There are two new economic publications showing the cost-effectiveness of minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion with SI-BONE's iFuse Implant System.
The first article includes data from the INSITE prospective, randomized controlled trial and SIFI, a prospective single-arm trial. The data from the 2015 Medicare national average reimbursement allowable was used to calculate incremental costs and health benefits.
The key findings from the study include:
1. The five-year gain in quality of life was 0.74 quality-adjusted life years.
2. The incremental cost was $9,833, corresponding with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $13,313 per QALY gained.
3. The article compares ICER for SI joint fusion to other interventions commonly performed and found the SI joint fusion was more favorable than the lumbar fusion for degenerative spondylolisthesis and closer in range to technologies considered highly cost-effective, like knee and hip arthroplasty.
The second article examined a cost model describing care for patients with severe chronic low back pain for preoperative lumbar fusion candidates. The study takes into account additional costs of SI joint diagnosis and treatment compared to lumbar fusion. The cost model predicted a $3,100 expected two-year direct healthcare cost savings when considering the SI joint compared to not considering SI joints.
"Shooting at the wrong target, i.e., performing surgery on the wrong part, is clearly not in the patient's best interest," said David Polly, MD. "We were interested in understanding the financial impact of failing to consider the SI joint as a potential pain generator in patients with chronic lower back pain who are seeking surgical treatments. The results are edifying in terms of the amount of money, but perhaps not surprising given the high intensity and cost of surgical interventions."