Spinal News International’s top 10 most popular stories of March 2022

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Positive interim data that highlighted the safety and efficacy of DiscGenics’ cell therapy for degenerative disc disease was the most-read story on Spinal News International in March. It was closely followed by an advertorial on the benefits of the Pulse platform (NuVasive) for spine surgeons. Also making it into the top 10 was a comment piece from Alexander Satin (Frisco, USA) on the benefits of AR technology in the field, as well as company announcements from the likes of 3Spine, Saluda Medical, SurGenTec and CoreLink.

1. DiscGenics reveals positive interim data of cell therapy for degenerative disc disease

DiscGenics has announced positive interim data from its ongoing phase 1/2 clinical trial of IDCT (rebonuputemcel), an allogeneic injectable discogenic cell therapy for degenerative disc disease (DDD).

2. Why the Pulse platform is a “game-changer” for spine surgery

Spinal News International speaks to two renowned spine surgeons, Stewart Tucker (Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK) and Jacques Müller-Broich (Helios Klinikum Bonn/Rhein-Sieg, Bonn, Germany), about some of the key features of the recently CE-certified and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared Pulse platform (NuVasive), their own experience with the technology and how it has changed their approach to spinal surgery. This advertorial is sponsored by NuVasive.

3. Vertebral body tethering can help prevent fusion surgery of skeletally immature idiopathic scoliosis patients

Vertebral body tethering (VBT) is a safe and efficacious technique in preventing skeletally immature idiopathic scoliosis patients from having fusion surgery, new research—published by Darren Lui (St. George’s Hospital, London, UK) et al in the Bone and Joint Open Journal—has shown.

4. 3Spine raises US$33 million in Series C funding round

3Spine has raised US$33 million in an oversubscribed Series C private offering, the proceeds of which will be used to fund a Phase 2 clinical study of its BalancedBack total joint replacement procedure in the USA.

5. Augmented reality technology has a “bright future” in spine surgery

Alexander Satin, a spine surgeon at the Texas Back Institute (Frisco, USA), speaks to Spinal News International about the reasons why he uses augmented reality (AR) in his practice. He outlines some of the key benefits as well as downsides of the technology and considers what the future of spine surgery might look with a greater adoption of AR.

6. Saluda Medical receives FDA approval for the Evoke spinal cord stimulation system to treat chronic intractable pain

Saluda Medical has announced that it has received full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Evoke spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system, which is indicated for the treatment of chronic intractable pain of the trunk and/or limbs, including unilateral or bilateral pain associated with failed back surgery syndrome, intractable low back pain, and leg pain.

7. SurGenTec receives FDA clearance for ION screw spine fixation implant

SurGenTec has received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for ION screw, its proprietary standalone spine fixation implant which can be used to treat a variety of pathologies throughout the spine from C2-S1.

8. CoreLink announces FDA clearance of Fusation 3D printed cervical anchor

CoreLink has announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the addition of Fusation anchors to the company’s F3D-C2 cervical stand-alone fusion system.

9. Quantitative computed tomography ‘should become gold standard’ for detecting spinal osteoporosis

Quantitative computed tomography (Q-CT) is a better alternative and should replace dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as the gold standard for detecting spinal osteoporosis. This is according to a recent prospective comparative study, the results of which were published in the journal Spine by Arvind Kulkarni (Bombay Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai, India) et al.

10. Robot-assisted and augmented reality-assisted thoracolumbar instrumentation “advantageous for both patients and surgeons”

Robot-assisted and augmented reality-assisted thoracolumbar instrumentation is advantageous for both patients and surgeons but, as the technology progresses and indications expand, it remains essential to continue investigations of both in order to validate meaningful benefit over conventional instrumentation techniques in spine surgery. These are the key findings from a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine by Matthew Tovar (George Washington University, Washington DC, USA) et al.


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