Health Technology Assessments

Health Problem: Essential tremor (ET) is a neurological disorder of involuntary rhythmic tremors. Although ET is considered a benign disease, disabling tremors affect activities of daily living and workplace productivity and are a source of psychological distress and embarrassment. Medication-resistant ET occurs in 30% to 50% of patients with ET. While approximately 50% of pat…

Health Problem: It is estimated that 60% to 80% of the adult population in the United States will experience clinically significant low back pain (LBP) at some point in time. The vast majority of LBP is mechanical in nature, i.e., arising from anatomic structures of the spine. Nonspecific chronic LBP may be attributed to normal degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs …

Health Problem: Osteoarthritis of the knee is the primary indication for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the United States. Many TKA recipients are unsatisfied with the amount of pain relief and functional improvement they have long term. Malalignment of the implant has particularly been associated with poor clinical outcomes, early implant loosening, premature implant wear, …

Health Problem: Acute postoperative pain and swelling is common following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Inadequately controlled pain negatively affects quality of life and recovery of function and may result in an increase in morbidity, recovery time, opioid use, and risk of complications or persistent postsurgical pain. According to 2010 data, approximately 4.7 million peopl…

Health Problem: Approximately 3.2 million people in the United States have a chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, which puts them at risk for developing hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis, a need for liver transplantation, and possible death due to liver failure or liver cancer. However, HCV infection is a treatable disease and effective antiviral treatments that can lead to …

Health Problem: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) affects more than 200,000 adults in the United States and is a source of substantial pain and disability. Major contributors to LSS include degenerative intervertebral discs and bone structures, as well as hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum.

Technology Description: The mild device kit (Vertos Medical Inc.) …

Health Problem: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is an enlargement or growth of the prostate that affects approximately 8 million men in the United States, including 30% of men older than 50 years of age and nearly 70% of men older than 70 years of age. The enlarged prostate restricts the urethra and applies pressure on the base of the bladder. This restriction of the urethr…

Health Problem: Osteoarthritis is the second most common disorder of the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint. Osteoarthritis is characterized by the progressive loss of articular cartilage and development of osteophytes. Also referred to as hallux rigidus or hallux limitus depending upon the severity of joint dysfunction, the condition is characterized by pain …

Health Problem: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling autoimmune disease that impacts the central nervous system. MS is estimated to affect 400,000 to 1,000,000 people in the United States and 2,300,000 people worldwide.

Technology Description: During hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), a patient undergoes a partially or fully my…

Health Problem: Conditions of the Achilles tendon, such as Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) or Achilles tendinopathy (AT), as well as conditions of the plantar fascia (plantar fasciitis [PF]) can result from overuse or can be due to sports, age, and/or a combination of seve…