Document Type

Conference Proceeding - Restricted Access

Publication Date

9-2022

Publication Title

Spine Journal

Abstract

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Vertebral endplates, innervated by the basivertebral nerve, can be a source of vertebrogenic low back pain when damaged with inflammation visible as types 1 or 2 Modic changes.

PURPOSE

A randomized controlled trial (RCT) compared basivertebral nerve ablation (BVNA) to standard care (SC) showing significant differences between arms at 3 and 6-months. At 12 months, significant improvements were sustained for BVNA. We report results of the BVNA arm at 24 months.

METHODS

Prospective, open label, single-arm follow-up of the BVNA treatment arm of an RCT in 20 US sites with visits at 6 weeks, and 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 months. Paired comparisons to baseline were made at each time point for Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), EQ-5D-5L, and responder rates.

RESULTS

A total of 140 patients were randomized, 66 to BVNA. In the 58 BVNA patients completing a 24-month visit, 67% had back pain for >5 years, 36% were actively taking opioids at baseline, 50% had prior epidural steroid injections, and 12% had prior low back surgery. Improvements in ODI, VAS, SF-36 PCS, and EQ-5D-5L were statistically significant at all time points through 2 years. At 24 months, ODI and VAS improved 28.5±16.2 points (from baseline 44.5; p <0.001) and 4.1±2.7 cm (from baseline 6.6; p <0.001), respectively. A combined responder rate of ODI=15 and VAS=2 was 73.7%. A 50% reduction in pain was reported in 72.4% of patients and 31.0% were pain-free at 2 years. At 24 months, only 3 (5%) of patients had BVNA-level steroid injections, and 62% fewer patients were actively taking opioids. There were no serious device or device-procedure related adverse events reported through 24 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Intraosseous BVNA demonstrates an excellent safety profile and significant improvements in pain, function, and quality of life that are sustained through 24 months in patients with chronic vertebrogenic low back pain.

Volume

2

Issue

9 Suppl

First Page

S58

Comments

North American Spine Society 37th Annual Meeting, October 12-15, 2022, Chicago, IL.

DOI

10.1016/j.spinee.2022.06.125

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