Conclusions to bone growth stimulation
for spine fusion
Over the last 25 years, bone growth stimulation
has been established as a cost-effective adjunct
to improve the clinical success rate of spinal
fusion surgery. Various studies have clearly demonstrated
that the use of bone stimulation as an adjunct
to spinal fusion in the “difficult to fuse” population
significantly improves success rates.
The use of bone stimulation does add significantly
to the overall cost of a spinal fusion, however,
preliminary data appear to demonstrate cost-effectiveness
of the electrical stimulation device.2 The
routine use of electrical bone growth stimulation,
for all patients undergoing a spine fusion, remains
a subject for debate.
As the medical community continues to explore
the use of electrical stimulation and its potential
influence on other as yet unstudied aspects of
spinal surgery, the impact of electrical stimulation
as an adjunct to spinal fusion is likely to grow
over time.
By: Neil
Kahanovitz, MD
November 29, 2001 |
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