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Descriptive Analysis of Spinal Neuroaxial Injections, Surgical Interventions, and Physical Therapy Utilization for Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis Within Medicare Beneficiaries from 2000 to 2011.

ABSTRACT: STUDY DESIGN:A retrospective, observational study. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to determine the utilization of various treatment modalities in the management of degenerative spondylolisthesis within Medicare beneficiaries. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA:Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis is a condition often identified in symptomatic low back pain. A variety of treatment algorithms including physical therapy and interventional techniques can be used to manage clinically significant degenerative spondylolisthesis. METHODS:This study utilized the 5% national sample of Medicare carrier claims from 2000 through 2011. A cohort of beneficiaries with a new International Classification of Diseases 9th edition (ICD-9) diagnosis code for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis was identified. Current procedural terminology codes were used to identify the number of procedures performed each year by specialty on this cohort. RESULTS:A total of 95,647 individuals were included in the analysis. Average age at the time of initial diagnosis was 72.8?±?9.8 years. Within this study cohort, spondylolisthesis was more prevalent in females (69%) than males and in Caucasians (88%) than other racial demographics. Over 50% of beneficiaries underwent at least one injection, approximately one-third (37%) participated in physical therapy, one in five (21%) underwent spinal surgery, and one-third (36%) did not utilize any of these interventions. Greater than half of all procedures (124,280/216,088) occurred within 2 years of diagnosis. The ratio of focal interventions (transforaminal and facet interventions) to less selective (interlaminar) procedures was greater for the specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation than for the specialties of Anesthesiology, Interventional Radiology, Neurosurgery, and Orthopedic Surgery. The majority of physical therapy was dedicated to passive treatment modalities and range of motion exercises rather than active strengthening modalities within this cohort. CONCLUSION:Interventional techniques and physical therapy are frequently used treatment modalities for symptomatic degenerative spondylolisthesis. Understanding utilization of these techniques is important to determine relative clinical efficacies and to optimize future health care expenditures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:N/A.

SUBMITTER: Sclafani JA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5133200 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Descriptive Analysis of Spinal Neuroaxial Injections, Surgical Interventions, and Physical Therapy Utilization for Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis Within Medicare Beneficiaries from 2000 to 2011.

Sclafani Joseph A JA Constantin Alexandra A Ho Pei-Shu PS Akuthota Venu V Chan Leighton L

Spine 20170201 4

<h4>Study design</h4>A retrospective, observational study.<h4>Objective</h4>The aim of this study was to determine the utilization of various treatment modalities in the management of degenerative spondylolisthesis within Medicare beneficiaries.<h4>Summary of background data</h4>Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis is a condition often identified in symptomatic low back pain. A variety of treatment algorithms including physical therapy and interventional techniques can be used to manage clinica ...[more]

PMID: 28207664

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Project description:BackgroundManagement of degenerative spondylolisthesis with spinal stenosis is controversial. Surgery is widely used, but its effectiveness in comparison with that of nonsurgical treatment has not been demonstrated in controlled trials.MethodsSurgical candidates from 13 centers in 11 U.S. states who had at least 12 weeks of symptoms and image-confirmed degenerative spondylolisthesis were offered enrollment in a randomized cohort or an observational cohort. Treatment was standard decompressive laminectomy (with or without fusion) or usual nonsurgical care. The primary outcome measures were the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-36) bodily pain and physical function scores (100-point scales, with higher scores indicating less severe symptoms) and the modified Oswestry Disability Index (100-point scale, with lower scores indicating less severe symptoms) at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years.ResultsWe enrolled 304 patients in the randomized cohort and 303 in the observational cohort. The baseline characteristics of the two cohorts were similar. The one-year crossover rates were high in the randomized cohort (approximately 40% in each direction) but moderate in the observational cohort (17% crossover to surgery and 3% crossover to nonsurgical care). The intention-to-treat analysis for the randomized cohort showed no statistically significant effects for the primary outcomes. The as-treated analysis for both cohorts combined showed a significant advantage for surgery at 3 months that increased at 1 year and diminished only slightly at 2 years. The treatment effects at 2 years were 18.1 for bodily pain (95% confidence interval [CI], 14.5 to 21.7), 18.3 for physical function (95% CI, 14.6 to 21.9), and -16.7 for the Oswestry Disability Index (95% CI, -19.5 to -13.9). There was little evidence of harm from either treatment.ConclusionsIn nonrandomized as-treated comparisons with careful control for potentially confounding baseline factors, patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis treated surgically showed substantially greater improvement in pain and function during a period of 2 years than patients treated nonsurgically. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00000409 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).

