RTI Surgical® Applauds Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama’s Positive Coverage Decision for Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion Surgery
Decision may help more patients access RTI’s SImmetry® Sacroiliac Joint Fusion System, a minimally invasive surgical solution for sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama is the largest provider of healthcare benefits in Alabama, covering over 3 million people
DEERFIELD, Ill., April 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RTI Surgical Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RTIX), a global surgical implant company, applauds Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama (BCBSAL), the largest provider of healthcare benefits in Alabama, for issuing a positive coverage decision for minimally invasive sacroiliac (SI) joint fusion surgery, effective March 18, 2019. This decision expands access to RTI’s SImmetry Sacroiliac Joint Fusion System for appropriate BCBSAL members considering treatment for SI joint pain or dysfunction. The SImmetry System is a minimally invasive surgical solution that uses proprietary decortication technology, bone graft and threaded fixation to facilitate bone fusion, providing an opportunity for long-term pain relief.
“RTI is encouraged by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama’s recent decision to expand treatment options for patients with SI joint pain or dysfunction,” said Camille Farhat, President and CEO, RTI Surgical. “The effectiveness of the SImmetry System is supported by a growing body of evidence suggesting long-term pain reduction and improved quality of life for patients. We look forward to sharing more data from the ongoing EVoluSIon Clinical Study in 2019.”
It has been reported that up to 30 percent of all chronic low back pain, the second most common cause of disability in American adults, is due to SI joint dysfunction. SI joint fusion surgery using the SImmetry System is designed to stabilize the dysfunctional SI joint by fusing the sacrum and the pelvic bone together.
Enrollment for the EVoluSIon Clinical Study evaluating the impact of the SImmetry System on SI joint fusion and pain reduction in 250 patients has been completed across 23 sites. An early analysis of the first 50 patients published in December 2017 showed over 50% pain reduction reported by patients at 6 months post-procedure, as well as 50% fewer patients who were on opioids at 6 months post-procedure.i A separate study on the SImmetry System demonstrated a 73 percent reduction in average pain over 24 months.ii Clinical outcomes from 100 patients presented at the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) 2018 Annual Meeting showed the SImmetry System provided a 56 percent reduction in average patient-reported pain, and a statistically significant reduction in the use of opioids and other pain medications at six months.iii
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About RTI Surgical Holdings, Inc.
RTI Surgical is a leading global surgical implant company providing surgeons with safe biologic, metal and synthetic implants. Committed to delivering a higher standard, RTI’s implants are used in sports medicine, general surgery, spine, orthopedic and trauma procedures and are distributed in nearly 50 countries. RTI has four manufacturing facilities throughout the U.S. and Europe. RTI is accredited in the U.S. by the American Association of Tissue Banks and is a member of AdvaMed. For more information, please visit . Connect with us on and .
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References
i Araghi, A, et al, Pain and Opioid use Outcomes following Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion with Decortication and Bone Grafting: The EVoluSIon Clinical Trial. The Open Orthopaedics Journal, 2017, 11, 1440-1448.
ii Cross, WW et al, Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion: 2-year Radiographic and Clinical Outcomes with a Principles-Based SIJ Fusion System. The Open Orthopaedics Journal, 2018, 12, 7-16.
iii Araghi, et al. Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion Surgery with Decortication and Threaded Implants: Analysis of EVoluSIon Study. Presented at ISASS 2018.
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