This is a listing of industry-sponsored clinical trials that are actively recruiting patients. These clinical trial listings are not edited or peer-reviewed by SpinesHealth.com.

Cervical artificial disc clinical trial—PCM^® (sponsored clinical trial listing)
October 31, 2005
This is a multi-center, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial comparing the safety and effectiveness of the Porous Coated Motion (PCM^®) disc for the treatment of disc herniation(s) or other degenerative disc disease (DDD) in the upper (cervical) spine as compared to spinal fusion in the treatment of this disease. Read more...

Cervical artificial disc clinical trial—Kineflex-C™ (sponsored clinical trial listing)
October 6, 2005
This is a multi-center, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial comparing the safety and effectiveness of the Kineflex-C Spinal System to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery in relieving the symptoms associated with degenerative disc disease in the cervical spine. Read more...

Lumbar artificial disc clinical trial—Kineflex™ (Sponsored clinical trial listing)
September 6, 2005
This is a multi-center, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial comparing the safety and effectiveness of the Kineflex Spinal System to the Charité Artificial Disc implant in relieving the symptoms associated with degenerative disc disease in the lumbosacral spine. Read more...

Wallis Stabilization System Clinical Trial (sponsored clinical trial listing)
March 7, 2005
The US Clinical Study of the Wallis Stabilization System is a multi-center prospective, randomized clinical trial currently enrolling patients to compare the safety and effectiveness of the Wallis Device, a non-fusion surgical device, to conservative care for treatment of degenerative disc disease. Read more...

Cervical artificial disc clinical trial—PRODISC-C^® (sponsored clinical trial listing)
November 25, 2003
A multi-center, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial comparing the safety and effectiveness of PRODISC-C to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery in the treatment of symptomatic cervical disc disease. Read more...

Charité™ Artificial Disc (sponsored clinical trial listing)
May 16, 2003
The Charité Artificial Disc is an investigational device limited by US (Federal) law to investigational use in the USA. Read more...

Artificial disc clinical trial—PRODISC (sponsored clinical trial listing)
November 30, 2001
This is study is a multi-center, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial comparing the safety and effectiveness of PRODISC total disc replacement to spinal fusion surgery in the treatment of discogenic pain associated with degenerative disc disease (DDD) in the lumbosacral spine. Read more...

Rechargeable spinal cord stimulators for chronic pain (Research article)
September 23, 2005
Spinal cord stimulators are small devices implanted under a patient’s skin with the purpose of stopping pain signals from reaching the brain and thus alleviating chronic or neuropathic pain. They may be recommended if conservative treatments fail to relieve chronic pain. Read more...
By: Thomas M. Wascher, MD, FACS

Lumbar Artificial Disc Surgery for Chronic Back Pain (Research article)
August 4, 2005
An artificial disc offers several theoretical benefits over spinal fusion for treatment of chronic back pain, including the potential for enhanced pain relief and to avoid premature degeneration at adjacent levels of the spine. This article provides an in-depth review of lower back disc replacement surgery and clinical trials. Read more...
By: Jack Zigler, MD

Disc nucleus replacement as an alternative to artificial disc replacement (Research article)
June 14, 2005
Disc nucleus replacement is a new type of surgery for low back pain from degenerative disc disease. Unlike artificial disc replacement, which involves replacing the entire disc, disc nucleus replacement surgery replaces just the inner part of the disc. Read more...
By: John Sherman, MD

Effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for osteoarthritis (Research article)
April 19, 2005
Although there is not yet a proven treatment to stop or slow the progression of osteoarthritis, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate nutritional supplements may provide a viable alternative for some patients. An FDA study on the effects and safety of glucosamine and chondroitin dietary supplements is currently underway, and many physicians support their use because of the low incidence of serious side effects (compared to other medications, such as COX-2 inhibitors and other NSAIDs). Read more...
By: Thomas E. Hyde, DC

Spinal disc replacement with the CHARITÉ Artificial Disc
Updated March 30, 2005
The goal of the CHARITÉ Artificial Disc replacement surgery is to reduce or alleviate chronic low back pain from degenerative disc disease by restoring the intervertebral disc height and neuroforaminal height while returning physiologic motion (similar to that of a healthy disc) in that segment of the spine. This artificial disc surgery requires complete removal of the unhealthy disc in order to implant the new artificial disc. Read more...
By: Paul McAfee, MD

All about the Charité artificial disc: now approved for use in the U.S.
November 17, 2004
Artificial disc replacement surgery is now available in the US for select patients with ongoing back pain from degenerative disc disease. As with any new surgical procedure, a number of factors should be considered before any patient has artificial disc surgery, including the surgeon's relevant training, the surgeon's skills, patient selection and appropriate indications, and more. Read more...
By: Stephen Hochschuler, MD and Paul McAfee, MD

