Winchester

This research aims to evaluate the real-world use and effectiveness of artery embolization as a treatment for chronic pain in patients with osteoarthritis and localized pain. The study focuses on determining whether the procedure leads to reduced pain and improved quality of life, assessing its efficacy and validity for symptomatic relief. It observes patients who have undergone this treatment to better understand its impact on pain and medication use. During the outpatient artery embolization procedure, a physician inserts a small catheter into the artery supplying blood to the affected joint or painful area. Tiny particles are injected to reduce blood flow and inflammation, which may help decrease symptoms related to osteoarthritis, tendonitis, tenosynovitis, or injury. The study compares patients pain levels, medication usage, and quality of life before and after the procedure using several clinical questionnaires and scales. Participants are monitored over time with assessments including the Visual Analog Scale VAS for pain, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Index WOMAC, and the EQ-5D-5L Quality of Life Questionnaire. Researchers track changes in pain, medication use, and quality of life up to 12 months after the procedure. The study follows patients from baseline through post-procedure follow-up to measure outcomes and overall improvement.

Researchers are comparing the rates of surgical and minimally invasive interventions, as well as any harms, in Medicare beneficiaries treated with the MILD procedure versus those treated with interspinous process decompression IPD for lumbar spinal stenosis with neurogenic claudication. This observational study uses Medicare claims data to follow patients for 24 months after their initial procedure starting from January 1, 2017. The purpose is to evaluate outcomes between these two types of procedures without requiring prior patient enrollment or consent. The study includes two groups patients who received MILD, which is a percutaneous image-guided lumbar decompression performed under fluoroscopic guidance through a dorsal approach to the spine, and patients who received IPD, a different device-based decompression procedure. Data on reoperations and complications will be collected for both groups over a 24-month follow-up period using Medicare claims. Enrollment continues until the sponsor decides to stop. Participants involvement is passive as the study uses existing Medicare claims data. Researchers will monitor rates of harms related to the initial procedure and subsequent surgical or minimally invasive interventions over two years. No direct patient visits or interventions are conducted, and the study is exempt from institutional review board oversight. The total study duration extends to December 2026, covering cases treated since early 2017.