego Health System, commented that “This meta-analysis clearly indicates that large annular defects heighten the risk of recurrence and reoperation after lumbar discectomy. This is actionable information, given the evidence supporting use of bone-anchored annular closure for such patients.”
The full article can be found in the Journal Expert Review of Medical Devices, Volume 17, 2020 – Issue 5.
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