Jocelyn Hudson

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Philips and the US government collaborate in ventilator production ramp up...

Royal Philips has announced that the US government and Philips agreed to team up to increase the production of hospital ventilators in its manufacturing...

Highlights of the SRS 2019 annual meeting

Paul Sponseller, president of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) 2019–2020, talks to Spinal News International about the society's 54th annual meeting (18–21 September, Montreal,...

CarboFix announces FDA clearance of Vertebral Body Replacement (VBR) System

CarboFix has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its CarboClear Carbon Fiber Vertebral Body Replacement (VBR) System to replace...

Significant improvement in the rates of bone fusion following a course...

Researchers from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore, USA) performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published data on the effect of...

Can 3D printing revolutionise spinal implants?

Redd Warburton, a senior executive search consultant specialising in orthopaedics and spine,  has been exploring how 3D printing has the potential to revolutionise the...

Elective one to three level ACDFs at physician-owned hospitals cost less...

The results of a recent study suggest that elective one to three level anterior cervical discectomy with fusion surgeries (ACDFs) at physician-owned hospitals have...

Topical steroid reduces dysphagia after ACDF, early RCT results suggest

radiculopathy
Early postoperative results of a double blind randomised clinical trial demonstrate the benefit of local intraoperative corticosteroids (LIC) delivered with an absorbable haemostatic matrix...

Prioritisation of realignment associated with superior clinical outcomes for surgical cervical...

According to new research, certain ratios of correction of cervical parameters contribute to improving neck disability. The study, authored by Katherine E Pierce (NYU...

NASS 2019: Brainlab introduces mobile intraoperative imaging robot

loop-x mobile imaging robot brainlab
Brainlab has unveiled Loop-X, the first mobile intraoperative imaging robot, at NASS 2019 (34th Annual North American Spine Society Meeting; 25–28 September, Chicago, USA)....

Medtronic announce new clinical trial to study Infuse bone graft in...

Medtronic today announced US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a prospective, randomised pivotal clinical trial for the use of Infuse bone graft...

Alphatec announce commercial launch of IdentiTi TLIF posterior oblique porous titanium...

Alphatec Holdings announced today the commercial release of its IdentiTi TLIF Posterior Oblique Titanium Interbody Implant System (IdentiTi PO) for transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion...

RTI Surgical showcase clinical data at NASS 2019

tetrafuse
RTI Surgical will showcase its body of clinical data at the 34th Annual Meeting of the North American Spine Society Annual Meeting (NASS 2019;...

NASS 2019: DePuy Synthes launch 3D printed implant portfolio for spine...

DePuy Conduit
The Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies today announced that DePuy Synthes has launched the CONDUIT Interbody Platform with EIT Cellular Titanium Technology, further...

ControlRad announce first clinical use of Trace radiation reduction technology

ControlRad has announced the first clinical use of the ControlRad Trace system following its clearance by the US Food and Drug Administration. The initial...

Spinal News International Issue 52 – September 2019

spinal news highlights
Highlights: Worldwide burnout survey "highlights the need for better interventional programmes" (p. 1) Intravenous ketorolac substantially reduces opioid use following lumbar spinal fusion (p....

AOSpine and the Global Spine Congress (GSC): An in-depth look

AOSpine is the leading global academic spine community, creating, disseminating, and exchanging knowledge to promote excellence in patient care and outcomes. This supplement will...

HPS 2.0 Hybrid Performance System used for the first time during...

RTI Surgical has announced the first surgery using the HPS 2.0 Hybrid Performance System, a modular pedicle screw system used for mono- and multi-segmental rigid,...

Fundamental Surgery announce expansion of global medical panel

Fundamental Surgery has announced the expansion of their Global Medical Panel with Yousuf Khalifa, Ivan Wong, and Areena D’souza as their latest members. In...

RCT finds equivalent percentage coronal curve correction between low- and high-implant...

scoliosis and normal spine
For Lenke 1A curves between 45 and 65 degrees treated with low- versus high-implant density in adult idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients, a prospective, multicentre,...

National Osteoporosis Foundation supports new evidence-based vertebral compression fracture care pathway

Medtronic has announced that the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) supports the vertebral compression fracture (VCF) Care Pathway, a new evidence-based clinical care pathway...

Camber Spine announces nationwide launch Of SPIRA-O Open Matrix OLIF at...

Camber Spine has announced the launch of its first spinal implant designed and manufactured specifically for the oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) spine surgical...

Computer-aided method has potential for measuring Cobb angle on chest X-rays

A new study, published in the European Spine Journal, suggests that a computer-aided method has the potential for automatic Cobb angle measurement and scoliosis...

Percutaneous vertebroplasty safe and effective only in patients with acute fractures

vertebroplasty
A meta-analysis, recently published in Osteoporosis International, has found that the application of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is safe and effective only in patients with...

Life Spine announces expansion of international sales to thirty countries worldwide

Life Spine receives approval from FDA
Life Spine recently announced that it is now selling its Micro Invasive suite of products in thirty countries worldwide. New customers in Vietnam and South...

Nexxt Spine increases Nexxt Matrixx offerings with Lordotic TLIF Oblique

Nexxt Spine has released their Lordotic TLIF Oblique interbody into the market.  The product is designed for transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), the most...

First medically approved back pain app in EU and UK aims...

kaia
Bad posture among UK office employees is a nationwide epidemic. Sitting at desks all day, slouching over computers and a general sedentary lifestyle has...

DiscGenics receives FDA fast track designation for disc degeneration cell therapy

idct
DiscGenics has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast track designation for its investigational cell therapy, IDCT, currently being...

SurGenTec announces FDA clearance for neurostimulation with Alara Access Needle Kit

According to a press release, SurGenTec has received FDA clearance for a neurostimulation indication for their ALARA Neuro Access Needle Kit. The ALARA system...

Congress of Neurological Surgeons’ Top Paper of 2019 goes to spine...

cns
The Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) recently awarded their Top Paper of the Year and Spine Section Paper of the Year to an analysis...

