Spine surgery registries: hope for evidence-based spinal care?

This study aimed to describe the perceptions of decision-makers in major orthopedic centers regarding the value, implementation and use of spine surgery registries. A 33-item survey was sent to CEOs and heads of spine surgery of the International Society of Orthopedic Centers (ISOC). ISOC includes 21 hospitals worldwide with a special focus on high-quality musculoskeletal care. Twelve out of 20 member centers (60%) replied to the survey. Seven have working registries; 5 in Europe and 2 in North America. The estimations for the cost/year were distributed more evenly: $10,000 [2], $20,000 [1], $50,000 [1]. Society cannot afford unnecessary surgery nor renounce to cure patients with effective treatments. Spine surgery registries provide high levels of evidence. The cost of implementing a registry is limited in comparison to RCTs. Spine registries can pragmatically fill our knowledge gap by turning every operated patient into a study participant.