Globus Medical Study Shows Expandable Interbody Lateral Spacers More Resistant to Subsidence

Globus Medical Inc., a musculoskeletal solutions company, announced the results of the study “Clinical and radiographic analysis of expandable versus static lateral lumbar interbody fusion devices with two-year follow-up” published in the Journal of Spine Surgery, supporting benefits of Globus’ expandable lateral spacers.
 
The study co-authored by Joseph O’Brien, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at Washington Spine and Scoliosis Institute and Dr. Richard Frisch, orthopedic surgeon at Southeastern Spine Institute, compared clinical and radiographic outcomes of fifty-six patients who underwent minimally invasive lateral lumber interbody fusion (LLIF) for symptomatic degenerative disc disease. At two-years post-operative, patients in both the expandable and static spacer groups reported similar improvements in back pain scores and no significant differences in clinical outcomes. Radiographic evidence confirmed solid fusion was achieved in 100 percent of levels treated in both groups, however, significant differences in the rate of implant subsidence were observed.
 
While no subsidence was found in patients treated with expandable LLIF spacers, implant subsidence occurred in 16 percent of levels treated with static LLIF spacers. “Subsidence is a greater concern with the minimally invasive LLIF technique since it relies heavily on indirect decompression of the neural elements as compared to alternative posterior approaches,” said Dr. O’Brien. “The ability to insert Globus’ expandable spacers with less impaction and to control height expansion from within the disc space helps to minimize endplate damage and in this study resulted in a reduced risk of implant subsidence.”
 
Globus Medical offers over 20 expandable implant systems designed to be inserted at a minimized profile and expanded in situ to optimize fit and minimize endplate damage.