Suzie Marshall

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CMSS “strongly urges action” to ensure all frontline healthcare professionals are...

CMSS
In a new statement published on 2 April 2020, all 45 societies represented by the US Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS)—over 800,000 physicians—emphatically...

Capping medical residency hours does not hamper new doctors’ quality of...

hours
Warnings that ruled that capped training hours for medical residents at 80 hours per week would leave physicians-in-training unprepared for the challenges of independent...

Response: The ASBMR taskforce report is “dangerous” and “shameful”

vertebroplasty
A recent taskforce report charged by the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) concluded that current evidence does not support the routine...

“No further trials of vertebroplasty should be performed”, report concludes

vertebroplasty
Current evidence does not support the use of vertebroplasty for the treatment of pain from vertebral fractures, concludes a recent task force report charged...

Scott Gottlieb resigns as head of US FDA

The commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Scott Gottlieb, has unexpectedly resigned after serving just shy of two years in the...

US government shutdown disrupting FDA work

shutdown
The US government shutdown means the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cannot accept new user fees, which means the agency cannot accept new...

Pulsed radiofrequency relieves acute back pain and sciatica

pulsed radiofrequency
CT-guided pulsed radiofrequency is safe and effective in people with acute lower back pain that have not responded to conservative treatment, according to a...

Costs curbing the rise of robotics in spinal surgery

using robotics in spinal surgery
The era of routine robotic-assisted spinal surgery is on the horizon. Despite the hype, however, there remains little market penetration, with affordability and the degree...

International interest in physician wellness escalates

Wellness
Speaking anonymously to Spinal News International, a career and life coach for physicians said that the most effective way to address the issue of...

Clinical benefits of minimally invasive spinal fusion appear to “diminish” as...

Virginie Lafage
A recent study has concluded that the clinical benefits of a minimally invasive surgical technique appear to “diminish” as a function of fusion length....

Wearable devices utilising augmented reality will “disrupt the surgical landscape”

wearable
With the introduction of new wearables designed for intraoperative use, such as the Hololens (Microsoft) head-up display, there has been considerable interest in bringing...

RTI Surgical wins 2018 Orthopedics This Week spine technology award for...

Tetrafuse
TETRAfuse 3D technology (RTI Surgical) won a 2018 spine technology award from Orthopedics This Week. RTI Surgical accepted the award at the North American Spine...

NuVasive announces strategic partnership with Biedermann Technologies to access intellectual property

NuVasive
NuVasive have announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with Biedermann Technologies, a company that holds a broad and extensive patent and technology...

A worrying trend in the spine centre referrals of cyclists

How Cyclists get spinal injuries
  Research that highlights a worrying trend between cycling and spinal trauma has recently been published in The Surgeon. Although the authors of the paper,...

New data show Spinraza beneficial in the treatment of spinal muscular...

NURTURE
Rates of survival are higher, and respiratory intervention rates are lower, in 25 infants with presymptomatic 5q spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treated with Spinraza...

Medtronic launches the Infinity OCT spinal system

Medtronic
Medtronic has announced the US launch of the Infinity Occipitocervical-Upper Thoracic (OCT) System designed to simplify posterior cervical spine surgery. A company press release...

Ennovate® PolyLock®: Solutions Beyond Fusion

Ennovate®
The Ennovate® PentaCore® Screw is the new benchmark in the Pedicle Screw Systems market. Ennovate screws have a significantly higher pullout force, shear strength, and...

Spinal implants market to exceed US$19.5 billion by 2024

market
The global spinal implants market is forecast to grow at a 7% compound annual growth rate to exceed US$19.5 billion by 2024, according to...

Medtronic to acquire Mazor robotics

Medtronic Mazor
Medtronic and Mazor Robotics have announced that the two companies have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Medtronic will acquire all outstanding...

ImmersiveTouch launches the first virtual reality integrated suite for surgical planning

Virtual
ImmersiveTouch, a Chicago-based company, announced the launch of ImmersiveView, the only suite of integrated virtual reality real-time solutions for personalised surgical planning, patient engagement,...

DePuy Synthes expands spine portfolio with nerve assessment platform designed to...

Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies have announced that DePuy Synthes is introducing SENTIO MMG, a first-of-its-kind digital mechanomyography platform designed to assess nerve...

Nevro receives TGA approval for Senza II spinal cord stimulation system...

Senza
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has granted approval to Nevro for its next-generation Senza II spinal cord stimulation system delivering the company’s proprietary HF10...

Spinal News International Issue 48 – September 2018

Spinal News International 48
Highlights: Surgeons call for ban on pedicle screw reuse and demand two-step asepsis process Second scoliosis surgery of the day as safe and effective...

