Low back pain affects a significant number of individuals worldwide, with degenerative disc disease being the leading cause of chronic low back pain. Degenerative disc disease occurs when the rubbery discs between the bones of the spine begin to wear away, leading to the spinal bones rubbing together and pinching nerves, resulting in pain and reducing movement and flexibility.
A new clinical trial has found that an injection called VIA Disc, which helps damaged spinal discs regenerate, has sustained benefits for low back pain relief. The injection is a blend of bone marrow cells and spinal disc tissue from donors and encourages the regeneration of healthy tissue within damaged discs. VIA Disc is the trade name for viable disc allograft supplementation.
Lead researcher Dr. Douglas Beall, chief of radiology at Clinical Radiology of Oklahoma in Edmond, said most patients who received an injection of VIA Disc received back pain relief that lasted at least three years. About 60% of patients had a 50% or better improvement in their pain three years after treatment, while more than 70% of patients had a greater than 20-point improvement in movement and function.
Research Sample!.. The clinical trial initially involved 218 patients randomly injected with either VIA Disc or a saline solution as a control group. After one year, the VIA Disc patients had a peak of 56% improvement in their pain and function compared with a 45% improvement in the saline patients. To see if the VIA Disc patients would do any better as the years rolled by, researchers recruited a smaller group of patients for an extension of the trial.
After two years, VIA Disc patients had a 41% improvement compared to 22% for the saline group. At the two-year mark, about 35% of the patients in the VIA Disc group were re-treated for their back pain, compared with 50% of the patients who received saline.
All those re-treated received the VIA Disc injection, and three years out, the entire group had a 51% improvement in pain and function, results showed. Beall said there were no persistent, significant adverse effects, and the treatment was well-tolerated and safe.
The clinical trial was funded by VIVEX Biologics, the maker of VIA Disc. The treatment is being evaluated for approval as a biologic product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Results!.. These results indicate that viable disc allograft supplementation is the ultimate treatment for degenerative disc disease. Dr. Stanley Golovac, an interventional pain specialist and chief medical officer for Healent.com, said the treatment offers patients lasting improvement both in chronic low back pain and in their quality of life, and the implications of the study are far-reaching, offering many people who suffer from low back pain a path to improved function and durable pain relief.
In conclusion, VIA Disc offers a promising treatment for those who suffer from degenerative disc disease and chronic low back pain. The injection helps damaged spinal discs regenerate, resulting in sustained benefits for low back pain relief, as evidenced by the clinical trial results. The implications of the study are far-reaching, and if approved, VIA Disc could offer lasting improvements in the quality of life for many individuals who suffer from low back pain.