First-of-its-kind treatment for young patients with scoliosis receives FDA approval

Zimmer Biomet
Zimmer Biomet recently announced US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for The Tether for treatment of scoliosis, providing a fusion-less alternative for young...

Operative versus non-operative decision-making of experienced surgeons “may be emulated with...

A recent study developed models capable of “excellent discrimination” between operative and non-operative management of patients based solely on baseline preoperative values. According to...

Current evidence and future applications for robotics in spinal surgery

Ronald A Lehman and Nathan J Lee discuss the future applications of spine surgery
While robotic technology is still in its infancy, current evidence suggests a promising future for its application in spine surgery, argue Ronald A Lehman...

Spineology announces Duo Angled Instrumentation System

Spineology has announced the launch of the Duo Angled Instrumentation System. The angled instrumentation supplements the Duo Lumbar Interbody Fusion System and allows surgeons...

IMAST 2019: Debating the benefits and risks of spinal navigation

Bernhard Meyer (Munich, Germany) and Henry Halm (Neustadt, Germany) discuss spinal navigation—specifically any increased risk in radiation exposure and if that risk is offset...

Alphatec advances InVictus MIS system with commercial launch of SingleStep

alphatec
Alphatec Holdings announced today the commercial release of InVictus minimally invasive, or MIS, SingleStep K-wireless implant delivery system. By completely eliminating the requirement for...

First patients treated in Japanese clinical trial of cell therapy for...

IDCT
DiscGenics today announced the first patients have been treated in its Japanese safety study, a clinical trial of IDCT for mild to moderate degenerative...

Medicrea announces FDA clearance of Tulip Genesis

The Medicrea Group announced today that it has received FDA clearance for Tulip Genesis, which completes its UNiD ASI platform technology. With the FDA clearance...

IMAST 2019: Navigation and robotics “playing an increasing role in spinal...

President of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), Peter Newton (San Diego, USA), speaks to BLearning at IMAST 2019 (17 –20 July, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) about this year’s annual meeting,...

IMAST 2019: Industry sponsored disc replacement trials should be treated with...

Fernando Techy (Johnstown, USA), speaks to BLearning at IMAST 2019 (17–20 July, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) about longer-term trials of disc replacement which, according to Techy, has shown...

IMAST 2019: Incoming president’s highlights

Paul Sponseller, president elect of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), talks to Spinal News International about the 26th International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques...

Jon Serbousek to become Orthofix CEO

Orthofix Medical recently announced that it has named Jon Serbousek as president of its Global Spine business effective 5 August, 2019, and the successor...

SeaSpine announces launch of Mariner Outrigger Revision System

SeaSpine has announced the limited commercial launch of the Mariner Outrigger Revision System. Mariner Outrigger is an implant system providing surgeons a high level...

Global effort to address degenerative spine conditions “imperative” to reduce disability

In a recent, award-winning study, 266 million individuals worldwide (3.63%) were found to have degenerative spine disease and low back pain annually. “Significantly,” the...

IMAST 2019: Longer term results needed to assess efficacy of growth...

Kenneth Cheung (Hong Kong) speaks to BLearning at IMAST 2019 (17 –20 July, Amsterdam) about how growth modulation techniques can be used to treat...

Sleep disorders predict increased healthcare visits and costs for low back...

Patient-reported functional outcomes vary considerably after lumbar spinal fusion surgery
The presence of a sleep disorder has a "significant and unique effect" on back pain-related healthcare use—beyond the impact of pain intensity, disability, and...

No increase in complication rates using ACR when compared to LLIF

The results of a recent study indicate that anterior column realignment (ACR) via a lateral approach allows for the normalisation of spinopelvic parameters without...

Intravenous ketorolac substantially reduces opioid use after fusion

Early results of a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial show that intravenous ketorolac results in a “substantial reduction” in opioid use and improved pain control...

Implanet granted US patent for Jazz Lock technology

jazz lock
Implanet has announced that its Jazz Lock technology, which is an integral part of its Jazz solutions platform, has been granted a patent in...

FDA provides additional 510(k) clearance for the ProLift expandable spacer system

Life Spine announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided additional 510(k) market clearance for the ProLift expandable spacer system. “The...

InVictus MIS and open spinal fixation systems launched

alphatec
Alphatec Holdings has announced the commercial release of InVictus, a spinal fixation platform designed to address a range of pathologies through a minimally...

GALILEO spine alignment monitoring system receives FDA clearance

fda
MiRus has announced US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance of the GALILEO spine alignment monitoring system, a non-optical, wireless, real-time measurement system...

Centinel Spine announces IDE approval of two different ProDisc C devices

According to a press release, Centinel Spine has received Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate...

Joimax starts official sale of its CE-approved EndoLIF product line

Joimax has announced the official sales launch of its complete, CE-approved, EndoLIF product line. EndoLIF is an instrument set for endoscopic-assisted minimally invasive lumbar...

Majority of women unaware that SI joint issues a leading cause...

Patient-reported functional outcomes vary considerably after lumbar spinal fusion surgery
Results of a recent survey of 1,000 women (age 35–60) conducted by SI-Bone found that 86% of respondents are unaware that sacroiliac (SI) joint...

SeaSpine announces full commercial launch of Regatta Lateral System

regatta
SeaSpine has announced the full commercial launch of the Regatta Lateral System, featuring NanoMetalene technology. According to a press release, Regatta is a comprehensive, minimally invasive lateral...

Observed patterns of cervical radiculopathy differ from standard distribution in over...

Observed patterns of cervical radiculopathy only followed the standard “Netter diagram” distribution in 54% of patients, and did not differ by the cervical level...

BASS 2019: Computer navigation for pedicle screw placements is “a justifiable...

Robert Lee (London, UK) tells Spinal News International why he prefers using computer navigation to free-hand technique in pedicle screw placement procedures. Lee explains...

