Michael Wang, MD, professor of neurological surgery and chief of neurosurgery at UHealth Tower in Miami, is reportedly the first spine surgeon in Florida to perform a procedure using augmented reality, South Florida Hospital News reports.

AstraZeneca is expected to get the green light to continue its COVID-19 vaccine trial in the U.S. this week after a spinal disorder put it on hold for more than a month.

Healthgrades published its 2021 Specialty Excellence Awards on Oct. 20, which includes the top hospitals for spine surgery.

University of California San Francisco neurosurgeon Edward Chang, MD, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

From robotic surgery to virtual reality and augmented reality, here are seven spine surgeons who have introduced new technologies at their practices in the past month:

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded $36 million to a selection of universities, startups and nonprofits to advance research on spinal cord injury.

Eli Lilly's monoclonal antibody Taltz has received approval by Health Canada for the treatment of adults with nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis.

Here are the top-read stories on Becker's Spine Review during the week of Oct. 12-16:

Spine surgeon Caleb Behrend, MD, is leading a team of engineers who are developing screws fitted with sensors to calculate the status of fracture healing.

John Keller, MD, neurosurgery section chief at Metro Health-University of Michigan Health in Wyoming, Mich., performed his first augmented reality-assisted spine surgery in September, Grand Rapids Business Journal reports.

Allowing out-of-state competition for health insurance would significantly benefit the U.S. healthcare system, which is dominated by commercial payers, according to two spine surgeons from DISC Sports & Spine Center in Newport Beach, Calif.

West Palm Beach, Fla.-based St. Mary's Medical Center and Palm Beach Children's Hospital were among the first hospitals in the state to use Immertec's Medoptic virtual reality surgical training platform, South Florida Hospital News reported Oct. 15.

West Plains, Mo.-based Ozarks Medical Center onboarded orthopedic and spine surgeon Troy Caron, DO.

The oblique lateral interbody fusion is among the most innovative spine surgery approaches. It allows surgeons to achieve the same outcomes as open procedures with less tissue disruption and an accelerated patient recovery time. Becker's was able to sit down with four leading spine surgeons to learn more about how they incorporated OLIF into their practice and where they see the procedure heading in the future.

From advancement in stem cells to artificial facet joint replacements, here are the biggest technologies that nine spine surgeons are excited about:

A new device that attaches to eyeglasses has been designed to provide fluoroscopic guidance during spine surgery, Medical Xpress reports.

Vertebral body tethering, a novel minimally invasive surgery for scoliosis, is helping some patients get back to activity in half the time of those who get traditional spinal fusion, CBS Miami reports.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded $13.5 million to neurosurgeons and engineers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., to develop devices for patients with spinal cord injuries.

Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital in Gifford, Fla., welcomed orthopedic surgeon Anas Saleh, MD, according to an Oct. 8 article from South Florida Hospital News and Healthcare Report.

Reno, Nev.-based Great Basin Orthopaedics onboarded Sean Fitzpatrick, MD, to its practice, according to an Oct. 8 report from Northern Nevada Business Weekly.