Our analysts evaluate clinical trial data, along with information regarding safety issues, coverage policies from the private and public sectors, regulatory approvals, consensus statements, and an overall projection of the potential clinical efficacy and economic impact of the technology. Reports are reviewed annually up to 5 years post publication to determine if there is new literature or evidence that would impact a change in rating and warrant an updated report.
Purpose of Technology: Dry needling (DN) is a skilled intervention by which thin filiform needles are used to penetrate the skin and stimulate underlying trigger points, muscle, and connective tissues to manage neuromusculoskeletal pain and impaired movement.
The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) has been implicated as the primary source of pain in 15% to 30% of patients with chronic low back pain. Patients who experience pain for ≥ 6 months and do not respond adequately to nonsurgical, conservative management may be eligible for SIJ fusion.
Approximately one-third of strokes are cryptogenic (lack an identifiable and treatable cause). Undetected atrial fibrillation (AF) is one suspected cause of cryptogenic stroke. Inability to detect suspected AF after cryptogenic stroke presents a clinical management dilemma.
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Purpose of Technology: Hydrogen breath tests (HBTs) may be used to identify carbohydrate malabsorption by assessing changes in hydrogen expiration following the administration of lactose, fructose, or other carbohydrates. Carbohydrate malabsorption may be suspected in patients with symptoms suggestive of or a diagnosis of fu…
The most common indication for lumbar fusion is degenerative disc disease (DDD) (discogenic pain). Spinal fusion may also be indicated for conditions related to DDD, including abnormal slippage of the vertebrae (spondylolisthesis or spondylolysis), a sideways curvature of the spine (scoliosis), facet joint degeneration, infection (e.g., disc…
Purpose of Technology: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is surgery that reduces the capacity of the stomach and the length of the small intestine through which food travels. RYGB is widely accepted as very effective for weight loss in people with morbid obesity; however, recent research has explored the use of RYGB for the treatment of type II diabetes, including in less obese …
Approximately 26,070 primary malignant and 53,200 nonmalignant brain tumors will be diagnosed in the United States in 2017, with an estimated 16,947 deaths in the United States in 2017 attributable to primary malignant brain and central nervous system tumors. Surgery is typically the treatment of choice for most brain tumors, with a goa…
Purpose of Technology: Lymphedema is the swelling of limbs caused by fluid accumulation, most commonly due to lymphatic injury caused by cancer treatment. Conservative management may confer insufficient control or be ineffective altogether, especially if lymphedema is advanced. Multiple surgical …
Purpose of Technology: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) occurs due to an altered or suboptimal shape of the femoral neck, leading repetitive contact and breakdown of the cartilage around the rim of the hip joint. Several different types of arthroscopic surgery have been developed to reshape bone and remove or repair damage…
Purpose of Technology: Mosaicplasty is a technique for repairing cartilage in weight-bearing joints that have been damaged by trauma or degenerative processes. It consists of removing small cylinders of cartilage or bone and cartilage from low- or non-weight-bearing sites in the affected joint or…