Icotec earns FDA clearance for pedicle screw system

icotec
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Swiss devicemaker Icotec 510(k) clearance for its VADERone pedicle screw system, used for minimally-invasive and...

NuVasive launches Pulse integrated technology platform

Pulse
NuVasive has announced the launch of its Pulse integrated technology platform. According to a press release, “Pulse is the first, single platform to include...

Cerapedics announces expansion of Colorado headquarters

cerapedics
Cerapedics has announced the expansion of the company's headquarters located in the Denver metropolitan area. Over the past 18 months, Cerapedics has grown from...

State-of-the-art evidence and novel developments in biologics for spine fusion

scott boden
The opening symposium at the 2019 Global Spine Congress (15–18 May, Toronto, Canada) focused on cutting edge updates in spine surgery. Scott Boden addressed...

Robotic technology: Where does it find its niche?

Redd Warburton, a senior executive search consultant, specialising in orthopaedics and spine, argues that while there are significant hurdles to overcome for robotics to...

Relievant announces publication of Level I INTRACEPT study

intracept
Relievant Medsystems recently announced the publication of the Level I INTRACEPT Study results in The Spine Journal. The INTRACEPT Study is a Level I,...

Biogen announces new data providing further evidence for SPINRAZA (nusinersen) as...

NURTURE
Biogen today announced new results from the NURTURE study, adding data to the longest study of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in pre-symptomatic infants (n=25)....

Medtronic completes acquisition of Titan Spine

Medtronic today announced it has completed the acquisition of Titan Spine, a privately-held titanium spine interbody implant and surface technology company. A definitive acquisition...

Fusion Robotics closes financing to advance spinal robotics platforms

Fusion Robotics today announced the closing of a financing round for an undisclosed amount with lead investment by Alex Lukianov (Lukpartners) and Kevin Foley. The...

Life Spine announces FDA 510(k) clearance of the ProLift lateral expandable...

Life Spine has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided 510(k) market clearance for the ProLift lateral expandable spacer system. “The...

“Keyhole” surgery repairs spina bifida in utero

CHLA
Gilda Giron was just 13 weeks pregnant when an ultrasound revealed her baby had myelomeningocele—the most severe form of open spina bifida, a birth...

NYU Langone performs first US procedure with newly approved device to...

NYU Langone Health last month became the first centre in the USA to perform a discectomy with repair of a large annular defect using...

Boston Scientific closes acquisition of Vertiflex

Boston Scientific has announced the close of its acquisition of Vertiflex, a privately-held company that developed and commercialised the Superion Indirect Decompression System, a minimally-invasive...

First-ever two-level M6 procedure performed in the USA

M6-C
Spinal neurosurgeon Todd H Lanman has become the first US doctor to perform a two-level artificial disc replacement surgery using the newly US Food...

RTI Surgical reaches 5,000 implant milestone for Fortilink interbody fusion systems...

tetrafuse
RTI Surgical today announced a milestone of 5,000 implants of Fortilink-C, -TS and -L interbody fusion (IBF) systems with TETRAfuse 3D technology in the...

Successful first Jazz Cap surgeries completed in the USA

jazz cap
Implanet has announced successful results of the first surgeries using Jazz Cap in the USA. Following 510(k) clearance in March 2019, the first Jazz...

Medacta’s MySpine MC wins MedTech Breakthrough Award for orthopaedics and surgical...

myspine
Medacta International recently announced its MySpine Midline Cortical (MC) platform has been recognised as this year’s “Best Healthcare Navigation / Robotics Solution” by MedTech...

RTI Surgical wins 2019 MedTech Breakthrough Award for TETRAfuse 3D technology

tetrafuse
RTI Surgical today announced MedTech Breakthrough has selected TETRAfuse 3D technology as the “Best New Technology Solution - Orthopedics” in their 2019 Awards Program....

Astura Medical announces partnership with Academy Medical

Astura
Astura Medical and Academy Medical recently announced their partnership for contracting within the Department of Defense (DoD) and VA. According to a press release, Academy...

Low rate of serious upper-spine injuries in NCAA football players

football
Collegiate football players have low rates of serious or disabling injuries of the cervical spine, concludes an analysis of a National Collegiate Athletic Association...

Misonix receives US FDA clearance for integrated ultrasonic surgical platform

misonix
Misonix today announced that it received 510(k) clearance by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Nexus, its ultrasonic surgical platform. Misonix will...

Results of the CSM-Protect RCT indicate a lack of effect on...

Results of the CSM-Protect trial show that a six-week course of riluzole as an adjunct to surgical decompression for moderate-severe degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM)...

Globus Medical launches first expandable interspinous fixation

AERIAL
Globus Medical recently announced the launch of AERIAL, a minimally invasive expandable interspinous fixation system with independent locking plates. The expandable central core of...

TLIF IdentiTi posterior curved porous titanium interbody implant system launched

Alphatec Holdings recently announced the commercial release of its IdentiTi-PC porous titanium interbody implant system for transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion procedures (TLIF). “The commercial launch...

Microbes on explanted pedicle screws “may be a possible cause of...

According to a recent study, the low-virulent microorganisms frequently detected on pedicle screws by using sonication may be an important cause of implant loosening...

Acute, severe spinal cord injury: Monitoring from the injury to improve...

Marios Papadopoulos and Samira Saadoun write in Spinal News International about the ISCoPE trial, which aimed to develop techniques to continuously monitor the pressure...

Ronald Bartels

A clinical professor of neurosurgery, Ronald Bartels talks to Spinal News International about his career. From his days at medical school to his appointment...

New clinical data demonstrates the versatility of Globus Medical’s ExcelsiusGPS

Globus Medical has announced the results of a clinical study that evaluated the versatility of ExcelsiusGPS robotic navigation system compared to traditional pedicle screw...

EOS imaging announces 4th system installation at Hospital for Special Surgery

image of EOS imaging's platform
EOS imaging has announced its fourth EOS system installation at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS; New York City, USA). HSS is the world’s...

