Spine Surgery for Adhesions in Patients Evaluated for Efficacy and Safety of MedicurtainⓇ Multicenter, Randomized, Evaluator-blind, Parallel-controlled Trial

This study was multicenter, randomized, evaluator-blind, parallel-controlled trial. A subject aged between 20~70 years old who was reserved for In Situ Decompression for single level and unilateral herniated lumbar intervertebral disc considered to be eligible for study entry. Subject screening was conducted at Visit 1 (screening period) to determine study based on the results of the examination for the spine surgery. Subject who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria were randomly assigned into either the treatment and control group at Visit 2 (Baseline: 0day) and received the defined treatment according to the protocol.

Direct evaluation of the level of adhesion around surgical area was analyzed by measuring peridural fibrosis and scar score through MRI (Total MRI scar score). Jeffrey S. Ross et al. reported that in evaluating scar in disc region, MR has been used by many researchers and shows 96% accuracy in identifying scar in disc region. Also measuring the level of fibrosis in surgical wounds through MRI scar score has already been widely used in many large-scale studies and shows almost perfect conformity degree I inter-and intra-observer reading results.

Therefore based on literatures, this study measures the level of adhesion in surgical wounds through MRI scar score, which has been validated and widely used in similar studies. Using MRI 3 months after surgery, the level of scar in lumbar spinal column is evaluated. All MRI images should be evaluated by one radiologist unless the randomization of the treatment group and control group is revealed. Peridural fibrosis is evaluated on the improved and unimproved state of axial T1-weighted image contrast. In MR image evaluation, location of peridural fibrosis to 5 consecutive axial sections that are 4mm thick around the intervertebral disc is recorded; these 5 levels are divided into quadrant which are divided by 2 straight lines vertical to the center of thecal sac.

Degree of peridural fibrosis is scaled by scar grading scale in 0~4 point range according to the dimension of the quadrant filled with scar. Record the scar score of each quadrant of 5 levels (total of 20 grades-scar score method). The measured scar scores of the investigational device group and control device group are compared and evaluated with total of 20 scores on each quadrant of 5 levels (Total MRI score).

After 2 weeks (2 weeks±3days) of the index surgery, following tests were performed to evaluate the subject's condition and adverse events at before signing on the informed consent and after the surgery. The investigation device is composed of mainly Sodium Hyaluronate(HA) and Hydroxyethylstarch(HES) which were degraded in the liver and excreted from the kidney, therefore, it is included liver and kidney function test and blood coagulation test since abnormal function of blood coagulation can increase adhesion around the surgical wound area.