Preventing post-laminectomy spinal deformity in children with intramedullary spinal cord tumors
(Research article)
May 5, 2004
The study found that instrumented spinal fusion as part of the same surgery to remove the tumor was usually effective in preventing development of spinal deformity. Read more...
By: John Dormans, MD, and Leslie Moroz, Research Coordinator

Artificial disc for cervical disc replacement (Research article)
April 12, 2004
The intent of the artificial cervical disc device is to preserve motion at the disc space. It is an alternative to the use of bone grafts, plates and screws in pursuit of a fusion following removal of a cervical disc. Read more...
By: Mark Mikles, MD and Jeffrey A. Goldstein, MD

Bracing for scoliosis found less effective for overweight teens (Research article)
October 17, 2003
A recent study at Johns Hopkins Children's Center has shown that bracing treatment for adolescent scoliosis is significantly less effective for teenagers who are overweight. Read more...
By: John Dormans, MD, and Leslie Moroz, Research Coordinator

Bone graft substitutes for spinal fusion: August 2003 update (Research article)
August 15, 2003
Significant advances in bone graft substitutes for spine fusion have been made in the last couple of years, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a number of new products. Read more...
By: Alexander R. Vaccaro, MD

The Graston Technique: a new manual therapy for back pain (Research article)
August 5, 2003
This form of manual therapy for back pain incorporates the use of stainless-steel instruments. The goal of the therapy is to separate and break down the scar tissue, as well as stretch connective tissue and muscle fibers. Read more...
By: Thomas E. Hyde, DC

Pneumatic vest - a new lower back pain treatment option (Research article)
May 28, 2003
Many patients with lower back pain feel worse with activity that loads the spine (such as walking). For patients who meet specific criteria there is a new treatment that is designed to unload some of the weight from the patient's lumbar spine, thus simulating a state of decreased weight-bearing on the lower back. Read more...
By: Andrew J. Cole, MD

PNT - a new, minimally invasive treatment for lower back pain (Research article)
August 28, 2002
The treatment involves the delivery of electrical stimulation directly to the deeper tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons) near the spine through several needle electrodes. The theory is that this type of electrical stimulation helps curtail the central nervous system hypersensitivity that leads to persistent pain. Read more...
By John Revord, MD

Electrical stimulation for spinal fusion (Research article)
November 30, 2001
Electrical stimulation is designed to improve the effectiveness of lumbar spinal fusion. As the number of studies validating the use of this procedure grows, there is a better understanding among spine surgeons about how and when to use it. Read more...
By Neil Kahanovitz, MD

Does smoking cause low back pain? (Research article)
July 31, 2001
A new study strengthens the link between smoking and lower back pain, and also sheds light on the causes of degenerative lumbar spine problems. Read more...
By Donald Frisco, MD

Bone graft substitutes for lumbar spine fusion surgery (Research article)
February 7, 2001 (Updated April 28, 2003)
There is a lot of interest in the spine community to develop a bone graft substitute to use during lumbar spinal fusion procedures. This article addresses several viable alternatives. Read more...
By: Scott D. Boden, M.D.

Research update on IDET (Research article)
January 2, 2001
Two peer reviewed studies published in the October 2000 issue of SPINE Journal report on the outcomes of patients having received Intradiscal Electrothermal Annuloplasty (IDET) an average of one year after treatment. Read more...
By Ari Ben-Yishay, MD

Osteoarthritis treatments - Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements (Research article)
November 29, 2000
For patients who have evidence of osteoarthritis in their spine (as seen on an x-ray) and who have had other causes of back pain and neck pain ruled out by their health care provider, glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate may be a treatment option. Read more...
By Christopher D. Chaput, MD

Kyphoplasty—a new treatment for osteoporotic fractures (Research article)
July 7, 2000 (last updated August 14, 2003)
Kyphoplasty, a new procedure for treating osteoporotic fractures, is designed to restore height to the bone thus reducing deformity of the spine. Read more...
By Courtney W. Brown, MD and Douglas C. Wong, MD

Update on artificial discs (Research article)
May 5, 2000
The main objective of an artificial disc is to replace a painful disc while maintaining the natural anatomical structure of the spine. The procedure is being developed as an alternative to lumbar spine fusion. Read more...
By Stephen H. Hochschuler, MD

Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy (IDET) (Research article)
April 18, 2000
IDET is a new, minimally invasive outpatient surgical procedure to treat patients with chronic low back pain caused by tears or small herniations of their lumbar discs. Read more...
By Ari Ben-Yishay, MD