Lanx Announces Improved Patient Outcomes Data and Reduced Hospital Costs With ASPEN(TM) MIS Fusion System

Prospective Study Comparing ASPEN Device to Pedicle Screw Instrumentation Presented at Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting


BROOMFIELD, Colo., Oct. 11, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lanx, Inc., a privately held medical device company focused on developing and commercializing innovative devices for spinal surgery, today announced that new clinical data shows that lumbar fusion with the ASPEN™ MIS Fusion System may lead to improved patient outcomes and reduced hospital costs when compared to lumbar fusion with pedicle screws. Three posters on the research were presented at the 2012 Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting, Oct. 6-10 in Chicago, Illinois.

Dan Gladney, Chief Executive Officer, Lanx, said, "This compelling data adds to the growing body of research on patient benefits that the minimally invasive ASPEN device delivers, including improved Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores and reduced hospital costs. The ASPEN device was designed specifically to limit the muscle trauma associated with traditional, invasive spinal fusion, and thereby help improve the recovery experience, which continues to be supported by the data."

The prospective study, presented by Robert Tatsumi, MD of the Northwest Spine Research Foundation in Tualatin, OR, looked at 55 consecutive patients who underwent posterior fusion with pedicle screws or the ASPEN system, and evaluated length of stay and clinical outcomes (ODI and SF-36 values). All patients were suffering with symptomatic degenerative spondylolisthesis with stenosis and had an average age of approximately 71 years.

Tatsumi found that the ASPEN system led to significantly shorter hospital stay (28 hrs vs. 66 hrs) relative to pedicle screws. In addition, ASPEN device patients had a mean ODI improvement of 26 points at six weeks, compared to 13 points among the pedicle screw patients. Research found no statistical difference among age groups, with older patients experiencing similar post-operative improvement to younger patients.

Dr. Tatsumi said, "These findings help confirm the positive patient experiences we have been seeing in our practice, and support the use of the ASPEN device as preferred instrumentation for many patients, such as the elderly, who may not be able to tolerate traditional procedures. The data also show that fixation with an ASPEN device can cut a patient's hospital stay in half, which brings significant benefit to patients and hospitals. Notably, the ASPEN device group experienced improved pain and function outcomes on par with, if not superior to, that of the pedicle screw group."

In addition to the positive clinical outcomes documented with the ASPEN system, research also noted significantly lower overall hospital charges as compared to pedicle screws. This was attributed to the shorter hospital stay associated with ASPEN device surgery, as hardware costs were similar.

The ASPEN system is intended for single level use in the thoracic or lumbar spine (T1-S1) for the treatment of degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, spinal trauma or spinal tumor. It is currently being used in a wide range of surgical applications including posterior lumbar fusions (PLF) and interbody fusions (PLIF, TLIF, ALIF and Lateral). For more information, please visit www.lanx.com.

The posters presented by Dr. Tatsumi at the CNS meeting were:

  • [#1388] Single Level Posterior Lumbar Fusion and Decompression for Degenerative Spondylolisthesis – Comparison Between Pedicle Screws and Spinous Process Fixation
  • [#1416] Surgical Outcomes Comparing Lumbar Decompression with Fusion with Spinous Process Fixation in Patients at Least 55 Years of Age
  • [#1227] Cost Utility Analysis of Pedicle Screws Compared with Spinous Process Fixation for Posterior Lumbar Instrumented Fusion for Single Level Degenerative Spondylolisthesis

About Lanx, Inc.

Lanx is one of the largest privately held global spine companies. The Company was founded by a team of experienced medical device professionals and engineers in 2003 to improve the quality of spine care and provide surgeons with innovative products. Lanx develops and markets a full line of fusion technologies with a focus on minimally invasive and biologics products. The Company is headquartered in Broomfield, CO. More information on Lanx and its spinal surgery products can be found at www.lanx.com.

©2012. Lanx, Inc. All rights reserved. Lanx and Aspen are trademarks or registrations of Lanx, Inc.



            

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