Trends in Spinal Orthosis Utilization Among Patients Insured Through Medicare Part B

• Published in: Spine (Philadelphia, Pa. 1976) Vol. 49; no. 16; p. 1171
• Main Authors: Dholaria, Nikhil, Bauer, Isabel, Kelbert, James, Barbagli, Giovanni, Pico, Annemarie, Deaver, Courtney, Quiceno, Esteban, Nosova, Kristin, Hussein, Amna, Mayeku, Julie, Soto Rubio, Diego T, Alhalal, Ibrahim A, Heinzmann, Endgel, Pacheco, Niels, Al-Arfaj, Abdullah, Li, Chao, Prim, Michael, Baaj, Ali
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 15-08-2024
• Subjects: Aged; Female; Humans; Male; Medicare Part B - statistics & numerical data; Orthotic Devices - statistics & numerical data; Orthotic Devices - trends; Retrospective Studies; Spinal Diseases - therapy; United States; United States
• ISSN: 0362-2436; 1528-1159; 1528-1159
• DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000004875

Retrospective population-based database analysis from the Physician/Supplier Procedure Summary Medicare/Medicaid Data Set.
To provide a comprehensive analysis of trends in spinal orthosis utilization over a 12-year period.
Widespread prescription of spinal orthosis persists, despite evidence suggesting equivocal efficacy in many spinal conditions. The utilization of spinal orthosis on a national level, including prescribing specialty data, has not been previously analyzed.
Health care common procedure coding system codes for cervical (CO), thoracic-lumbar-sacral (TLSO), lumbar (LO), lumbar-sacral (LSO), and cervical-thoracic-lumbar-sacral (CTLSO) orthosis were used to determine spinal orthosis utilization from 2010 to 2021. Provider specialty codes were utilized to compare trends between select specialties. In addition, a neurosurgical CO analysis based on subclassifications of cervical bracing was performed. Linear trendlines were implemented to elucidate and present trends by slope (β).
Among 332,241 claims, decreases in CO (β=-0.3387), TLSO (β=-0.0942), LO (β=-0.3485), and LSO (β=-0.1545) per 100,000 Medicare Part B enrollees and CTLSO (β=-0.052) per 1,000,000 Medicare Part B enrollees were observed. Decreases among neurosurgery (β=-7.9208), family medicine (β=-1.0097), emergency medicine (β=-2.1958), internal medicine (β=-1.1151), interventional pain management (β=-5.0945), and chiropractic medicine (β=-49.012), and increases among orthopedic surgery (β=5.5891), pain management (β=30.416), physical medicine and rehabilitation (β=4.6524), general practice (β=79.111), and osteopathic manipulative medicine (β=45.303) in total spinal orthosis use per 100,000 specialty claims were observed. Analysis of subclassifications of cervical orthosis among neurosurgeons revealed decreases in flexible (β=-1.7641), semirigid (β=-0.6157), and collar bracing (β=-2.7603), and an increase in multipost collar bracing (β=2.2032) per 100 neurosurgical cervical orthosis claims.
While utilization of spinal orthosis decreased between 2010 and 2021, increased utilization was observed among a subset of specialties. Identifying these specialties allows for focused research and educational efforts to minimize unnecessary durable medical equipment use for effective health care spending.