Spine
In the realm of spinal fusion surgery, the quest for faster, safer, and more reliable bone formation has led to…
NeuroRestorative, a brand of private equity-backed Sevita Health, will break ground Aug. 25 on a 16-bed post-acute rehabilitation facility in Arlington, Texas. The facility will provide inpatient and outpatient care for individuals with brain, spinal cord and other medically complex…
Covington, La.-based Avala Spine is expanding into neurology with the launch of Avala Neuro, adding clinic locations in Covington and Metairie, La. The new service line will offer evaluation and treatment for a range of neurological conditions, including headaches and…
The spine surgeon shortage is often framed as a future problem. Some of the numbers, and surgeons’ experiences, suggest parts of it are already here. Spine’s workforce is drawn from both orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery, making national workforce trends harder…
Researchers at Houston-based University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have found that BRAF, a protein commonly associated with cancer, plays a key role in chronic pain following nerve injury — a finding with potential relevance for patients who develop…
The surgeon may still make the final decision in the operating room, however, many of the decisions that determine whether a patient ever gets there are happening somewhere else. Insurers, algorithms, reimbursement formulas, referral pathways and federal payment models are…
Complex spine surgery has become extraordinarily precise about anatomy. Surgeons can measure alignment, model sagittal balance and plan where a reconstruction should begin and end. Yet some of the factors that ultimately determine whether a patient does well may never…
The International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery is urging CMS to exempt three spine surgery codes from an efficiency adjustment proposed under the CY 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, according to an Aug. 19 letter to CMS Administrator…
The North American Spine Society has revised its coverage recommendations for spinal cord stimulation. The recommendations provide evidence-based guidance supporting coverage of spinal cord stimulation as a treatment for chronically painful spine conditions in patients who do not have surgical…
For some spine surgeons, questions about Medicare are shifting from how to absorb another payment cut to whether participation still makes financial sense at all. The pressure has been building for years as physician reimbursement falls behind practice costs. Now,…
An ad with famous athletes and their new knee brace. A company marketing the “first ever” joint replacement made for women. A surge of online influencers proposing peptides as the cure-all treatment. Increasingly, patients who would once walk in looking…