Lumbar TDR associated with improved function, no greater need for second surgery

LAS VEGAS — The rates of adjacent segment disease are low for patients treated with total disc replacement for symptomatic lumbar degenerative disc disease, according to results of a prospective study presented at the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery Annual Meeting.

“[Total disc replacement] TDR can manage symptomatic degenerative disc disease with significant pain and functional improvements in our medium- and long-term studies. There is a low rate of an index level revision and adjacent segment degeneration surgery requiring second surgical interventions,” Matthew Scott-Young, MD, of Southport, Australia, said.

Scott-Young reported a 3.5% revision rate in the 401 patients in the study, all of whom originally underwent one-level TDR. There were 17 patients who were treated for adjacent segment disease and the 14 index level revisions that were performed (4.2%) involved either anterior lumbar interbody fusion or lumbar TDR.

Matthew Scott-Young

“The clinical improvements were still observed despite the second surgical intervention,” he said.

Between 30% and 40% of patients had improvements in functional results after TDR, he said. The investigators determined the amount of functional improvement based on the patients’ Oswestry Disability Index scores and Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire results.

At the meeting, Scott-Young received the Kostuik Innovation Award, which is sponsored by Thomas Errico, MD. – by Susan M. Rapp

Reference:

Scott-Young M, et al. Paper #492. Presented at: International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery Annual Meeting; April 6-8, 2016; Las Vegas.

Disclosure: Scott-Young reports he is on the speaker’s bureau for Prism.