Avery Jackson, MD, of Michigan Neurosurgical Institute in Grand Blanc, discusses emerging technology trends in the spine arena.
Question: What emerging technology or technique do you think will have the biggest impact on the spine field five years from now?
Dr. Avery Jackson: Vertebral augmentation. As the population is aging, there's more of a need to develop techniques and be more aggressive with decreasing the knowledge gap for osteoporosis management and diagnosis as well as treatment of compression fractures of the spine and other osteoporotic fractures. The impact to society is increasing as the population is aging. Also, when these fractures occur it adds to the opioid epidemic as these patients are untreated and undiagnosed. Therefore, [they] are requiring more and more narcotic and analgesic management.
Q: What do you think will fade or disappear from the spine field over the next few years?
AJ: I think interbody spinous devices will eventually fade. I think halo fixation will eventually fade.
Q: Where do you see the biggest room for innovation in spine?
AJ: One of the biggest innovations in spine is going to be the way that we communicate with certain platforms like project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes). Collectively we're stronger and better than we are individually. The only way that we are going to be in a position to move forward in this complex world is to be able to communicate and work effectively together which is quite the challenge.
ECHO is where you have a didactic and case-based/best practice discussion to increase everyone's scope of practice and level of knowledge in any specific area. This movement forward as a country in treating more complex health issues including spine issues [and] the opioid epidemic.
Project ECHO is a different way to have a mini grand round and is the wave of the future as it relates to educational communication. Technology transfer discussion and agreements across party lines are important. Tech transfer especially related to communication with hospital systems, as they are trying to compete and be significant players in disruptive innovation for new untapped revenue streams, and [in] their relationship to the individual physician inventor and collective.
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For a deeper dive into the future of spine, attend the Becker's 17th Annual Future of Spine + Spine, Orthopedic & Pain Management-Driven ASC in Chicago, June 13-5, 2019. Click here to learn more and register.