Best Paper at GSC 2019 addresses burnout among spine surgeons

Results of a worldwide survey indicate that the overall prevalence of burnout among spine surgeons is 30.6%. They suggest that factors linked with higher...

New study offers first description of spinal trauma management and its...

The first study to describe spinal trauma management and its outcomes in East Africa was recently published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. First...

Joimax showcases new electromagnetic navigation system Intracs at GSC and DGNC

Joimax is showcasing its integrated navigation tracking and control system, Intracs, at this year’s Global Spine Congress (GSC; 15–18 May, Toronto, Canada). The company...

App-based back pain treatment outperforms standard physiotherapy in clinical trial

Kaia Health has announced results from the first randomised controlled trial of its app-based therapy program for patients with non-specific low back pain. Detailed...

BASS 2019: Executive raises concerns over threat to spinal surgeons of...

Outgoing British Association of Spine Surgeons (BASS) president, Stuart Blagg (Aylesbury, UK), sits down with incoming president Sashin Ahuja (Cardiff, UK) at the BASS...

Medtronic enters into definitive agreement to acquire Titan Spine

Medtronic recently announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which it will acquire Titan Spine, a privately-held titanium spine interbody...

Boston Scientific announces agreement to acquire Vertiflex

Boston Scientific today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Vertiflex, a privately-held company which has developed and commercialised the...

Spinal News International Issue 51 – May 2019

Highlights: Cages in ACDF are associated with a higher non-union rate than allograft Advanced method of quantifying the cone of economy may allow practitioners...

BASS 2019: Robotics will transform “state-of-the-art” in spine surgery

Nicholas Theodore (Baltimore, USA) talks to Spinal News International about the benefits of robotics technology in spinal surgery including reducing radiation exposure to surgeons,...

Study highlights the need for individualised thromboprophylaxis regimens for neurosurgical and...

At the 2019 meeting of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS; 3–5 April, Anaheim, USA), Erik Wang of NYU Langone...

Cages in ACDF are associated with a higher non-union rate than...

radiculopathy
Investigators found a higher rate of non-union associated with intervertebral cages than with allograft in a recent retrospective analysis, which led to the conclusion...

Matthew Scott-Young

As the incoming president of the Spine Society of Australia, Matthew Scott-Young details how his experience as an Emergency Department intern sparked a life-long...

Relievant announces publication of SMART trial 24-month results

intracept
Relievant Medsystems have announced the publication of 24-month results from the SMART trial in the International Journal of Spine Surgery. A total of 106...

Orthofix announces first US patient implants of M6-C artificial cervical disc

M6-C
Orthofix Medical today announced the first commercial implants of patients with the M6-C artificial cervical disc. The Center for Disc Replacement at Texas Back...

Use of artificial intelligence to improve surgical referrals in degenerative lumbar...

Winner of the Sanford J Larson Award, Nathan Xie, presented his research, "Use of artificial intelligence to improve surgical referrals in degenerative lumbar spine...

EOS imaging introduces EOSlink

image of EOS imaging's platform
EOS imaging today introduced EOSlink, the company's new solution enabling the seamless integration of its EOSapps preoperative surgical planning software with intraoperative surgical solutions,...

Hospital and patient characteristics can predict extended length of stay in...

Virginie Lafage
A recent study conducted by Peter G Passias (NYU Langone Health, New York Spine Institute, New York, USA) and colleagues showed that male patients...

Advanced method of quantifying the cone of economy may allow practitioners...

cone of economy
A new method to quantify the boundaries of Dubousset’s cone of economy, the centre of mass displacements, and the amount of sway within the...

Duration of preoperative radiculopathy symptoms associated with worse outcomes

radiculopathy
A recent study found that a longer duration of preoperative radiculopathy symptoms in patients with degenerative cervical pathology is associated with worse health-related quality...

Surgical intervention and sagittal alignment can influence postoperative frailty in cervical...

frailty
Optimal correction of sagittal alignment and improving a patient’s functional capacity can significantly influence postoperative frailty resolution, according to a recent study by Peter...

Opioid consumption patterns after lumbar microdiscectomy or decompression

Francis Lovecchio (Hospital for Special Surgery , New York, USA) recently gave a presentation on opioid consumption patterns after lumbar microdiscectomy or decompression at...

Low back pain is significantly improved in the majority of patients...

A recent study found that low back pain is significantly improved in 74% of patients immediately after surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis and that...

New results “strongly support” the safety of the ProDisc-C device

At the annual meeting of the International Society for the Advancement of Spinal Surgery (3–5 April, Anaheim, USA), Jack E Zigler (Texas Health Center...

Spineology mesh interbody fusion technologies yield excellent/good patient satisfaction scores

Spineology has announced that two abstracts highlighting the company’s proprietary mesh technologies were presented during the 19th Annual Meeting of the International Society for...

Spinal News International Issue 50 – March 2019

Highlights: Single-level anterior cervical discectomy provides "solid alternative" to fusion or arthroplasty Banned in the USA: Petition calls for FDA to prohibit reprocessed pedicle...

Positive two-year data released for the M6-C cervical disc

M6-C
Orthofix Medical today announced the full two-year outcomes from its US Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) study of the M6-C artificial cervical disc (Orthofix). Jack Zigler,...

Opioid medication use before and during transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion surgery...

New retrospective studies led by Charla Fischer, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and director of quality and patient safety at NYU Langone’s Spine Center...

ACDF can be safely performed in outpatient setting in select patients

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), can be safely performed in an outpatient setting in select patients, according to a study at Hospital for...

EOS imaging intalls the first EOS system in the United Arab...

Mexico
EOS imaging has announced installation of the first EOS system in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), located at the newly inaugurated King's College Hospital...

Does day of surgery affect length of stay and hospital charges...

Eric Lamoutte and Kern Singh (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, USA) discuss results of their recent study examining whether or...