Benvenue Medical completes divestiture of its vertebral augmentation systems portfolio

Benvenue Medical
Benvenue Medical, a developer of minimally invasive expandable implant solutions for lumbar fusion, has announced it has completed the divestiture of its vertebral augmentation...

Surgeons call for ban on pedicle screw reuse and demand two-step...

pedicle screw
Contaminated pedicle screws cost hundreds of thousands of US dollars a year, and through an increase in surgical site infections result in additional and...

Frank Kandziora

Frank Kandziora
Once an aspiring architect, Frank Kandziora has never looked back from the medical profession since being assigned a medical assistant during his military service...

Spinal injuries in suicidal jumpers “differ in many aspects” to non-suicidal...

suicide
New research outlines how spinal injuries in suicidal jumpers differ from those in non-suicidal patients with regard to patient demographics, mental health condition, injury...

New positive commercial payor policy covering coflex for the surgical treatment...

Paradigm Spine, a company specialising in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis, has announced the issuance of a broad coverage medical policy from BlueCross...

Captiva Spine’s TirboLOX-L 3D printed titanium lumbar cages receives FDA clearance

TirboLOX
Captiva Spine has announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its TirboLOX-L 3D printed Titanium...

Restorative motion surgery in the cervical spine: Reversing fusions and placing...

Motion
Todd H Lanman is a spine surgeon known for his work on the advancement of total disc replacement surgery and motion preservation. Following his own experiences...

EOS imaging installs its first site in Mexico

Mexico
EOS imaging, a 2D/3D imaging company for orthopaedics, has announced the first installation of an EOS system in Mexico, the largest Central American market,...

NICE draft guidance ‘minded no’ for access to Spinraza for SMA...

NURTURE
UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published its Appraisal Consultation Document (ACD) outlining a ‘minded no’ for the routine funding...

FDA approval granted for Eden Spine’s Sphynx

Sphynx
Eden Spine’s Sphynx plating system has been granted FDA clearance, the company has announced. Sphynx was designed to complement the company’s Giza titanium vertebral body...

Reducing physician burnout: First destigmatise, then organise

Wellness
Todd J Albert is surgeon-in-chief at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, USA, and is the current president of the Scoliosis Research Society...

NuVasive unveils spine’s first integrated surgical automation platform

NuVasive
NuVasive has announced the Pulse surgical automation platform has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Pulse is the foundation...

Quality of life after spinal cord injury: Having independent mobility makes...

Quality
Independence in mobility is the single most important factor affecting quality of life in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury, reports a study in the American Journal of Physical Medicine &...

New therapy spurs nerve fibres to regrow through scar tissue and...

Neuroscientists at UCLA, Harvard University and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have identified a three-pronged treatment that triggers axons to regrow after complete...

Spinal Muscular Atrophy drug may be effective if started later than...

NURTURE
Nusinersen (Biogen) has previously been shown to be effective in the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy in infants under seven months of age; recent...

Stryker announces definitive agreement to acquire K2M

K2M
Stryker has announced a definitive merger agreement to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of K2M Group Holdings, a...

A novel approach to complex spinal surgeries: The successful use of...

A novel approach reported by Peter Pijpker and colleagues from the University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands, outlines the use of 3D virtual...

The surgical management of deformity in spina bifida patients

spina bifida
At the NSpine meeting (London, UK), Ahmet Alanay (Istanbul, Turkey) discussed the surgical management of deformity in spina bifida patients. You can watch the...

Recent findings contradict the common recommendation to rapidly lose weight prior...

weight
According to Woojin Cho (Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA), who presented at the 25th International Meeting on...

NuVasive and Siemens Healthcare to partner on new spine imaging and...

Siemens Healthcare and NuVasive
  NuVasive and Siemens Healthineers have announced a strategic partnership, which is to focus on “technology development, marketing and commercial activities to advance clinical outcomes...

Phase II proof-of-concept clinical study of Namilumab for ankylosing spondylitis initiated

namilumab
Izana Bioscience, a biopharmaceutical company focused on translational medicine, has announced the initiation of a phase II proof-of-concept clinical study of namilumab in ankylosing...

Back to back surgeries safe: Second scoliosis surgery of the day...

second
Scoliosis correction is an extensive surgery, and operating on multiple patients in one day can be exhausting for the surgical team. However, recent research...

K2M receives FDA clearance for Cayman United Plate System

Cayman
Following the completion of its first surgical cases, K2M has received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance and a CE mark for its...

Decision making in recurrent spinal tumours

At the NSpine meeting (London, UK), Alessandro Gasbarrini (Bologna, Italy) discussed decision making in recurrent spinal tumours. Click to watch the full talk here.

First patient enrolled in clinical trial evaluating the Simplify artificial cervical...

Simplify Disc
Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists have announced the enrollment of the initial patients within Simplify Medical’s clinical trial to evaluate the Simplify Disc, its novel investigational...

