Chris Hill, DO, completed his 50th case using Augmedics' Xvision augmented reality spine system, the medtech company said in a March 21 tweet.

Hamid Abbasi, MD, PhD, chief medical officer of Inspired Spine, is planning another trip outside the U.S. to teach the oblique lateral lumbar interbody fusion procedure.

Michael Gallizzi, MD, is the first spine surgeon in the Colorado Rockies region to incorporate three major endoscopic spine techniques in his practice.

Aetna's total disc replacement settlement could be on thin ice, according to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health has opened a new spine clinic in Mount Airy, N.C., according to a March 17 report from The Mount Airy News.

IMAC Holdings is merging with Brain Scientific.

Spine surgeon Paul Canale, MD, is retiring from Daphne, Ala.-based Baldwin Bone & Joint.

Neurosurgeon Vanessa Milano, MD, joined Hackensack (N.J.) Meridian JFK University Medical Center's Neuroscience Institute.

Spine surgeons often spend time volunteering within their communities to provide medical care and for other causes. Five spine surgeons told Becker's how they serve others outside of work.

The San Francisco Giants' Luis González had surgery to repair a disc in his lower back, The Mercury News reported March 14.

As spine procedure volumes grew in the last 20 years, reimbursements have dipped, researchers found in an analysis.

South Lake Tahoe, Calif.-based Barton Health has earned The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval in spine surgery and knee and hip joint replacement, according to a March 11 report from SouthTahoeNow.

From the first augmented reality surgery in Richmond, Va., to a surgery using a 3D-printed custom implant, here are five spine surgery milestones Becker's has reported on since March 1:

Sherwin Hua, MD, a spine surgeon at Stevenson Surgery Center in Fremont, Calif., has performed the first case in the U.S. using Taiwan Main Orthopedic Biotechnology's Caduceus S augmented reality spine navigation system. 

Anup Gangavalli, MD, of OrthoVirginia, completed the first augmented reality spine surgery in Richmond, Va., the North Chesterfield-based practice said in a March 8 LinkedIn post.

The NeuroSpinal Institute of Broward (Fla.) has moved into an expanded, 5,011-square-foot medical office space, upsizing from its previous 2,000-square-foot location, according to a March 9 report from the South Florida Business Journal.

New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery has identified several key patient indicators that can predict which patients may not improve, or in some cases worsen, following minimally invasive lumbar spine surgery. 

Below is a list of 10 spine surgeons who have made a positive impact on their organizations and the specialty. 

Don Stovall, MD, of Summerville, S.C.-based Lowcountry Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine has completed 151 robot-assisted lumbar spine surgeries, a spokesperson told Becker's March 8. 

Florence (S.C.) Neurosurgery and Spine Center has joined hospital system McLeod Health, also based in Florence.