Allograft Disc Tissue Injection Aids Degenerative Disc Disease Symptoms

TUESDAY, March 7, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- An injection of allograft disc tissue into the spine alleviates pain associated with degenerative disc disease, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology, held from March 4 to 9 in Phoenix.
Douglas Beall, M.D., and Islam Fayed, D.O., both from Clinical Radiology of Oklahoma in Edmond, and colleagues report on the 36-month follow-up of an open-label extension to the VAST randomized trial in which 218 patients with one- or two-level degenerative lumbar disc disease and refractory chronic low back pain were randomly assigned to investigational allograft or saline. Fifty patients (46 treated with allograft) had follow-up data available.
The researchers found that in the allograft-treated group, the mean change from baseline in the visual analog scale score at month 36 was −35.35. Patients in the allograft-treated group had clinically meaningful benefits through 36 months in both pain and function, with 60 percent reporting ≥50 percent improvement in pain and more than 70 percent having a ≥20-point reduction in the Oswestry Disability Index.
"Existing treatment for chronic low back pain due to degenerative disc disease is often ineffective or the effects are short-lived," Beall said in a statement. "We need better treatments for this condition since conservative care is not providing the long-term outcomes that patients deserve. Injectable allograft treatment might be the answer for many people."
Beall disclosed financial ties to VIVEX Biologics, which funded the study.
Related Posts
How Safe Is a ‘Holiday’ From Bone-Strengthening Meds?
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 12, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- People on bone-protecting drugs...
Virtual Reality Learning Environment Enhances Medical Student Knowledge
WEDNESDAY, March 8, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A virtual reality learning...
In-Hospital Adverse Events Similar for Haloperidol, Atypical Antipsychotics
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For older patients without...
Social Anxiety: What It Is, Symptoms, Treatments & More
FRIDAY, March 3, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Have you ever been in a social...