Bioventus enters into definitive agreement to divest BMP development programme to...

Viscogliosi
Bioventus has entered into a definitive agreement to divest its next-generation bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) development programme to a new company formed by Viscogliosi...

Cerapedics announces first patients enrolled in IDE clinical trial of P-15L...

IDE
  The first patients have been enrolled in an investigational device exemption (IDE) clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the next-generation P-15L peptide...

The first immune-evasive gene therapy used to treat spinal cord injury...

Immune
A novel immune-evasive gene therapy has restored skilled grasping function in paralysed rats, allowing treated rodents to independently reach for and pick up sugar...

DePuy Synthes launches Concorde Lift expandable interbody implant for minimally invasive...

concorde
Concorde Lift (DePuy Synthes), a new expandable interbody device, is launching in the USA. The implant is designed to treat patients suffering from degenerative...

Combined convex and concave costoplasty for posterior chest wall in AIS

At the NSpine meeting (London, UK), Bronek Boszczyk (Benedictus Clinic Tutzing, Germany) discussed combined convex and concave costoplasty for posterior chest wall in adolescent...

The amount of curve correction matters for achieving balanced shoulders in...

curve
In Lenke type 1 or type 2 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), significant correction of the main thoracic curve with relative under-correction of the proximal...

Next generation Reline system launches

reline
The next evolution of the Reline system (NuVasive) has just launched: the Reline MAS Midline (RMM). The company description says this system provides “procedural...

FDA clears first nanotechnology PEEK devices for spinal intervertebral fusion

nanotechnology
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval to market a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) spinal interbody fusion device with a PEEKplus nanotextured surface...

Cerapedics announces closing of US$22 million financing

financing
Cerapedics has announced that the company completed a US$22 million financing led by KCK Group, a family investment fund that focuses on innovative medical...

Research highlights the importance of spinal alignment in all, not just...

NuVasive
The results of a report looking at the rates of spinopelvic malalignment in nearly 600 patients show that malalignment is common both before and...

Mainstay Medical announces the completion of all implants in the ReActiv8-B...

Mainstay Medical International, a medical device company focused on bringing to market ReActiv8, an implantable neurostimulation system to treat chronic low back pain, announces...

Online reviews of spine surgeons—staff and office factors may negatively affect...

Spine surgeons earn high ratings for their skill and good clinical outcomes on internet review sites—but are more likely to receive negative ratings and...

20th University Hospital Centre to receive EOS imaging system

Mexico
EOS imaging has announced the installation of its EOS system at the University Hospital Center of Grenoble Alps (CHUGA), a state-of-the-art hospital facility for...

FDA clearance granted for Hive-C cervical interbody devices

LifeSciences
HD LifeSciences has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Hive-C IBFD, a system of interbody devices for anterior cervical fusion procedures. The Hive-C implant system...

Scientists are taking inspiration from dragonfly wings to combat orthopaedic surgical...

Infection
South Australian researchers are embarking on a AUD$20 million medical and manufacturing research project which could reduce the chance of infection after orthopaedic surgery,...

First robotically assisted surgeries with Centerline cortical screw and Prolift expandable spacer...

Centerline
The first surgeries with robotically assisted minimally disruptive placement of the Centerline cortical screw system and the Prolift expandable spacer system (Life Spine) in...

Research paves way for novel therapy to treat osteoporosis

A recent study, initially published in Nature Communications, shows that anti-oxidation specific epitope (OSE) antibodies protect against osteoporosis, illuminating the potential for a novel...

Use of i-FACTOR peptide enhanced bone graft more than doubles fusion...

financing
The use of i-FACTOR peptide enhanced bone graft (Cerapedics) resulted in a 50% fusion rate, compared to a 20% fusion rate using allograft in...

Renovis Surgical receives FDA clearance for Tesera Trabecular Technology Hyperlordotic ALIF...

Tesera
  Renovis Surgical Technologies has announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the Tesera SA...

Positive top-line results for second phase 3 study of Taltz in...

Taltz Eli Lilly and Company
The results of the COAST-W trial demonstrate that Taltz (ixekizumab; Eli Lilly and Company) is a safe and effective treatment for Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),...

First private practice installation of an EOS system in Germany

Mexico
EOS imaging has announced the installation of an EOS imaging system at ATOS Klinik Heidelberg, establishing it as the first private practice in Germany...

What to expect from NASS in 2018 and beyond

NASS supplement 2018
As a multidisciplinary membership organization, the North American Spine Society (NASS) has an incredible group of volunteers who work on many initiatives in the...

Children with severe spinal deformity at high risk of revision surgery

Deformity Gupta GSC 2018
Paediatric patients with severe spinal deformity are at a high risk of revision surgeries. Presenting his research at the Global Spine Congress (GSC; 2–5...

