Dr. Drew Dossett performs spine surgery on Texas Rangers’ Matt Harrison
Dr. Dossett performed spinal fusion on Mr. Harrison, who announced severe nerve damage in his lower back last month. Mr. Harrison is will miss the remainder of the season, and this surgery could end his career as a professional pitcher.
Smith & Nephew’s $1.5B ArthroCare acquisition is complete
The acquisition is expected to add approximately $85 million to annual trading profit in the third full year. The move will also accelerate Smith & Nephew’s strategy to rebalance toward the company’s higher growth segments.
Dr. Roger Härtl wins $15k in funding for biologic herniated disc repair
Roger Härtl, MD, and his team, in collaboration with Larry Bonassar, PhD, have been named the 2014 winners of the Ronald Apfelbaum Research Award, presented by the AANS and CNS Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves. They won the award for the creation of a novel collagen gel to repair herniated discs.
Study examines lumbar spine surgery readmissions
The study, published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, found that unplanned readmissions were 4.4 percent for the lumbar decompression patients and factors associated with unplanned readmissions included anemia and dependent functional status.
Humana sues Medtronic over Infuse device promotions
Medtronic has reportedly paid $210 million to physicians over a 14 year period for consulting, royalty payments and other fees. Humana claims that the payments are part of a conspiracy with physicians to promote unapproved uses of a key Medtronic bone growth drug Infuse. Humana has brought a federal racketeering claim against Medtronic.
Freehand vs. navigation pedicle screw placement: radiation exposure to surgeons
The study, published in Spine, found that the accumulated radiation dose for the surgeon was significantly higher during freehand pedicle screw placement — up to 9.96 times.
GAO Report: Orthopedic Surgeons With Physical Therapy Don’t Over-Use Services
According to the report, non-self-referred physical therapy services increased at a faster rate than self-referred physical therapy services. Also, the average number of physical therapy services referred per provider was mixed.
More Articles on Spine:
Hospital for Special Surgery Names Dr. Todd Albert Surgeon-in-Chief
Costs for SI Joint Disruption, Sacroiliitis About $270M Over 5 Years
The Robotic Difference: How New Technology Could Impact Spine
