Orthofix Announces NASS Coverage Policy Recommendations for Electrical Bone Growth Stimulators

Orthofix International N.V. a diversified, global medical device company, is pleased to announce the North American Spine Society (NASS) has issued first-of-its-kind coverage recommendations for electrical bone growth stimulators. These evidence-based coverage policy recommendations support the use of pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) stimulation devices as an adjunct to spinal fusion surgery.
 
Dr. Richard Guyer, orthopedic spine surgeon, co-founder and director at the Texas Back Institute in Dallas said, “Bone growth stimulation devices are an important option for patients with risk factors that might inhibit the success of their spinal fusion procedures. By stimulating bone growth, we can often avoid the need for revision surgery.”
 
The just-issued NASS coverage policy recommends the use of electrical stimulation for spinal fusion healing in all regions of the spine including cervical and lumbar regions. Orthofix is the only company with a bone growth (osteogenesis) stimulator approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a noninvasive, adjunctive treatment option for cervical fusion.
 
“We are pleased that NASS has chosen to proactively examine the medical evidence and recommend electrical bone growth stimulation devices in order to assist payors, surgeons and patients by defining appropriate use and coverage positions,” said Brad Niemann, President of the Orthofix BioStim strategic business unit. “This policy is important as it further validates the use of bone growth stimulators like the Orthofix CervicalStim and SpinalStim systems, for improving spinal fusion outcomes in patients at risk of a failed fusion.”
 
The Orthofix CervicalStim and SpinalStim devices use a low-level pulsed electromagnetic field that helps activate and augment the body’s natural healing process. These devices provide patients with a safe, noninvasive treatment option for promoting spinal fusion.
 
Orthofix invites those attending NASS 2016 to visit Booth #615 to learn more about the Company’s BioStim devices and the coverage recommendations.