SpineFrontier receives FDA approval for A-CIFT SoloFuse HA standalone system

FDA A-CIFT SoloFuse HA standalone system
The A-CIFT SoloFuse HA (SpineFrontier) has received FDA approval. The company states that the A-CIFT SoloFuse HA standalone system was produced “to leverage the familiarity...

Back Pain Centers of America launches free e-book for patients considering...

e-book cover
Back Pain Centers of America, a call centre which connects people searching for solutions to their neck and back pain with spine specialists, have...

NASS launches multidisciplinary Spine Registry to “Collect, measure, care”

NASS Spine Registry
US spine care providers have a brand new tool to measure and improve patient care: a diagnosis-based clinical data registry that tracks patient care...

First patented single implant sacroiliac joint fusion system receives FDA clearance

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have granted clearance for the Catamaran sacroiliac joint fixation system (Tenon Medical) specifically indicated for sacroiliac joint...

Bone cement solution indicated for treating sacral fractures granted FDA approval

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance of Kyphon HV-R bone cement (Medtronic) for fixation of pathological fractures of the...

First porous PEEK spinal implant clinical study validates its use in...

Porous polyetheretherketone (PEEK) technology (NuVasive) is a clinically viable alternative for improving osseointegration and fusion rates of interbody implants to treat degenerative cervical disc...

Opioid dependence in patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis more likely to occur...

“Decompression and fusion for degenerative spondylolisthesis is associated with reduced risk of opioid dependency”, says Mayur Sharma (Department of Neurosurgery, University of Louisville, Louisville,...

TriStar Centennial Medical Center acquires the first Levó head positioning system

TriStar Centennial Medical Center (Nashville, USA) is the first healthcare system to incorporate the Levó head positioning system (Mizuho OSI) into their operating room....

EOS imaging launches new EOSone private practice programme

Mexico
EOS imaging, a 2D/3D imaging and data solutions for orthopaedics, announced the launch of EOSone, its new private practice programme, at Becker’s 16th Annual...

icotec receives FDA clearance to market BlackArmor® Carbon/PEEK interbody cages

The latest line of icotec interbody cages, designed to optimise bony integration and post-operative visualisation, has received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k)...

Many surgeons do not use patient-reported outcome measures in spine care

Almost one third of spine surgeons do not routinely use patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). This was the result presented by Asdrubal Falavigna (Department...

Novel approach proves mixed reality is a feasible option for future...

A preliminary study has demonstrated the feasibility of using a novel visualisation approach as a valuable adjunct tool for minimally invasive percutaneous procedures. This...

A hydrogel restores breathing after spinal cord injury in animal models

The use of a hydrogel after spinal cord injury is responsible for the restoration of independent breathing control in rats, according to research recently...

Fortilink-TS and –L IBF systems with TETRAfuse 3D technology launches commercially

The commercial launch of Fortilink-TS and –L IBF systems (RTI Surgical) with TETRAfuse 3D technology has added to a growing series of interbody fusion...

Factors predicting survival and external validation of 8 prognostic scoring systems...

Three factors were found to be predictive of survival in a surgical series of metastatic epidural spinal cord compression, including the type of primary...

Sustained use of opioids before spine surgery increases risk of continued...

Patients who take prescription opioids for a longer period before spinal surgery are more likely to continue opioid use several months after surgery, reports a...

European Commission approves Prolia for patients with glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis

Amgen has announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved a new indication for Prolia (denosumab) for the treatment of bone loss associated with long-term systemic...

CoreLink acquires medical device company Expanding Orthopedics

CoreLink, a manufacturer of spinal implant systems, acquired Israel-based Expanding Orthopedics, a privately held medical device developer. Along with the FDA cleared expanding and articulating...

Paradigm Spine announces NASS coverage policy recommendation for coflex interlaminar stabilisation

The North American Spine Society (NASS) has issued a coverage policy recommendation for Lumbar Interlaminar Device without Fusion and with Decompression, which applies to...

Spine surgery products market will value $16.7 billion by 2025

The global spine surgery products market is expected to reach US$16.7 billion by 2025, up from US$10.2 billion in 2016, a Transparency Market Research...

Paradigm Spine receives FDA pre-market approval (PMA) for first of its...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted pre-market supplemental approval (PMA) for the coflex interlaminar stabilisation disposable instrument kit (Paradigm Spine). This...

CIMZIA effective in treating axial spondyloarthritis patients

CIMZIA (certolizumab pegol) is the first therapy to demonstrate positive results in a 52-week, placebo controlled non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis study. The positive topline results...

Europe braces for harder times in medical device innovation while US...

Countries in the European Union have long been the first to receive new innovations in medical technology, as the EU’s Medical Device Directive (MDD)...

Experimental drug restores some bladder function after spinal cord injury

An experimental drug that blocks abnormal neural communication after spinal cord injury could one day be the key to improving quality of life by...