First patient enrolled in clinical study of Fortilink interbody fusion device

tetrafuse
It was recently announced that RTI Surgical has enrolled the first patient in its "Clinical evaluation of Fortilink interbody fusion device with TETRAfuse 3D technology...

New chondrocyte patents for SpinalCyte

SpinalCyte recently announced the issuance of new patents in the USA and Japan. The company’s patent portfolio now includes 39 US and international patents...

Presurgical CT scan finds significant number of patients had undiagnosed osteoporosis

A study at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS; New York, USA) found that a CT scan of the lumbar spine prior to surgery...

RTI Surgical completes acquisition of Paradigm Spine

RTI Surgical has announced it has completed the acquisition of Paradigm Spine.  Paradigm Spine's primary product is the Coflex interlaminar stabilisation device. According to a...

“The best of all worlds”: A surgeon’s clinical experience with the...

This advertorial has been sponsored by INVIBIO ™ Hyun W Bae, MD, is a medical director at The Spine Institute (Saint John’s Health Center, Santa...

Inspired Spine celebrates opening of concierge centre for national and global...

Inspired Spine
Inspired Spine recently celebrated the grand opening of its concierge centre with a two day event that included a cadaver training lab at its...

SI-Bone announces publication of two-year iMIA randomised controlled trial results

Two-year results of a randomised controlled trial, published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, suggest that minimally invasive sacroiliac joint arthrodesis with triangular...

ISASS bone grafting policy statement features i-FACTOR peptide enhanced bone graft

The International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) recently issued a new bone grafting policy that features i‑FACTOR peptide enhanced bone graft...

Vertos Medical granted CE mark for spinal stenosis treatment

Vertos Medical said it has received CE mark approval for its lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) treatment device kit. According to a press release, the company's Mild...

Expanding access to surgery on a global scale

Universal health is a top priority at the Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Centre in New York, USA. Their global neurosurgery programme, a collaborative...

Single-level anterior cervical discectomy: A “solid alternative” to fusion or arthroplasty

Results of a double-blinded randomised controlled trial indicate that anterior cervical disc arthroplasty (ACDA) does not lead to a superior outcome in comparison to...

Atlas Spine launches expandable cervical interbody fusion device

Atlas Spine has announced the successful completion of its 50th surgical procedure and over 100 devices implanted with its new HiJak AC expandable cervical...

OrthoPediatrics announces global launch of new BandLoc DUO

OrthoPediatrics has announced the launch of BandLoc DUO, the latest addition to the BandLoc 5.5/6.0mm system. BandLoc is a temporary implant for use in orthopaedic surgery,...

Alphatec announces FDA clearance of automated SafeOp neuromonitoring system

It was announced recently that Alphatec has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for its automated SafeOp neuromonitoring system for use...

Outcomes of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion influenced by presurgical depressive...

A recent study found that patients who presented with presurgical depressive symptoms reported more severe symptoms preoperatively and postoperatively. However, despite residual symptoms, these...

Inspired Spine releases study on the clinical and radiological outcomes of...

Inspired Spine
Inspired Spine's H Abbasi has released a study presenting clinical, and radiological outcomes including fusion rates for oblique lateral lumbar interbody fusion (OLLIF). The...

Life Spine announces initiation of SIMPACT sacroiliac joint fixation outcomes study

Life Spine has announced the initiation of the SIMPACT sacroiliac joint (SI) fixation outcomes study, with Keith Maxwell of Southeastern Sports Medicine and Orthopedics...

Non-specific low back pain: Returning to the Dark Ages

While non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) is a common diagnosis, Tim Germon (Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, UK) argues that most low back pain is in...

Cervical decompression surgery found to improve gait and function in adult...

Ram Haddas
A new study has found that after cervical decompression surgery, cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) patients exhibited improved gait pattern, spatiotemporal parameters, spine and lower...

New computer programme reduces spine surgery errors linked to “wrong level”...

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine (Baltimore, USA) report that a computer programme they designed may help surgeons identify and label spinal segments during real...

FDA approval for M6-C artificial cervical disc

M6-C
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the M6-C artificial cervical disc (Orthofix Medical) for patients suffering from cervical disc degeneration. The...

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center installs 7D Surgical platform for spinal...

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center has installed the 7D Surgical System for spinal procedures. This system virtually replaces standard fluoroscopy, providing the surgical team with...

Sirakoss granted CE mark for synthetic bone graft substitute

Sirakoss has been granted CE mark clearance in the European Union (EU) for Osteo3, a novel nanosynthetic bone graft substitute designed to improve patient...

New implants released for StabiLink Interlaminar System

Three new StabiLink Dual Lamina Implants (Southern Spine) have been released.  Alan H Daniels, associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at The Warren Alpert Medical...

Enhanced recovery protocol reduces opioid use in spinal surgery patients

A novel enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol developed by Penn Medicine (Philadelphia, USA) for patients undergoing spinal and peripheral nerve surgery significantly reduced opioid use....

Secure-C cervical artificial disc receives expanded insurance coverage

The Secure-C cervical artificial disc (Globus Medical) is now covered by Anthem, one of the largest health benefits companies in the United States with...

Aurora Spine announces new patent for minimally invasive spinal implants

A new patent has been issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for United States Patent No. 10,143,501 entitled “Expandable Interspinous...

Medtronic announces US commercial launch of Mazor X Stealth Edition

Mazor X
The first US patients have been treated with the Mazor X Stealth Edition (Medtronic) for spine surgery following its commercial launch. The technology offers...

VR and simulation: The secret to better medical education and safer...

Daniel Spencer is a business manager at Charlton Morris, an executive search firm specialising in orthopaedics, spine and simulation. He argues that while adoption...

Bioventus launches OSTEOMATRIX biphasic bone graft

  Bioventus has launched OSTEOMATRIX+, a biphasic bone graft for use in bone remodelling in a variety of orthopaedic and spine applications. OSTEOMATRIX+ is a mouldable bone graft substitute...

