News and Research for Spine Professionals

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, Skeletal Maturity, Surgery—Study Statistical Analysis

The statistical analysis related to Surgery for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Patients After Skeletal Maturity: Now or Later? presented during the annual meeting of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons is featured.

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, Skeletal Maturity, Surgery—Discussion, Conclusion

Surgical correction of the skeletally mature adolescent often evokes fear among family members to the possibility of complications.

Arthritis, Painkillers and Heart Health

Ten-year trial with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis patients had surprising findings about celecoxib, naproxen and ibuprofen.

Can Opioids Still Be Prescribed Effectively and Safely in the Era of Federal Scrutiny?

A summary of "Opioid Use in an Era of Federal Scrutiny," presented by Carl W. Stopper, APN-C, during Spine Summit 2017.

Research Shows BMP Use in Pediatric Fusion Does Not Improve Revision Rates

First study to provide 10-year utilization and outcome data for rhBMP use in pediatric patients who underwent spinal arthrodesis. Jeffrey Wang, MD provides insightful commentary.

Epidural Steroid Injection Before Spine Surgery Linked to Postoperative Infection

The timing of lumbar epidural steroid injection (LESI) treatment before spinal fusion surgery may be an important risk factor for postoperative infection.

Trends in Surgical Procedures Performed in Ambulatory Surgery Centers

Ambulatory surgery centers appear well-positioned to thrive in the continuing evolving health care industry, with industry experts forecasting strong industry growth in 2017.

NASS Releases Coverage Policy Recommendations on Intrathecal Drug Delivery Systems

The North American Spine Society released coverage policy recommendations on spinal intrathecal drug delivery systems for the treatment of nonmalignant pain and spasticity.

Clinical Massage Therapy “Real-World” Study Outcomes

In a first-of-its-kind study, clinical massage therapy was shown to produce "clinically meaningful improvement" for more than half of patients studied.

Music Therapy Decreases Pain After Spine Surgery

Music therapy, when combined with standard medical care, lowered pain perception in patients recovering from spinal fusion.

Spine Biomechanics Laboratory Quantitates Functional Outcomes After Spine Surgery

The Spinal Biomechanics Laboratory is the first spine-related human movement biomechanics lab to be incorporated within a private practice spine center in the United States.

Navigating Health Insurance Coverage for Minimally Invasive SI Joint Surgery

Patients who underwent minimally invasive SI joint fusion with the iFuse Implant™ were 11 times less likely to be opioid users at their last visit.

Spine Surgery “Hype”? Robotics, Biologics, Navigation, Lasers

“Don’t Believe the Hype” was one of the popular symposiums held during the 17th Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS).

Why Perform Spinal Injections at All? Evidence is Weak

The audience discussion included the question, "If the patient is not a surgical candidate, would you and do you send that patient for pain management?"

Early Occupational Intervention for Chronic Low Back Pain Does Not Add to Benefits of Usual Care

Low back pain interventions that include an explanation of the pain may be sufficient to limit sick leave in patients with LBP and physically demanding jobs.

Radiofrequency Ablation of the Basivertebral Nerve Shows Efficacy in Case Series

Results of prospective open-label case series are in keeping with earlier studies of basivertebral nerve ablation in the treatment of chronic low back pain.

High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation in Healthy Adults Linked to Bone Thinning

Study reveals there is no further bone benefit by increasing vitamin D in healthy adults who are vitamin D sufficient.

USC Launches Online Pain Medicine Programs

USC offers a Master of Science in Pain Medicine and a Certificate in Pain Medicine. Both online programs provide clinicians a comprehensive body of knowledge on pain and enable them to better treat pain in their patients.

John F. Kennedy’s Unsuccessful Back Surgeries and Chronic Back Pain

The authors uncovered information proving to be the tip of the iceberg revealing more about JFK's chronic back pain and possibly his death.

What Factors Are Important to Patients When Deciding Between Minimally Invasive or Open Surgery for Posterior Lumbar Fusion?

Lead author, Dr. Hwee Weng Dennis Hey comments on this research study. Choll W. Kim, MD, offers his insight on the values of informed-consent.

Half of Patients Expect Physicians, Nurses to Protect Them Against Hospital Shootings

In an active hospital shooting situation, under what circumstances do you lock down doors and stay versus run and take patients with you?

Volume Benchmarks for Common Lumbar Spine Surgeries Defined in Recent Study

Volume benchmarks for common lumbar spine surgeries were defined in a retrospective review published online ahead of print in The Spine Journal.

Measuring Outcomes in the Treatment of Early Onset Scoliosis

Assessing outcomes in treatment of EOS entails more than just assessing the Cobb angle. At the 52nd Annual Meeting of the Scoliosis Research Society, presenters discussed options and outcomes.

