Lumbar Stabilization

Spinal Surgery

Spinal Support and Motion Preservation

The Coflex device is a nonrigid fixation, therefore it provides better and more natural lumbar function when compared to fusion. Other benefits of Lumbar Stabilization compared fusion include:

Lumbar Stabilization vs. Fusion

 Lumbar StabilizationFusion

Quality Adjusted Life Years

Higher1

Lower1

Overall Composite Clinical Success (CCS) Scores at 60 months

Higher (55.1%)2

Lower (36.4%)2

Range of Motion

Does not completely eliminate motion

Complete loss of motion

Adjacent Segment Degeneration (ASD) using Pfirrmann’s Disc Degeneration Grading System

Less common and less severe4

More common and more severe4

Adjacent Level Overactivity

Less4

Greater4

Blood Loss

Less3,4

More3,4
Inpatient Length of Stay (LOS) and Ambulation Time (how long until the patient returns to light activity)Shorter3,4Longer3,4
Non-union spinal fusion (pseudarthrosis)Eliminated because the disc is replacedPossible because the disks are grafted together
Secondary SurgeryLower (13% of patients)2Higher (25.7% of patients)2

5- year costs (based off of Medicare payments)

$15,1821

$26,8631

JOA Score/ Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)/ Visual Analog Scale- leg pain and back pain/ SF-36 Score

ComparableComparable
  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3964032/
  2. http://www.ijssurgery.com/content/12/4/419.abstract
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28254421
  4. http://spine.imedpub.com/is-the-interspinous-device-coflexoutdated-in-the-treatment-of-lumbarspinal-stenosis-a-sevenyear-followup.pdf
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5866399/

Additional Educational Links:

Prevalence of spinal disorders and their relationships with age and gender (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4454908/)