Digital therapeutics company Kaia Health raises US$10m in Series A funding

Back pain app creator, Kaia Health, today announces it has raised US$10 million in a Series A round led by Balderton Capital. The investment...

FIREFLY pedicle screw navigation system granted CE mark

Mighty Oak Medical has received CE mark clearance for its patient-specific, 3D-printed FIREFLY pedicle screw navigation system, extending its use into the European market....

Banned in the USA: Petition calls for FDA to prohibit reprocessed...

pedicle screw
Aakash Agarwal (Department of Bioengineering and Orthopaedic Surgery, Engineering Center for Orthopaedic Research Excellence, University of Toledo, Toledo, USA) has filed an official citizen...

Use of opioids before surgery hinders post-surgical improvements

New results suggest that patients treated with chronic opioids prior to spine surgery are “significantly less likely” to achieve meaningful improvements at one-year in...

SMaRT human neural stem cells found to degrade scar and optimise...

Stem cells
Researchers at the University of Toronto (Toronto, Canada) have released “exciting” proof-of-concept data that genetically-engineered SMaRT cells can degrade CSPGs in vitro and that...

3D printed implant promotes nerve cell growth to treat spinal cord...

For the first time, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Institute of Engineering in Medicine (La Jolla, USA) have...

HoloSurgical announces first surgical procedure utilising ARAI system

A successful first-in-human surgical procedure utilising ARAI, an augmented reality and artificial intelligence based surgical navigation system (HoloSurgical) has been carried out. The ARAI is...

Ulrich medical USA announces entry and first global implantation of expandable...

Ulrich medical USA has announced the market entry of a vertebral body replacement device which is the company's flagship technology in the US spine implant...

Romosozumab receives approval in Japan for treatment of osteoporosis in patients...

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has granted a marketing authorisation for EVENITY (romosozumab; Amgen and UCB) for the treatment of osteoporosis...

SpineSource acquires French medical device technology

SpineSource has acquired the intellectual property assets of two spinal implant systems from Kisco International (France). The acquisition includes the L-VARLOCK expandable lumbar cage which...

New international patent for SpinalCyte

It was announced at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference (7–10 January, San Francisco, USA) that SpinalCyte has been issued a new Australian patent related to its...

Cell therapy IDCT passes initial safety review of first-in-human clinical trial...

IDCT
It has been announced that IDCT (DiscGenics) has passed the initial planned safety review of its Phase I/II trial evaluating the allogeneic, injectable disc...

NuVasive announces new organisational structure and leadership team

NuVasive today announced a new organisational structure and associated executive team that chief executive officer J Christopher Barry has selected. Barry joined the company...

International symposium in Peru: Spineway presents Mont Blanc and Kili product...

Spineway, in collaboration with its Peruvian distributor, presented its operating techniques to some one hundred local surgeons during a recent symposium in Peru. Established in...

N20: Spine in the spotlight at global meeting

The Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT) and the Brain Mapping Foundation (BMF) recently hosted their 5th Annual Neuroscience-20 event in Buenos Aires,...

Digital healthcare partnership aims to reduce low back pain

Swedish digital healthcare provider, Min Doktor, and Kaia Health, a digital therapeutics company, have partnered to offer back pain treatment through a mobile application....

Medtronic completes acquisition of Mazor Robotics

Medtronic today announced it has completed the acquisition of Mazor Robotics. The total value of the transaction is reported at US$1.7 billion, or US$1.3 billion...

OrthoPediatrics announces full-scale US launch of small stature scoliosis system

The RESPONSE 4.5/5.0mm System (OrthoPediatrics) has been launched in the USA. The company’s newest system, which received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k)...

ExcelsiusGPS launched in Europe

The ExcelsiusGPS robotic guidance and navigation system (Globus Medical) has been installed in several hospitals across Europe. The system won CE Mark clearance in the EU...

Expanded FDA clearance for NuVasive’s Monolith corpectomy system

The Monolith corpectomy system (NuVasive) has been granted expanded FDA 510(k) clearance. The system is now cleared for procedures in the cervical spine, between the...

Clinical evaluation of non-surgical degenerative disc disease treatment to begin in...

IDCT
The Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) has approved a Clinical Trial Notification (CTN) application for IDCT (DiscGenics), an allogenic injectable disc cell...

Positive payor policy covering coflex for the surgical treatment of lumbar...

A Select Health of South Carolina clinical policy, dated 1 September, 2018, has been issued for the exclusive coverage of the coflex interlaminar stabilisation...

New product innovation award for PEEKplus

Based on its recent analysis of the North America spinal fusion device performance enhancers market, Frost & Sullivan recognises Vallum with the 2018 North America...

Successful first in human for zLOCK spinal facet joint fixation system

The successful start of a first in human clinical study for the zLOCK spinal facet joint fixation system (ZygoFix) has been announced. The clinical...

Joimax introduces Endoscopic Generation 4 Devices and showcases new 3D-printed titanium...

At the 2018 annual meeting of the German Spine Society (DWG; 6—8 December, Wiesbaden, Germany), joimax will be introducing its Endoscopic Generation 4 Devices and...

Spineology announces new board members

Bob Paulson and Phil Soran have been appointed to Spineology’s board of directors. Phil Soran is an entrepreneur who has founded several technology companies and...

FDA clearance for SAXXONY posterior cervical thoracic spine system

FDA 510(k) clearance has been granted for the SAXXONY posterior cervical thoracic system (Nexxt Spine). The system is designed to stabilise cervical (C1 to...

Mainstay Medical to showcase ReActiv8 and key clinical data at the...

It has been announced that Mainstay Medical will participate in the upcoming 13th German Spine Congress of the Deutsche Wirbelsäulengesellschaft (DWG; 6—8 December, Wiesbaden,...

Minimally invasive placement of pedicle screws may lower incidence of proximal...

A recent study found that using a minimally invasive technique (MIS) for the placement of pedicle screws at the upper instrumented vertebra lowered the...

