2 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
This project will determine the clinical utility of non-surgical spine decompression for chronic low back pain (LBP). LBP is one of the highest incidence medical conditions that contributes to disability, decreased activities of daily living, decreased quality of life, and inability to work. LBP affects ≈70-85% of people during their lifetime, with ≈20% becoming chronic by age 20-59 years. Many current LBP therapeutics have detrimental long-term effects, undesired side effects, are invasive procedures with low success rates, and do not fare better than conservative care. Further, many chronic musculoskeletal pain patients do not respond to surgery, and many develop dependence on opioids. This project will implement a small-scale double-blinded, randomized proof-of-concept clinical trial to gather biomechanical and MRI data that will objectively determine the effectiveness of non-surgical spinal decompression (NSSD) over a 12-week longitudinal timeframe. The potential to provide a non-invasive alternative to chronic LBP via NSSD is innovative and addresses the pressing need for safer, more effective pain management options with fewer negative sequelae. NSSD has the potential to greatly improve lives, offering a new paradigm for chronic pain management.
The Viper Prime/Expedium spine systems are intended to provide immobilization and stabilization of spinal segments in skeletally mature patients as an adjunct to fusion in the treatment of acute and chronic instabilities or deformities of the thoracolumbar and sacral spine. The Fibergraft Bioactive Glass (BG) is engineered to mimic the body's natural bone healing process. While previous studies have compared the use of Viper prime/Expedium spine system in minimally invasive and open surgeries, these studies did not specifically study the clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients who have received these implants in addition to Fibergraft. We aim to recruit patients with degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, trauma, and/or pseudarthrosis who require spine surgery under standard of care and use these implants. We will then follow these patients for a duration of two years to report their clinical and radiographic outcomes to determine fusion, complication rate, and revision surgeries if any.