Rampart One standard ALIF interbody fusion system gains FDA clearance for...

The Rampart One Standard anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) device (Spineology) has been granted FDA clearance, allowing it to be used with or without...

FDA 510(k) clearance for cervical and lumbar HA PEEK interbody...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance for both the ALTA ACDF interbody spacers (Astura Medical) and HALF DOME lumbar...

Pivotal clinical trial demonstrates superiority of anular closure compared to standard...

The use of a bone-anchored anular closure device following discectomy is superior to treating high-risk patients with discectomy alone, a two-year study recently published...

Camber Spine announces 510(k) approval of ENZA-A titanium ALIF

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given 510(k) clearance to Camber Spine to market its ENZA-A titanium anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF)...

Amgen receives positive CHMP opinion to expand use of Prolia (denosumab)...

The committee for medicinal products for human use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion in the marketing authorisation...

NSI-566 stem cell therapy confers neurological improvement in spinal cord injury...

Stem cells
Intraspinal injections of human spinal cord-derived neural stem cells are well tolerated in a Phase I study of four patients with thoracic (T2–T12) ASIA-A...

Researchers launch study to measure effects of new rheumatologic agent

Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (New York, USA) have launched a pilot study to see how a rheumatologic agent that treats several related autoimmune disorders...

More than 15% of osteoporosis patients who take drug holidays suffer...

A Loyola Medicine study has found that 15.4% of patients who take drug holidays from osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates experienced bone fractures. During a six-year...

Case report: Impact of the NSpine Arosa meeting collaboration

Case performed by Oded Hershkovich and Bronek Boszczyk (both Centre for Spinal Studies and Surgery, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK). nspine Introduction We would like to...

Revolutionary robotic treatment for patients with spinal cord injuries now available...

The world’s first advanced robotic treatment device that has been evidenced to improve a patient’s ability to walk is being made commercially available in...

Surgeons develop a new screening measurement for cervical stenosis in NFL...

Massachusetts General Hospital surgeons have proposed the development of a screening measurement to determine the likelihood of prospective National Football League (NFL) players suffering a...

New spinal stimulation technology more effective in reducing pain in patients...

Spinal stimulation increases the odds of pain relief more than medical therapy when patients are faced with intractable spine or limb pain. This is...

Spinal anaesthesia safe for high-risk lumbar spinal surgery patients

Spinal anaesthesia is safe for high-risk patients undergoing lumbar spinal surgery, and allows for better perioperative hemodynamic stability compared to general anesthesia, a recent study published in...

Preliminary study suggests drug may help infants with Spinal Muscular Atrophy

A preliminary study suggests that an investigational drug may help increase protein levels in infants with spinal muscular atrophy. The results of the open label study were...

Chronic opioids linked to increased complications after spinal fusion surgery

Patients who have been taking opioids as pain relievers for several months before spinal fusion surgery are at increased risk of complications after their...

Surgeons’ procedural choices have strong influence on risk of distal junctional...

Surgeons’ procedural choices and patient malalignment are the strongest predictors of distal junctional kyphosis in the first year following surgery. This was the conclusion...

Low complication rate in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy via an interlaminar...

Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy via an interlaminar approach is effective for lumbar disc herniation, with few complications, reported Jiancheng Zeng (West China Hospital, Sichuan...

Spinal surgery cannot reverse the back pain tsunami

Martin Underwood (Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK) has worked as a general practioner in Lusaka, Manchester, London and Coventry, UK. He has a...

Raja Rampersaud

An advocate for interprofessional models of care for spine and musculoskeletal disorders, Raja Rampersaud is a spine surgeon globally recognised as a leader and innovator...

Recovery rates lower and postoperative residual symptoms significantly worsen with age...

Postoperative gait disturbance significantly increases with age, persisting in elderly patients for longer than in non-elderly patients. This is the finding of a recent study comparing clinical...

EOS imaging announces new EOS system installations in two US private...

Mexico
EOS imaging has announced that University Orthopedics in Providence, Rhode Island, and the Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery in Raleigh, North Carolina...

Bracing superior to exercise for treating spinal curvature in AIS patients,...

Both bracing and exercise have demonstrable, significant treatment effectiveness for patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. This was the finding of a randomised, controlled trial...

Zimmer Biomet announces 510(k) clearance for Zyston strut open titanium interbody...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given 510(k) clearance for the Zyston strut open titanium interbody spacer system (Zimmer Biomet). This marks...

Human vs. robot: Robotic-guided S2AI screw placement “safe, accurate, reliable” in...

Both free hand and robotic-guided S2 alar-iliac (S2AI) screw placement prove to be safe, accurate and reliable techniques for achieving spinopelvic fixation. This is...