Project description:BackgroundClinically, there are substantive practice variations in surgical management of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. We aimed at evaluating whether decompression alone outcomes for patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis are comparable to those of decompression with fusion.MethodsIn this meta-analysis, the Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to February 16th, 2022. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies comparing decompression alone with decompression and fusion for patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis were included in this study. There were no language limitations. Odds ratio (OR), mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to report results in the random-effects model. Main outcomes included Oswestry disability index (ODI), pain, clinical satisfaction, complication and reoperation rates. The study protocol was published in PROSPERO (CRD42022310645).FindingsThirty-three studies (6 RCTs and 27 cohort studies) involving 94 953 participants were included. Differences in post-operative ODI between decompression alone and decompression with fusion were not significant. A small difference for back (MD, 0.13; [95% CI, 0.08 to 0.18]; I 2:0.00%) and leg pain (MD, 0.30; [95% CI, 0.09 to 0.51]; I 2:48.35%) was observed on the 3rd post-operative month. The results did not reveal significant differences in leg pain and back pain between decompression alone and fusion groups on the 6th, 12th, and 24th post-operative months. Difference in clinical satisfaction between decompression alone and decompression with fusion were not significant from RCTs (OR, 0.26; [95% CI, 0.03 to 1.92]; I 2:83.27%). Complications (OR, 1.54; [95% CI, 1.16 to 2.05]; I 2:48.88%), operation time (MD, 83.39; [95% CI, 55.93 to 110.85]; I 2:98.75%), intra-operative blood loss (MD, 264.58; [95% CI, 174.99 to 354.16]; I 2:95.61%) and length of hospital stay (MD, 2.85; [95% CI, 1.60 to 4.10]; I 2:99.49%) were higher with fusion.InterpretationClinical effectiveness of decompression alone was comparable to that of decompression with fusion for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. Decompression alone is recommended for patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.FundingThis work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81871818), Tangdu Hospital Seed Talent Program (Fei-Long Wei), Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China (No.2019JM-265) and Social Talent Fund of Tangdu Hospital (No.2021SHRC034).

Project description:BackgroundInferior clinical outcomes have been reported in patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS) accompanied by lumbar degenerative scoliosis, but little attention has been paid to its radiologic assessment or preoperative planning. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion on patients with DLS and lumbar degenerative scoliosis and explore the surgical aspects benefiting the restoration of lumbar degenerative scoliosis.MethodsAll patients with DLS and lumbar degenerative scoliosis undergoing single-level unilateral transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion surgery between July 1, 2015, and April 30, 2021, were screened in this retrospective cohort study. Clinical outcomes including visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), and radiographic parameters of sagittal and coronal alignment, cage spatial locations, and angle of pedicle screw (parallel, cranial, and caudad angle) were assessed. Coronal asymmetry was demonstrated by the intervertebral height difference between the medial and lateral margins of indexed intersegmental space. The correlations between Δintervertebral height difference (postoperative intervertebral height difference-preoperative intervertebral height difference) and radiographic parameters and clinical outcomes were analyzed by univariable, multivariable, mediation, and correlation analyses. Significance was set at a bilateral P<0.05.ResultsA total of 57 included patients were followed up for a minimum of 1 year. Reduction of VAS, ODI, and improvement of radiographic parameters were found after surgery. The cranial angle of the lower pedicle screw positively correlated with Δintervertebral height difference restoration (b=0.54; standard error=0.11; P<0.001).ConclusionsTransforaminal lumbar interbody fusion surgery appears to be an effective approach to improving the radiographic and clinical outcomes of patients with DLS and lumbar degenerative scoliosis. The cranial direction of the lower pedicle screws in single-level unilateral transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion surgery may be associated with a better postoperative restoration of lumbar degenerative scoliosis.

Project description:BackgroundPedicle screw invasion of the proximal articular process will cause local articular process degeneration and acceleration, which is an important factor affecting adjacent segment degeneration. Although lumbar spondylolisthesis is a risk factor for screw invasion of the proximal joint, there is no clear conclusion regarding the two different types of spondylolisthesis. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the influence of pedicle screw placement on proximal facet invasion in the treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis and isthmic spondylolisthesis.MethodsIn total, 468 cases of lumbar spondylolisthesis treated by decompression and fusion in our hospital from January 2017 to January 2020 were included in this retrospective study. Among them, 238 cases were degenerative spondylolisthesis (group A), and 230 cases were isthmic spondylolisthesis (group B). Sex, age, body mass index, bone mineral density, preoperative visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores, postoperative VAS and ODI scores at 1 month and 3 months, and angle of the proximal facet joint at the last follow-up were recorded and compared between the two groups. The degree of pedicle screw invasion of the proximal facet joint was graded and compared by the SEO grading method.ResultsThere were no significant differences in sex, age, body mass index, bone mineral density, preoperative VAS and ODI scores, or proximal facet joint angle between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in VAS and ODI scores between the two groups at 1 month and 3 months after the operation (P > 0.05). The VAS score of group A at the last follow-up was 1 (1,2). The VAS score of group B at the last follow-up was 3 (1,3). The ODI score of group A at the last follow-up was 6(4,26). The ODI score of group B at the last follow-up was 15(8,36). The VAS and ODI scores of the two groups at the last follow-up were significantly different (P < 0.05). According to the SEO grading method, the invasion of the proximal articular process by pedicle screw placement in group A involved 320 cases in grade 0, 128 cases in grade I and 28 cases in grade II. In group B, there were 116 cases in grade 0, 248 cases in grade I and 96 cases in grade II, with a significant difference (P < 0.01).ConclusionIn summary, a certain number of cases involving screws invading the proximal facet joint occurred in the two different types of lumbar spondylolisthesis, but the number in the isthmic spondylolisthesis group was significantly higher than that in the degenerative spondylolisthesis group, which caused more trauma to the proximal facet joint and significantly affected the patient prognosis.

