Human Umbilical Cord Tissue Allografts for Cervical Paraspinal Muscle and Entheses

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical paraspinal enthesopathy is characterized by fatty infiltration and muscle degeneration; current methods only provide symptomatic relief or involve significant postoperative complications. This observational study provides preliminary results for the clinical potential of umbilical cord tissue allografts (UCTa) in patients with cervical paraspinal enthesopathy and degeneration refractory to standard care. Materials and Methods: Thirty-one patients with cervical paraspinal degeneration that failed three months of conservative care were identified from the observational repository. Patients received one to three ultrasound-guided UCTa applications to the muscle or attachment sites with damage. The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Western Ontario and McMaster University Arthritis Index (WOMAC), and Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) were used to measure outcomes. The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test (WSRT), Mann-Whitney U test, and Jonckheere-Terpstra (J-T) test were performed for the analysis. Results: Substantial percentage improvements were observed from the patient cohort (42% male, 55% female, 3% unreported), with the triple application group reporting the highest percentage improvement. Statistically significant Bonferroni-adjusted differences were present in all application groups. No adverse events were reported. Discussion: This small observational study provides preliminary findings that UCTas are a safe, minimally invasive application for cervical paraspinal defects. Notable limitations included a lack of a direct comparison group and a small sample size. Conclusion: This study highlights the need and clinical value for continued research to validate the preliminary results for the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of umbilical cord tissue allografts in patients with cervical paraspinal defects.