FDA advisory committee to review Evenity (romosozumab) for the treatment of...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Bone, Reproductive and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee (BRUDAC) are to review data supporting the Biologics License Application...

FDA 510(k) clearance for Astura Medical’s spinal fixation system

FDA 510(k) clearance has been granted for the Olympic minimally invasive surgery (MIS) posterior spinal fixation system (Astura Medical). The Olympic MIS system delivers a...

University College Hospital advances surgical skills training with adoption of FundamentalVR...

A partnership has been announced between FundamentalVR and University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH). Two surgical simulators have been installed at UCLH’s...

FDA clears SpinalCyte IND application for universal donor cell therapy to...

The FDA has cleared SpinalCyte’s Investigational New Drug (IND) protocol for CybroCell. This is considered to be the first IND approval for a fibroblast...

First US clinical use of the Voyant system for minimally invasive...

The first US clinical human use of the Voyant system (Viseon) for minimally invasive spine surgery access, illumination and visualisation has been announced. The...

Positive payor policy covering coflex by AmeriHealth Caritas for the surgical...

An AmeriHealth Caritas Clinical Policy, dated 1 September, 2018, has been issued for the exclusive coverage of the coflex interlaminar stabilisation device (Paradigm Spine) for...

Zimmer Biomet recalls 1,360 spinal fusion and long bone stimulators

Zimmer Biomet recalled 1,360 spinal fusion and long bone stimulators due to a lack of adequate validation and controls to ensure product cleanliness. The...

RSNA 2018: Versatile portfolio for most diverse and individual imaging demands

At this year's annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA; 25-30 November, Chicago, USA), Ziehm Imaging presents a range of mobile...

Donna Ohnmeiss

A self-described “long-shot” and in the first generation of her family to attend university, Donna Ohnmeiss speaks to Spinal News International about why she chose...

Eurospine audience sceptical of digital learning’s potential in spinal surgery training

As emerging and existing technologies continue to shape the way we communicate and spread knowledge, the potentials of digital learning is given increasing consideration....

Combating the rise in predatory publishing

“Dear Distinguished Professor, we invite you to submit...” Christopher M Bono warns of the rise in predatory publishing, drawing on his own experiences of...

Statera Spine announces company formation

Statera Spine has announced the formation of the company as a subsidiary of Ortho Kinematics. Statera will leverage the operational backbone and technology platform developed...

Surgical intervention found to significantly improve frailty in adult cervical deformity

NASS Spine Registry
A recent study has reported significant improvements in patients’ frailty status at one-year after surgery, as shown by the cervical deformity frailty index (CD-FI)....

Is all ignorance bliss? Expenses for implants in surgery decrease when...

Costs were found to decrease for implants in surgery when prices were known, concludes a study presented by Andrew Glennie from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada,...

“The last 25 years has seen a technological revolution”: What will...

Paul Arnold, a spine surgeon based in Kansas for most of his career, now practising at the University of Illinois, USA, and current chair...

EOS imaging announces installations of first EOS systems in Spain and...

image of EOS imaging's platform
  EOS imaging have announced the first two installations in Barcelona, Spain at Clavel's Instituto, a spine centre of Hospital Quiron, and the HM Delfos...

Mazor Robotics shareholders approve US$1.64B Medtronic transaction

Mazor Robotics has announced that at a Special General Meeting of Shareholders held on 19 November, 2018, Mazor shareholders approved the previously announced definitive...

Clinical launch of SurGenTec GraftGun system prefilled with ViBone a resounding...

SurGenTec has announced the successful completion of the initial clinical launch of its new GraftGun bone graft delivery system combined with ViBone Viable Bone Matrix...

Spinal News International Issue 49 – November 2018

issue
Highlights: Costs curbing the rise of robotics in spinal surgery Augmented reality surgical navigation technology enables high accuracy pedicle screw placement Eurospine audience sceptical...

A neurosurgeon’s experience with PEEK-OPTIMA™ HA Enhanced devices

This advertorial has been sponsored by INVIBIO™ Jill Wright Donaldson, MD, is a neurosurgeon at Community Hospital North (Indianapolis, IN, USA), specialising in the surgical...

Medicrea achieves 3,000 surgery milestone with UNiD ASI and patient-specific implants

Medicrea logo
Medicrea has announced that the 3,000th surgery utilising Medicrea’s patient-specific UNiD ASI technology has been successfully completed. Five years after its initial launch, over 3,000...

Vertiflex announces 85% reduction in patients using opioids after treatment with...

  Vertiflex has announced additional results from a randomised, controlled trial of its Superion Indirect Decompression System in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). The...

Zimmer Biomet Spine announces FDA approval of Mobi-C cervical disc labelling...

  Zimmer Biomet has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an extension to the Mobi-C Cervical Disc labelling to include...

Altus Capital Partners acquires ChoiceSpine

Altus Capital Partners today announced it has acquired ChoiceSpine. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. ChoiceSpine and Knox Spine (collectively, the Company) collaborates...

First ASC in southeast USA purchases Mazor Robotics’ Renaissance system

Baptist Medical Park Surgery Centre, an ASC facility in Pensacola, Florida, USA, announced that it has successfully completed their first SI Fusion procedure...

RTI Surgical announces HealthPartners’ positive coverage decision for minimally invasive sacroiliac...

RTI Surgical has announced that HealthPartners, the largest consumer governed non-profit healthcare organisation in the USA, issued a positive coverage decision for minimally invasive sacroiliac...

CE mark clearance for the Jazz Cap System, a screw securing...

jazz cap
  Implanet has announced the award of CE marking for the Jazz Cap System, developed to meet the constraints of vertebral fusion indications in adults. Jazz...

Global orthopaedic devices market worth US$47.7 billion by 2026

Concorde
  The "Orthopaedic devices market size, share and trends analysis report by application (hip, knee, spine, cranio-maxillofacial, dental, SET), by product (accessories, surgical devices), and segment...

