Comparison of Operative Time and Blood Loss With the FFX® Device Versus Pedicle Screw Fixation During Surgery for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Retrospective Cohort Study

. 2022 Mar 7;14(3):e22931.


doi: 10.7759/cureus.22931.


eCollection 2022 Mar.

Affiliations

Item in Clipboard

Robin Srour.


Cureus.


.

Abstract

Background Pedicle screw (PS) placement can be associated with soft tissue damage and blood loss. The study objective was to evaluate differences in operative time and blood loss between PS fixation and an implantable facet fusion device in patients undergoing lumbar fusion surgery. Materials and methods A retrospective analysis was performed on patients undergoing lumbar fusion surgery with PS fixation or the lumbar Facet FiXation (FFX) device. Procedures were performed by the same surgeon at a single institution. The PS group included patients from 2016 and the FFX group included patients from 2018. Variables including age, sex, levels operated on, operative time, and operative blood loss were collected. Results A total of 70 patients were included in the study. Twenty-eight in the PS arm and 42 in the FFX arm. The PS group had a mean age of 67.5 ± 9.3 years compared to 70.4 ± 11.5 years for the FFX group. The PS group had a higher percentage of females (57.1%) versus the FFX group (31.0%); p = 0.025. Mean number of levels operated on were similar between the PS and FFX groups (2.3 ± 1 .1 vs. 2.2 ± 1.0, respectively; p = 0.89). Mean operative time was significantly longer for the PS group versus the FFX group (152.5 ± 39.4 vs. 99.4 ± 44.0 minutes; p < 0.001). Mean operative blood loss was significantly greater for the PS group versus the FFX group (446.5 ± 272.0 vs. 251.0 ± 315.9 mL; p < 0.01). Differences were independent of the number of levels operated on. Conclusion Placement of the FFX device is associated with a significant reduction in operative time and blood loss compared to PS fixation in patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery.


Keywords:

blood loss; ffx; lumbar fusion; operative time; pedicle screws; spine.

Conflict of interest statement

Robin Srour reports being listed an inventor on patents for the FFX device which is reported on in the paper.. Robin Srour has a relative who is employed by SC Medica.

Figures


Figure 1



Figure 1. Lumbar Facet FiXation (FFX) device.


Figure 2



Figure 2. FFX devices inserted into the facet joints on the right and left sides of the spine.

FFX, Facet FiXation.


Figure 3



Figure 3. Box plots comparing (A) operative time and (B) blood loss for patients receiving FFX device vs. PS.

The difference between the FFX device vs. PS was significant for both operative time (p

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