ArticleSpine deformity2026
Adoption outpaces reimbursement in navigation-assisted pediatric posterior spinal fusion.
Article in Spine deformity, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeTo evaluate reimbursement trends and surgical volumes associated with computer-assisted navigation (CAN) in pediatric posterior spinal fusion (PSF), with a focus on the impact of payer mix on institutional financial sustainability.
methodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients aged 11-19 years undergoing CAN-assisted PSF at a single pediatric institution from 2021 to 2024. Billing records associated with CPT code 61,783 (computer-assisted spinal navigation add-on) were used to identify procedures. Annual procedure volumes were calculated and analyzed by payer type (private vs. public). Matched payments were adjusted to 2024 USD and analyzed using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests.
resultsA total of 759 CAN-PSF procedures were analyzed, with 58% billed to private insurance, 37% to public insurance, and 5% to other payers. Procedure volume increased 70.5% from 2021 to 2024 (CAGR 19.5%). Across all payers, median reimbursement rates declined from 74% in 2021 to 67% in 2024 (p < 0.01). Private insurer reimbursement declined from 81 to 68%, representing a 13% decrease (p < 0.01), while public insurer reimbursement declined from 11 to 9%, representing a 2% decrease (p < 0.01). An inverse relationship was observed between rising procedure volume and declining reimbursement rates.
conclusionAlthough CAN utilization in pediatric PSF significantly increased from 2021 to 2024, declining reimbursement rates pose financial challenges for institutions. These trends may limit equitable access to advanced surgical technologies, highlighting a need for policy reforms or adjustments in reimbursement practices to sustain CAN integration in pediatric spine surgery.
Indexed as
Identifiers
41964814What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.