Spine

The first full results from Synergy Disc’s U.S. Investigational Device Exemption study found stronger rates of improvement and pain scores compared to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, according to an April 2 news release. Five things to know: 1. In…

The next generation of spine surgery robots may go beyond just hardware advances and become a learning partner alongside surgeons, Michael Gallizzi, MD, said. Dr. Gallizzi, a spine surgeon at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo., spoke with Becker’s about…

Becker’s reported on 10 spine surgeons who joined new practices or added to their titles during March. Note: This is not an exhaustive list. 1. Box Butte General Hospital in Alliance, Neb., added Lonnie Loutzenhiser, MD. 2. Spine surgeon Todd Albert, MD, was named…

Neurosurgeon Thomas Lee, MD, was named vice president of strategy at SynerFuse. Dr. Lee is a neurosurgeon and assistant professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, according to an April 2 news release shared with…

The University of California, San Francisco Health’s department of orthopedic surgery has appointed Rajiv Sethi, MD, PhD, as chief of orthopedic spine surgery, co-director of the UCSF Spine Center and UCSF system medical director of value-based musculoskeletal initiatives, effective April…

New York City-based Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai researchers have identified a “molecular switch” that may be capable of helping improve recovery after peripheral nerve or spinal cord injuries.  During the study, published in Nature, researchers found that…

Stavropoula Tjoumakaris, MD, has been appointed chair of the neurosurgery department at Jefferson Neurosurgery, part of Philadelphia-based Jefferson Health, according to a March 31 LinkedIn post.  Dr. Tjoumakaris previously served as interim chair and holds multiple leadership roles, including director…

Michael Kelly, MD, has joined the spine division in Stanford (Calif.) Medicine’s department of orthopedic surgery, according to a March 31 LinkedIn post.  Dr. Kelly has held leadership roles at San Diego-based Rady Children’s Hospital and St. Louis-based Washington University,…

Three lawsuits were filed March 23 alleging Nevro’s spinal cord stimulators are defectively designed and made patient’s chronic pain worse, AboutLawsuits reported March 30. All three lawsuits were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California,…

In a healthcare landscape squeezed by reimbursement pressures and economic challenges, complex spine and revision surgery are becoming harder to deliver sustainably. Two spine surgeons discuss why these changes are happening. Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed…