The Graf stabilisation system: early results in 50 patients

Area of Science:

• Spine Surgery
• Orthopedics
• Degenerative Disc Disease

Background:

• Intractable symptomatic degenerative disc disease causes chronic back pain and severe disability.
• The Oswestry questionnaire is a standard measure for assessing disability in back pain patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical outcomes of the Graf stabilisation system in patients with degenerative disc disease.
• To assess the effectiveness and patient satisfaction following spinal stabilisation surgery.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 50 consecutive patients undergoing Graf stabilisation.
• Data collected included patient demographics, pain duration, Oswestry disability scores (preoperative and follow-up), and clinical outcome classification.
• Average follow-up period was 24 months.

Main Results:

• Mean preoperative Oswestry score was 59%, decreasing to 31% at follow-up.
• 72% of patients achieved "excellent" or "good" clinical results.
• 97% of patients considered the surgery worthwhile, with no deterioration in results over the follow-up period.

Conclusions:

• The Graf stabilisation system demonstrates significant efficacy in treating degenerative disc disease.
• Spinal stabilisation surgery leads to substantial improvements in disability and patient-reported outcomes.
• The positive results are maintained long-term, indicating the procedure's reliability.