Neurosurgery published a new article, "Relationship of American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale Grade to Post-injury Hospitalization and Costs in Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury."
Here are six insights:
1. The article outlines the estimated lifetime economic costs of hospitalizations related to the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale grade.
2. Researchers found patients with less severe thoracic SCI have shorter hospital stays in their lifetimes, yielding lower costs of inpatient care. Thus, therapies targeted at improving AIS grade after thoracic SCI will likely result in cost savings.
3. For patients with AIS B SCI, the study found a lifetime net present value cost savings of $72,000, compared to patients with thoracic AIS A SCI.
4. For patients with AIS C SCI, the study revealed $132,500 in lifetime net present value cost savings, compared to patients with thoracic AIS A SCI.
5. InVivo Therapeutics CEO and Chairman Mark Perrin commented the company is "very pleased to have our first publication regarding the financial burden of illness of spinal cord injury and the potential economic impact of patients converting to less severe AIS grade."
6. InVivo's INSPIRE study tests the efficacy and safety of the Neuro-Spinal Scaffold complete thoracic AIS A spinal cord injury.