Here are eight things for spinal surgeons to know for August 6, 2015.
Orthopedic surgery led top earning physician specialties
Orthopedic surgery was the top earning physician specialty in 2014, at $499,000, according to Medicus Firm.
LinkSPINE's 1st US implantation of FacetLINK MINI
Dhruv Pateder, MD, performed the first procedure using LinkSPINE's FacetLINK MINI in the United States at HCA Reston (Va.) Hospital Center. The implant is designed to stabilize the spine as an aid to fusion through facet joint immobilization and is used with bone graft at single or multiple levels from L3 to S1.
Dr. Carl Lauryssen joins NeuroTexas, to lead Spinal Kinetics M6-C trial
NeuroTexas welcomed board-certified spine surgeon Carl Lauryssen, MD, to its team. He will hold appointments and perform surgeries at Lakeway Regional Medical Center, bolstering the center's neurological presence in Central Texas. Lakeway Regional Medical will be at the frontline of clinical trials in neurosurgery.
Mark Burnett, MD, Douglas Fox, MD, and Michael Webb, MD, will also be investigators in the study for Spinal Kinetics' M6-C artificial cervical disc. The trial compares single-level cervical disc replacement to single-level cervical fusion. The disc is designed to help degenerative disc disease patients by restoring natural physiologic motion to the spine.
Paralyzed men voluntarily move legs without surgery
Paralyzed men moved their legs voluntarily during a UCLA study that used a noninvasive procedure stimulating the spinal cord. The study involved five paralyzed men who had electrodes placed at the lower back and near the tailbone on the skin. Lead researcher V. Reggie Edgerton, PhD, does not know if paralyzed people will be able to regain full control of their legs to walk.
CVS Health and IBM partner to use Watson technology for individualized care
CVS Healthcare and IBM will use Watson cognitive computing to create a personalized healthcare service. This collaborative approach will allow healthcare providers to closely watch patients' all-around health progress, from lifestyle choices to chronic condition management.
Blue Belt partners with Acibadem for orthopedic surgical robotics center
Blue Belt Technologies, a "smart" surgical instrument developer, and Acibadem Healthcare Group, a healthcare services provider in Turkey, partnered to create an orthopedic surgical robotics program. The Blue Belt Navio system robotic-assisted orthopedic technology will be used in partial knee replacements. Osteoarthritis patients may prefer partial knee replacement surgery instead of total knee replacement.
Dr. John Spitalieri opens North Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Clinic
Neurosurgeon John Spitalieri, DO, opened the North Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Clinic. Dr. Spitalieri provides care for residents of Cumberland, Hoke, Lee and surrounding counties. He specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery.
Vertebral osteomyelitis now has its 1st US guideline
The Infectious Diseases Society of America released the first United States guideline on vertebral osteomyelitis, a rare spine infection that can lead to serious issues if not caught early. Vertebral osteomyelitis involves bacteria in the blood entering an intervertebral disc. The guideline was created by infection disease physicians, and orthopedic surgeon and a radiologist.