National Scoliosis Center founder Luke Stikeleather named president of Scoliosis Society

The international Society on Scoliosis Orthopaedic Rehabilitation and Treatment (SOSORT) elected Luke Stikeleather as president at its annual meeting held this spring in Dubrovnik,...

Life Spine announces line extension of PRO-LINK titanium stand-alone cervical spacer...

Life Spine receives approval from FDA
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given 510(k) clearance to the PRO-LINK titanium stand-alone cervical spacer system (Life Spine) for spinal fusions. PRO-LINK...

Novel endoscopic transforaminal decompression and fusion with VariLift-LX described

A novel endoscopic, stand-alone transforaminal decompression and fusion (TLIF) technique using the VariLift-LX system (Wenzel Spine) has been described in a 24 consecutive patient...

Los Angeles spine surgeon Todd H Lanman earns ‘Leader in Health...

Prominent spinal neurosurgeon Todd H Lanman (Lanman Spinal Neurosurgery, Los Angeles, USA) has been honored by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of...

Reprogrammed stem cell-derived neurons survive long-term in pigs with spinal cord...

Using stem cell derived neuronal cells reprogrammed from genetically identical animals eliminated the need for immunosuppression measures. A major hurdle to using neural stem cells...

It was supposed to be a Blue Ocean! Why sacroiliac joint...

Bruce Dall is a spine surgeon, and an advocate for those with sacroiliac joint pain
Bruce Dall is a spine surgeon, having gained his medical qualification at the University of Nebraska Medical School (Omaha, USA), and an advocate for...

In a break with dogma, myelin boosts neuron growth in spinal...

Recovery after severe spinal cord injury is notoriously fraught, with permanent paralysis often the result. In recent years, researchers have increasingly turned to stem...

Expanded commercial release of Clutch interspinous process device

Spinal Elements, a spine technology company, has announced the release of its Clutch interspinous process device. This new product further enhances the breadth of...

A neurosurgeon’s perspective on Michael Jackson’s gravity-defying Smooth Criminal tilt

Michael Jackson's gravity-defying Smooth Criminal dance move, which wowed live audiences and inspired new forms of dancing, was down to core strength and an...

Immediate restoration of voluntary movement with epidural spinal cord stimulation in...

In a small cohort of patients, spinal cord stimulation has been shown to restore volitional movement in select patients with paraplegia, after intensive therapy....

Change in policy allowing overlapping surgery decreases length of stay in...

A change in policy allowing overlapping surgery decreases length of stay in an academic, safety net hospital. This is the conclusion of Anthony DiGiorgio...

Scientists map key brain-to-spinal cord nerve connections for voluntary movement

Researchers trying to help people suffering from paralysis after a spinal cord injury or stroke mapped critical brain-to-spinal cord nerve connections that drive voluntary...

Few patients maximise opioid-sparing medications after orthopaedic surgery

A new study led by Johns Hopkins researchers adds to growing evidence that patients underuse non-opioid pain relievers to supplement opioid pain management after...

First patient treated in US clinical trial of IDCT for degenerative...

IDCT
DiscGenics, a clinical stage regenerative medicine company, has announced the first patient has been treated in its phase I/II US clinical trial of IDCT...

FDA approval for Infuse Bone Graft in expanded spinal surgery indications

Infuse Bone Graft (Medtronic) has gained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in new spine surgery indications. InfuseBone Graft is now approved for...

Auto-registration more clinically accurate than point-to-point registration in navigation assisted spinal...

Auto-registration is better than point-to-point registration with respect to clinical accuracy when using the same active infrared navigation system during spinal surgery. This is...

Spinal News International Issue 47 – May 2018

Highlights: Percutaneous vertebroplasty does not result in statistically significant greater pain relief than a sham procedure, according to the most recent results of the...

Scotland leads the way in approval of first licensed treatment for...

NURTURE
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has recommended the routine funding of Spinraza (nusinersen) for the treatment of symptomatic type 1 5q spinal muscular atrophy...

EOS imaging announces 15th installation in Australia

Mexico
EOS imaging, a company specialising in 2D/3D imaging for orthopaedics, has announced the installation of an EOS system at the Queensland X-Ray radiology practice...

Endangered salamander offers clues on healing spinal cord injury

A recent study detailing the cellular mechanism powering the neuronal regenerative capacities of axolotls (otherwise known as Mexican salamanders) hopes to find new leads...

For heavy lifting, use exoskeletons with caution

Wearable robotics do not eliminate stress—they just shift it to other parts of the body. This is the finding of a study in which...

Spinal News International Issue 46 – March 2018

Highlights: New study offers hope for recovered motor function in patients with chronic spinal cord injury New algorithm decodes spine oncology treatment Experimental therapy...

Advancing spinal surgery with 3D-printed Tritanium® implants “engineered for bone”

Stryker’s 3D-printed Tritanium In-Growth Technology continues to impact spinal surgery. A novel, highly porous titanium material designed for bone in-growth and biological fixation1, Tritanium...

