A new study published in Spine examined Aesculap Implant Systems' activL Artificial Disc for lumbar artificial disc replacement.
The post-hoc analysis leveraged radiographic data from the activL Artificial Disc Investigative Device Exemption study. Researchers assessed the rate at which radiographic adjacent-level degeneration occurred five years after lumbar TDR with the activL or Centinel Spine's ProDisc-L.
Here are five insights.
1. The study revealed a low incident rate of radiographic adjacent level deterioration at five years, affecting only 9.7 percent of patients, compared to previous studies of deterioration at levels superior to fusion (28 percent of patients).
2. Additionally, the researchers found a lower rate of clinically significant adjacent-level degeneration resulting in additional surgery, impacting just 2.29 percent of patients.
3. In a select patient population, the results showcase lumber TDR proves more effective at slowing the progression of adjacent segment degeneration than fusion.
4. Researchers also found a statistically significant difference in adjacent-level degeneration rates between those patients receiving the activL versus the ProDisc-L. At five years, activL patients saw an 8.8 percent adjacent-level degeneration progression compared to a 19 percent progression for the ProDisc-L patients.
5. The activL Artificial Disc and ProDisc-L represent the only commercially available lumbar artificial disc devices on the market backed by biomechanical and clinical studies showing their safety and efficacy.