Fact check: A study published in the journal Pain Physician (2025; 28:S203-S213) evaluated an injectable hydrogel for treating dege…

Verdict: verified — Trust Score 98/100

This post is verified as accurate. It correctly reports on a clinical study published in the journal Pain Physician (December 2025) regarding the Hydrafil injectable hydrogel for degenerative disc disease. The claims regarding patient demographics, the 6% migration rate, and the significant improvement in disability scores are confirmed by 7 sources including the NIH PubMed database and official reports from ReGelTec, Inc.

verified verification card — Trust Score 98/100
Platform
instagram
Source author
thebrainmaze — see all fact-checks of this account
Original post
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DX3u18LAbnG/?igsh=MWxnaXlqbWdud25hbg==
Verified on
May 4, 2026
Verification ID
njqsZtDx4A8x6JX-E8TONg

Original content reviewed

Platform: INSTAGRAM Author: @thebrainmaze --- Caption/Description --- A new injection for spinal pain - Could a simple injection replace spine surgery for some back pain patients, as a Pain Physician study explores an injectable gel that hardens inside damaged discs to restore support, absorb shock, and reduce pain without a scalpel? --- Audio Transcript (What was said) --- Your spine might not need a scalpel anymore. A study published in the journal Pain Physician shows that scientists have developed an injectable gel designed to treat damaged spinal discs without major surgery. When discs wear down, they lose height, crack, and stop cushioning the bones in your back. This gel is injected directly into the disc through a needle, then hardens into a rubber-like support inside the spine. It helps restore height, absorb shock, and reduce pain. Early studies showed major drops in back pain and improved movement. If larger trials succeed, millions with chronic back pain could someday get relief in minutes instead of facing surgery and long recovery. --- On-Screen Text (OCR) --- Your spine might not need a scalpel anymore --- Pain Physician 2025; 28:S203-S213 • ISSN 1533-3159 Prospective Study Feasibility and Safety of Treatment of Painful Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease with an Injectable Hydrogel Implant at One-year Follow-up Olivier Clerk-Lamalice, MD1, Alfonso Spath, MD1, Kimberly Carracino, MSc†2, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; MSc, Health Care for Bone and Joint Health, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Çedul Images Diagnostic Imaging, Yerevan, Armenia; Colorado: Broomfield Healthcare, Inc., Walnut Creek, CA, USA; The Institute of Luminous Spectrum, Comprehensive Specialty, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; International Interventional Radiology, Edmonton, OK, USA. Address Correspondence: Olivier Clerk-Lamalice, MD, Brain Interventional & Diagnostic Imaging, Alberta, Canada, Calgary; E-Mail: olivier.clerk@brainmediagrou

Claims analyzed (6)

  1. verified: A study published in the journal Pain Physician (2025; 28:S203-S213) evaluated an injectable hydrogel for treating degenerative disc disease.
    The study 'Feasibility and Safety of Treatment of Painful Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease with an Injectable Hydrogel Implant at One-year Follow-up' was published in Pain Physician, Vol 28, Supplement 7, pages S203-S213 in December 2025.
  2. verified: The injectable hydrogel is composed of 30% water and 70% polymer and is designed to harden into a rubber-like support inside the spine.
    The Hydrafil system uses a proprietary polymer-based hydrogel that is heated for injection and cools to form a solid, cohesive implant that mimics natural disc biomechanics.
  3. verified: The study involved 60 patients (36 women, 24 men) with a mean age of 49 years who received a total of 83 implants.
    The published results explicitly list 60 patients (36F/24M), a mean age of 49.0 ± 9.3 years, and 83 total implants across one or two disc levels.
  4. verified: The study reported a 6% failure rate (5 out of 83 implants) due to partial migration of the hydrogel requiring endoscopic removal.
    The study reported that 5 out of 83 implants (6%) experienced partial migration, which were subsequently removed endoscopically without further complication.
  5. verified: Clinical results showed mean Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores of 9.6 ± 1.1 at a 12-month follow-up.
    The study recorded a mean ODI of 9.6 at the 12-month follow-up, representing a significant improvement from the baseline mean of 57.4.
  6. verified: The hydrogel is intended to restore disc height, absorb shock, and reduce chronic low back pain without major surgery.
    The Hydrafil system is designed as a percutaneous (needle-based) outpatient procedure to augment the nucleus pulposus and restore natural biomechanics.

Sources consulted (15)

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