Aurora Spine announces exclusive patent licence agreement for MIS SI joint...

Aurora Spine has announced that it has acquired an exclusive licence to US patent number 9,451,986 titled “Percutaneous sacroiliac joint implant and method for...

Biogen scoops sixth Prix Galien award with UK for life-changing rare...

Biogen was announced as the winner of the Orphan Product Award at last night’s UK Prix Galien 2018, for Spinraza, which in 2017 became...

The world’s first combined endoscopic and robotic-guided spine surgery is performed...

Colin Haines and Christopher Good, spine surgeons at Virginia Spine Institute, Virginia, USA, have performed the world’s first spinal surgery using combined endoscopic and...

NuVasive launches Brigade Lateral implant and instrumentation optimised for lateral ALIF...

NuVasive has announced the US commercial launch of Brigade Lateral, the industry's first interbody implant and instrumentation optimised for lateral anterior lumbar interbody fusion...

Stryker closes US$1.4B K2M buy

K2M
Stryker has closed its US$1.4 billion acquisition of K2M. With the acquisition, K2M will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Stryker, the companies said. Stryker paid US$27.50 per...

Life Spine announces initiation of PROLIFT Expandable Interbody clinical study

Life Spine receives approval from FDA
Life Spine has announced the initiation of the PROLIFT Expandable clinical study with Ahmed Khan, Central Connecticut Neurosurgery and Spine, Connecticut, USA. Mariusz Knap, vice president...

SpinalCyte announces sustained 12-month MRI outcomes after CybroCell injection

SpinalCyte logo
SpinalCyte has announced that a single injection of modified human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) resulted in significant improvements of disc height and pain reduction 12...

Simplify Medical completes enrolment in US IDE pivotal trial of Simplify...

Simplify Disc
Simplify Medical, maker of the Simplify cervical artificial disc, has announced that it has completed the enrolment and treatment of all patients in its US...

Children’s Scoliosis Foundation offers members health management app via Backpack Health

Backpack Health’s cloud-based mobile app offers paediatric scoliosis patients and their caregivers a centralised platform to manage health data and connect with the global...

NMPA accepts new drug application for IBI303, a biosimilar candidate to...

Innovent Biologics, a biopharmaceutical company, has announced that the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA, successor to the CFDA) has accepted its new drug application...

Bio2 Technologies receives FDA IDE approval to begin clinical study of...

Bio2 Technologies, a privately held orthopaedics company, has announced that it received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to begin enrolment in an...

EOS imaging leadership transition to strengthen US strategy

image of EOS imaging's platform
EOS imaging has announced the change of its leadership effective 1 January 2019. The Board of Directors, in agreement with Marie Meynadier, chief executive...

RTI Surgical to acquire Paradigm Spine

RTI Surgical and Paradigm Spine have entered into a definitive agreement whereby RTI will acquire all outstanding equity interest of Paradigm Spine in a cash and...

Increased radiation but “no benefits” in pedicle screw accuracy with navigation

A recent study found no improvements in pedicle screw accuracy but increased radiation using intraoperative computed tomography (CT)-based navigation compared to a freehand technique...

NuVasive’s Porous PEEK impant to be used in flagship XLIF procedure

NuVasive has announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use of its COHERE Porous PEEK implant...

SpinalCyte announces new patents in Hong Kong and Europe

SpinalCyte logo
SpinalCyte, a regenerative medicine company focused on regrowth of the spinal disc using Human Dermal Fibroblasts (HDFs), has announced the issuance of new patents...

Spinal Elements announces FDA clearance of Ti-Bond titanium coating as a...

Spinal Elements has recently announced FDA clearance for claims related to the macro-, micro-, and nano-surface structure of its Ti-Bond surface coating technology. Utilising this...

Southlake Equity leads Series B round of financing to prime Titan...

Titan Spine, a medical device surface technology company focused on developing surface-enhanced spinal interbody fusion implants, has announced it has closed a substantial round...

Dedicated surgical teams improve quality, safety and value in surgery for...

Dedicated surgical teams have been found to reduce surgical times and room times in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Surgical times decreased by...

Osteosynthesis of atlas fractures

At the NSpine meeting (12—15 June, 2017, London, UK), Bronek Boszczyk (Nottingham, UK) discusses osteosynthesis of atlas fractures.

Difficult odontoid fractures: technical options

At the NSpine meeting (12—15 June, 2017, London, UK), Bronek Boszczyk (Nottingham, UK) discusses difficult odontoid fractures.

Technical steps in reconstructing lumbopelvic and sacral fractures

At the NSpine meeting (12—15 June, 2017, London, UK), Bronek Boszczyk (Nottingham, UK) discusses the technical steps involved in reconstructing lumbopelvic and sacral fractures.

Multilevel tumour resection including dura

At the NSpine meeting (12—15 June, 2017, London, UK), Bronek Boszczyk (Nottingham, UK) discusses multilevel tumour resection including dura.

Sacral osteotomy and lumbopelvic rotation to improve pelvic incidence

At the NSpine meeting (12—15 June, 2017, London, UK), Bronek Boszczyk (Nottingham, UK) discusses how sacral osteotomy and lumbopelvic rotation can improve pelvic incidence.

Staged correction of adult kyphosis and spinal lengthening

At the NSpine meeting (12—15 June, 2017, London, UK), Bronek Boszczyk (Nottingham, UK) discusses how he performs staged correction of adult kyphosis and spinal lengthening.

Anterior spinal access: the case for and against access surgeons

At the NSpine meeting (12—15 June, 2017, London, UK), Bronek Boszczyk (Nottingham, UK) discusses anterior spinal access in an extra lunch time session.

Multi level and thoracolumbar ALIF via visceral rotation in adult deformity

At the NSpine meeting (12—15 June, 2017, London, UK), Bronek Boszczyk (Nottingham, UK) discussed multi level and thoracolumbar ALIF via visceral rotation in adult...