ACA Brand Relaunch Aims to Set a Higher Standard for Chiropractic Care

Four key findings from the ACA’s Brand Study are revealed. David Herd, DC spoke with SpineUniverse about encouraging consistent, evidence-based care as part of the association’s goals.

Arachnoid Web of the Spine: Optimal Detection and Management

Systematic review of surgically treated patients with arachnoid web of the spine provides a comprehensive review of the published literature on AWS to help physicians who see these patients.

Advisory on rhBMP-2 in "The Spine Journal" Had a Greater Effect on Practice Than FDA Warning

New findings suggest the 2011 warnings in TSJ had a more profound impact on practice patterns in terms of decreasing rhBMP-2 use than the 2008 FDA warning.

Are Magnetically Controlled Growing Rods a Game Changer for Early-Onset Scoliosis?

The debate between magnetically controlled growing rods vs traditional growing rods continued at the Scoliosis Research Society's annual meeting.

Smokers With Cervical Disc Disease Have Increased Spine Surgery Rates

Are stronger pre-surgical smoking cessation programs needed? Zorica Buser, PhD, and Jeffrey C. Wang, MD, comment on the study findings.

Osteoporosis Drug Significantly Reduced Fractures Compared to Traditional Treatment

Unlike previous romosozumab studies, this study showed the drug’s benefits beyond vertebral fractures, but cardiovascular risk puts FDA approval on hold.

Casting for Treatment of Early-Onset Scoliosis—Practice Pearls

Key points from the Scoliosis Research Society’s webinar on casting in treatment of early-onset scoliosis features commentary by faculty members.

Low Risk of Adjacent Segment Degeneration Found Following Lumbar Total Disc Replacement

“These findings finally verify the holy grail for those of us who have dedicated decades to disc replacement. We now have substantiated proof that this is correct,” stated Richard D. Guyer, MD.

The Future of Scientific Publications: The Effects of Open Access, Social Media, and Altmetrics

A panel of editors from leading spine journals convened to discuss the movement toward open access articles, new digital technologies, and if impact factor is an accurate measure for scientific journals.

Nonopioid Multimodal Analgesia for Pre- and Post-Operative Spine Surgery

Multimodal analgesia, including use of nonopioid analgesia has emerged as a way to improve pain control following spine surgery and help limit the risk of opioid use.

Opioid Focus: Federal Crisis Response, Education Versus Regulations and Legislation

The complexity of the opioid overdose problem is multifaceted and includes a poorly understood population, lack of provider education and an inordinate focus on pills and not the patient.

Do Occult Pathogens Play a Role in Failed Back Surgery?

Occult pathogens may play a role in chronic pain and failed fusion in instrumented spine surgery. The impact of this potential association is marked given the rising rates of instrumented spinal fusions in the past decade.

Preventing Spinal Implant Contamination in Spine Surgery

Is preventing spinal device-related infection a life-long battle? Bacteria are tougher to kill when they attach to the surface of a spinal implant, even before they form a biofilm.

Women Report Better Outcomes After Surgery for Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis

Why women with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis are more likely to be satisfied with their surgical outcome.

Pre-Operative Depression Linked to Increased Opioid Use Following Lumbar Fusion

Delay lumbar spinal fusion until depression is treated? How does depression affect post-operative pain control?

High Fat, High Sugar Diet Linked to Increased Fracture Risk

Vertebral fracture risk increased by chronic consumption of diet high in advanced glycation end-products (AGEs).

Spine Technology News Highlights June 2018

Spine technology news highlights for June 18 include a novel investigational PEEK-on-ceramic cervical artificial disc, registration deadline and information about academic pain medicine programs and the NASS spine registry.

8 Spine Technology and News Highlights July 2018

SpineUniverse highlights a blend of eight news briefs covering technology, clinical research, corporate updates, spine devices, surgical opinion, and more from July 2018.

Findings Support Vertebral Augmentation Over Non-surgical Management of Vertebral Compression Fracture

Strong support for vertebral augmentation over non-surgical management of vertebral compression fractures was found in a recent meta-analysis of 25 prospective studies.

Women Are More Susceptible to Traumatic Lumbar Spine Injury Than Men

Gender differences in traumatic spine injuries include a higher rate of cervical spine fractures in men and a higher rate of thoracolumbar fractures in women.

Top 3 Device Manufacturers in the U.S. Spine Market

The total US spine market in 2017 was valued at over $7.7 billion USD. Of the many segments that make up this market, the MIS segment is among the fastest-growing. Of interest, the top 3 competitors in the overall market coincide with that of the MIS market, albeit in different orders.