Spinal Tech

The Food and Drug Administration granted clearance to 39 orthopedic- and spine-related medical devices in November, according to an FDA report.

Spine device company K2M has appointed Don O'Hearn senior vice president of sales in the Americas, according to a company news release.

Los Angeles Lakers team physicians Steve Lombardo, MD, and Daniel Kharazzi, MD, recently performed knee surgery on Lakers forward Derrick Caracter, according to a Lakers news report.

Wilmington, N.C.-based spine device company TranS1 recently announced a Medicare Administrative Contractor has removed its non-coverage policy for the AxiaLIF procedure effective Jan. 1, 2012, according to a TranS1 news release.

VertiFlex, a San Clemente, Calif.-based spine device company, has completed enrollment for its IDE clinical trail for the Superion Interspinous Spacer, according to a company news release.

A jury in the United States District Court ruled that Spinal Kinetics did not infringe on Synthes patents with the M6 Artificial Disc, according to a Spinal Kinetics news release.

Smith & Nephew recently announced the company would cut 80 jobs at its orthopedics unit in Memphis, according to a Daily News report.

Share prices for orthopedic and spine device companies have been on the downturn since last weekend, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a new pre-reimbursement review project, according to a Mass Device report.

Medical device company Sanuwave has published preclinical data demonstrating the ability of the company's extracorporeal shock wave technology to stimulate proliferation of periosteal progenitor/adult stem cells within the body, according to a Sanuwave news release.

Ranier Technology recently announced clinical trial results from its Cadisc-L spinal replacement disc, which demonstrates the ability to significantly reduce disability scores and improve quality of life, according to a Ranier news release.