BOSTON, June 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Intrinsic Therapeutics, a medical technology company committed to redefining the standard of care for lumbar discectomy patients with large annular defects by reducing reoperations for reherniations by 81%* with its Barricaid Annular Closure Device, announced today that the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) has issued a 2025 policy update on the use of bone-anchored annular closure to prevent reherniation in high-risk discectomy patients. The update reaffirms the society’s recommendations and coverage criteria for medical necessity of bone-anchored annular closure for patients undergoing discectomy with large annular defects in order to sustain the treatment benefits of discectomy.
The updated ISASS policy reflects the growing body of clinical evidence supporting the use of Barricaid, as well as recent developments in diagnostic coding and reimbursement pathways since the original 2020 publication. Key updates include: five-year published RCT results demonstrating Barricaid’s superiority over discectomy alone, findings from the U.S. confirmatory study, multiple new meta-analyses, the introduction of ICD-10 codes for reporting defect size, and the approval of a new Category I CPT code, set to take effect in 2026.
“With CPT and ICD-10 codes in place, ISASS urges coverage and clinical adoption of this technique to improve outcomes.”
“Discectomy alone leaves a structural vulnerability in high-risk patients. Bone-anchored annular closure addresses that gap—reducing repeat surgeries and sustaining long-term outcomes,” said Morgan P. Lorio, MD, ISASS Past President and Chair Emeritus, Coding & Reimbursement Task Force. “The updated position reflects new five-year randomized data showing significant reductions in symptomatic reherniation, reoperation, and device-related adverse events. With new CPT and ICD-10 codes now in place and FDA-approved technology available, ISASS urges coverage and appropriate clinical adoption of this technique to improve outcomes and reduce the overall healthcare burden in this well-defined, high-risk population.”
April Spillane, Vice President, Health Economics for Intrinsic Therapeutics expressed gratitude for the updated guideline: “Specialty Spine societies like ISASS play a critical role in expanding access to advanced treatment options for patients. We appreciate ISASS taking the lead in advancing Barricaid as an important treatment option for high-risk discectomy patients. Their continued leadership in supporting innovative technologies makes a meaningful difference for patients and providers alike.”
The full ISASS Recommendations and Coverage Criteria document may be accessed at: https://www.ijssurgery.com/content/early/2025/06/17/8770
About Barricaid
Barricaid is a proprietary technology designed to prevent reherniation and reoperation in patients with large annular defects following lumbar discectomy surgery. Barricaid has been implanted in over 12,000 patients and is supported by clinical studies across eight distinct patient populations, including two randomized controlled trials and six single-arm trials. A multicenter, Level I RCT demonstrating superior outcomes to discectomy alone was published in JAMA with five-year follow-up results.
*Some studies outside FDA indications. Values at Minimum 1 year Post-op. Minimum study size of 20 Barricaid patients.
Barricaid is a registered trademark of Intrinsic Therapeutics, Inc.
SOURCE Intrinsic Therapeutics, Inc.