Project description:ObjectiveReimbursement trends for common procedures have persistently declined over the past 2 decades. Spinal instrumentational and fusion procedures are increasingly utilized and have increased in clinical complexity, yet longitudinal inflation-adjusted data for Medicare reimbursements of these procedures have not been evaluated.MethodsThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool was used to extract Medicare reimbursements for the 5 most common spinal procedures and associated instrumentations from 2000-2020. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes include 22551, 22600, 22633, 63030, and 63047 as well as instrumentation CPT codes 22840 and 22842-6. The nominal values were adjusted for inflation according to the latest consumer price index (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; reported as 2020 USD) and used to calculate average annual percent changes and compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) in reimbursements.ResultsAfter inflation adjustment, the physician fee reimbursement decreased by 11.05% ± 8.46% (mean ± s.d., from $2,009.89 in 2011 to $1,787.85 in 2020) for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), 28.38% ± 8.42% (from $1,889.38 in 2000 to $1,353.14 in 2020) for posterior cervical fusion, 7.85% ± 8.20% (from $2,111.20 in 2012 to $1,945.49 in 2020) for transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), 28.17% ± 13.88% (from $1,421.78 in 2000 to $1,021.22 in 2020) for lower back disc surgery, and 31.88% ± 8.22% (from $1,700.38 in 2000 to $1,158.25 in 2020) for lumbar laminectomy. Instrumentation reimbursements showed an average decrease of 33.43% ± 8.4% over this period. Average CAGR was -1.7% ± .41% for procedures and -2.02% ± .14% for instrumentation.ConclusionOur analysis reveals a persistent decline in reimbursement rates of the most common spine procedures and instrumentation since the year 2000. If unaddressed, this trend can serve as a substantial disincentive for physicians to perform these procedures and can significantly limit access to spinal care at the population level.

Project description:ImportanceConflicting evidence and large practice variation are present in the surgical treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis. More than 90% of surgical procedures in the United States include instrumented fusion compared with 50% or less in other countries.ObjectiveTo evaluate whether the effectiveness of microdecompression alone is noninferior to decompression with instrumented fusion in a real-world setting.Design, setting, and participantsThis multicenter comparative effectiveness study with a noninferiority design assessed prospective data from the Norwegian Registry for Spine Surgery. From September 19, 2007, to December 21, 2015, 1376 patients at 35 Norwegian orthopedic and neurosurgical departments underwent surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis with degenerative spondylolisthesis without scoliosis. After excluding patients undergoing laminectomy alone, fusion without instrumentation, or surgery in more than 2 levels and those with a former operation at the index level, 794 patients were included in the analyses, regardless of missing or incomplete follow-up data, before propensity score matching. Data were analyzed from March 20 to October 30, 2018.ExposuresMicrodecompression alone or decompression with instrumented fusion.Main outcomes and measuresA reduction from baseline of 30% or greater in the Oswestry Disability Index at 12-month follow-up.ResultsAfter propensity score matching, 570 patients (413 female [72%]; mean [SD] age, 64.7 [9.5] years) were included for comparison, with 285 undergoing microdecompression (mean [SD] age, 64.6 [9.8] years; 205 female [72%]) and 285 undergoing decompression with instrumented fusion (mean [SD] age, 64.8 [9.2] years; 208 female [73%]). The proportion of each type of procedure varied between departments. However, changes in outcome scores varied within patients but not between departments. The proportion of patients with improvement in the Oswestry Disability Index of at least 30% was 150 of 219 (68%) in the microdecompression group and 155 of 215 (72%) in the instrumentation group. The 95% CI (-12% to 5%) for the difference of -4% was above the predefined margin of noninferiority (-15%). Microdecompression alone was associated with shorter operation time (mean [SD], 89 [44] vs 180 [65] minutes; P < .001) and shorter hospital stay (mean [SD], 2.5 [2.4] vs 6.4 [3.0] days; P < .001).Conclusions and relevanceAmong patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis, the clinical effectiveness of microdecompression alone was noninferior to that of decompression with instrumented fusion. Microdecompression alone was also associated with shorter durations of surgery and hospital stay, supporting the suggestion that the less invasive procedure should be considered for most patients.

Dataset Information

Descriptive Analysis of Spinal Neuroaxial Injections, Surgical Interventions, and Physical Therapy Utilization for Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis Within Medicare Beneficiaries from 2000 to 2011.

Publications

Descriptive Analysis of Spinal Neuroaxial Injections, Surgical Interventions, and Physical Therapy Utilization for Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis Within Medicare Beneficiaries from 2000 to 2011.

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