Spine

A 42-year-old construction worker sits across from me in clinic, MRI in hand, convinced he needs surgery. His primary care doctor told him he has a “bad disc.” A friend had a fusion and swears by it. He’s Googled his…

Devan Higginbotham, MD, performed his first case with the Simplify cervical disc replacement implant at Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, Calif., Globus Medical said in a Feb. 13 LinkedIn post. The patient had neck pain, shoulder pain and radiating…

Medicare’s spinal-deformity-specific diagnosis-related group distribution has some limitations when it comes to understanding the nuances of surgeries, according to a study in the March 1 edition of Spine. Five things to know: 1. The analysis included 314 adult patients who…

Endoscopic spine surgery has been growing steadily in the U.S., but a barrier to surgeon adoption is its learning curve. A systematic review published in the March 2026 issue of The Spine Journal examined the learning curves for uniportal and…

Medtronic earned the FDA’s 510(k) clearance for its Stealth AXiS system that brings planning, navigation and robotics into one spine platform. Stealth AXiS is cleared for use in spine surgery, and it is expected to support cranial and ENT pending…

The Charlottesville-based University of Virginia School of Medicine has appointed Aaron Dumont, MD, as chair of its department of neurosurgery, effective June 1.  Dr. Dumont currently chairs the department of neurosurgery at New Orleans-based Tulane University, where he also serves…

On the heels of a strong year, Tenet Healthcare subsidiary USPI, plans to lean into outpatient spine. USPI saw strong gains in 2025 revenue with $5.2 billion, a 14.1% jump year over year. Looking ahead, Tenet Healthcare CEO Saum Sutaria,…

Jason Sansone, MD, completed his 25th spine surgery using Globus Medical’s ExcelsiusHub navigation system at Watertown (Wis.) Regional Medical Center. ExcelsiusHub was recently added at the hospital, and it provides increased precision for surgeons, according to a Feb. 5 news…

Innovations in spine surgery are opening up new opportunities for patient quality and reducing complications. Surgeons say minimally invasive approaches have reduced wound drainage, infections and instability while enabling same-day discharge. Four spine surgeons discuss what these shifts look like…

Neurosurgeon Anthony Asher, MD, was named president of Prisma Health Neurosciences Institute in Greenville, S.C. Dr. Asher joined Prisma Health in January, and he’s held neuroscience leadership roles with other systems including Charlotte, N.C.-based Atrium Health and Advocate Health, according…