Emerging Implant Technologies on target with disruptive spinal implant designs

This article is sponsored by EIT, LLC. Emerging Implant Technologies (EIT): Cellular Titanium® for improved fusion results Frustration at the clinical shortcomings of existing cage designs...

First dynamic spine brace—the robotic spine exoskeleton—characterises spinal deformities

Designed by Columbia Engineers, the robotic spine exoskeleton (RoSE) is the first device to take in vivo measurements of torso stiffness and to characterise...

Neurokinex Kids paediatric rehabilitation facility opens in Crawley, UK

Neurokinex (charity number 1169964)—the first and only international community fitness and wellness affiliate of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation’s NeuroRecovery Network (NRN)—has opened...

Belgian surgeon Marek Szpalski named ISASS president 2018—2019

The International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) named Belgian surgeon Marek Szpalski (Iris South Hospitals/Molière Longchamp, Brussels, Belgium) society president for...

Preclinical studies of a non-invasive cell therapy for DDD highlight its...

IDCT
Two preclinical studies of IDCT, an allogenic (donor-derived), non-invasive cell therapy for the treatment of degenerative disc disease (DDD), demonstrate that proprietary discogenic cells,...

Disability scores improve for all patients undergoing surgery with a Luna...

Positive interim results of a retrospective analysis of the Luna 3D multi-expandable interbody fusion system were announced by Benvenue Medical at the Annual Meeting...

Stryker spine division’s Tritanium C anterior cervical cage gains momentum with...

The Tritanium C anterior cervical cage, a 3D-printed interbody fusion cage from Stryker’s Spine division intended for use in the cervical spine, has been...

Gauthier Biomedical announces 510(k) FDA approval to market Intellitorq

Gauthier Biomedical, a manufacturer of orthopaedic instruments and medical devices, has announced that it is the first company to achieve 510(k) approval by the...

Therapeutic Goods Administration requests additional clinical data on Mainstay Medical’s ReActiv8

Mainstay Medical, a medical device company focused on bringing to market ReActiv8, an implantable restorative neurostimulation system to treat disabling chronic low back pain,...

First clinical use of SENTRY 2 lateral plating system announced by...

Life Spine, a privately held medical device company based in Huntley, Illinois, has announced the first clinical use of SENTRY 2 lateral plating system,...

RTI Surgical reaches global milestone of providing 8 million biologic implants...

RTI Surgical celebrates a significant global milestone: providing more than eight million biologic implants processed through the company’s proprietary sterilisation processes with zero confirmed...

CTL Medical gains FDA clearance for Seurat Universal pedicle screw

CTL Medical has recently secured clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its new Seurat Universal pedicle screw system for...

SpinalCyte announces MRI evidence of disc regeneration following phase 1/phase 2...

MRI analysis of patients who received intradiscal injections of human dermal fibroblasts shows significant improvement in disc height after six months, the latest evidence...

CTL Medical secures FDA approval for its MATISSE Titanium-PEEK ACIF cage...

CTL Medical, a Dallas-based medical device manufacturing and service company, has secured US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance and approval to market its...

Research shows NuVasive porous PEEK structure maintains high porosity after impaction

Nuvasive
The NuVasive porous polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) material shows minimal surface damage upon impaction compared to titanium-coated devices, concludes a study recently published in The Spine...

Scoliosis Research Society collaborates with corporate partners and International Spine Study...

The Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) has partnered with Globus Medical, K2M, Medtronic, NuVasive, Zimmer Biomet, and the International Spine Study Group Foundation (ISSGF) to...

Study validates software tool to assess mortality risk in older patients...

Analytic software developed by orthopaedic trauma surgeons at NYU Langone Health accurately identifies which middle-aged and elderly patients face a greater mortality risk following...

Intervertebral disc narrowing greater in women than men in an elderly...

In an elderly Chinese population, intervertebral disc narrowing over a four-year period is associated with the presence of osteoporosis, and is greater in women...

Cerapedics receives FDA approval to initiate IDE study of P-15L bone...

Cerapedics, a privately-held orthobiologics company, has announced the company received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate an investigational device...

Helmet use is associated with a reduced risk of cervical spine...

Despite claims that helmets do not protect the cervical spine during a motorcycle crash and may even increase the risk of injury, researchers from...

Brain capillaries trigger spinal motor neurons to develop

A new study, published in the journal Stem Cell Reports, has revealed that the human brain's tiniest blood vessels can activate genes known to...

Camber Spine Technologies announces first 100 implantations of SPIRA-C Open Matrix...

Camber Spine, a leading innovator in spinal and medical technologies, has announced the first surgeries using the company's proprietary SPIRA™-C Open Matrix Cervical Interbody...

Spineology completes enrollment in IDE trial for mesh fusion implant

Spineology has announced that enrollment is now complete in the company's Spineology Clinical Outcomes Trial (SCOUT) clinical trial. The SCOUT IDE, conducted under an FDA-approved...

Percutaneous vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty: current status, new developments and old controversies

Dimitri Filippiadis and Alexis Kelekis (both Department of Radiology II, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece) here detail the history and future of percutaneous vertebroplasty...

Could an injection replace surgery for osteoarthritis patients?

A team lead by Denis Evseenko (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA) hopes to delay or reduce the need...

Charles Fisher

Charles Fisher (University of British Columbia, Canada) was honoured in 2016 as one of the top 28 spine surgeons in North America, a highlight...

3D printing: the future of spinal implants?

3D
Daniel Spencer is a business manager at Charlton Morris, an executive search firm specialising in the medical space. Here, he argues that 3D printing...

Experimental therapy restores nerve insulation damaged by autoimmune disease

Scientists at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre report an experimental molecular therapy that restores insulation around peripheral nerves in mice, improves limb function, and...

SPINRAZA responsible for improved motor function in later-onset SMA sufferers

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients treated with SPINRAZA (nusinersen) have experienced stabilised or improved motor function, contrary to the natural course of the degenerative...

JAMA study on radiofrequency denervation for back pain dubbed “scientific fake...

Varun Rimmalapudi and Jeff Buchalter (both Gulf Coast Pain Institute, Pensacola, USA) respond to an article printed in the October issue of Spinal News International:...

New algorithm decodes spine oncology treatment

Experts explain their approach to treating patients who are living longer with cancer that has spread to the spine, as the options for metastatic...

Lilly announces positive top-line Phase 3 results for Taltz in Ankylosing...

Taltz Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company has announced that Taltz (ixekizumab) met the primary and all key secondary endpoints in COAST-V, a Phase three study evaluating the safety...

Durability and sustainability of decompression procedures extended with coflex

The results of a two-year study demonstrate decompression with coflex interlaminar stabilisation extends the durability and sustainability of a decompression procedure. coflex is the...

EOS imaging announces new installation in a top-ranking speciality orthopaedic hospital in...

image of EOS imaging's platform
EOS imaging, a company specialising in 2D and 3D imaging and data solutions for orthopaedics, has announced the installation of an EOS system at...

Simplify Medical closes additional US$23.25 million in second tranche of series...

Simplify Medical, a company focused on cervical spinal disc arthroplasty and maker of the Simplify cervical artificial disc, has announced a second tranche of...

Bioventus to co-develop next generation bone allograft with LifeLink

  Bioventus, a global leader in orthobiologic solutions, has entered into an agreement with LifeLink Tissue Bank, a division of LifeLink Foundation, to co-develop a...

Biogen optimistic that the first treatment for spinal muscular atrophy is...

Spinal muscular atrophy sufferers are a step closer to accessing vastly life-improving treatment following the formal National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)...

Astura Medical announces initial cases and full commercial release for Bridalveil...

Spine technology company Astura Medical has today announced the completion of the initial surgeries and full commercial release for its Bridalveil Occipital-Cervico-Thoracic (OCT) system....

FDA releases final rule on acceptance of data from clinical investigations...

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has today issued the final rule on “human subject protection; acceptance of data from clinical investigations for medical...

Nerve networks for walking originated in ancient fish

The nerve circuits that enable people to walk first appeared more than 400 million years ago in fish whose descendants still walk the seafloor...

Orthofix announces 510(k) clearance and US limited market launch of FORZA...

Orthofix International, a global medical device company focused on musculoskeletal healing products, has announced the 510(k) clearance and US limited market launch of the...

Mount Sinai Researchers Discover Possible Link between Diet and Back Injuries

Patient-reported functional outcomes vary considerably after lumbar spinal fusion surgery
Mount Sinai researchers have found a possible link between a poor diet and back injuries, especially in women. The study suggests that following a...

New study offers hope for recovered motor function in patients with...

Stem cells
  Researchers report the successful use of a novel therapeutic strategy to enhance forelimb recovery in mice with chronically injured spinal cords. The findings were...

First cases using the Triojection System to treat disc herniation completed...

The first cases using the Triojection system to treat spinal disc herniations in Germany were recently performed, Minimus Spine Inc. has announced. The cases...

State-of-the-art orthopaedic technique may help to identify which cervical radiculopathy patients...

  New research using unbiased serum proteomics, a state-of-the-art technique in orthopaedics, aims to predict which cervical radiculopathy patients will fail conservative treatment and consequently...

Johnson & Johnson merges global healthcare education programmes

Johnson & Johnson has formed the Johnson & Johnson Institute, bringing together 26 professional educational facilities across four continents. The Johnson & Johnson Institute also...