Spine

The use of an intraoperative three-dimensional fluoroscopy system with an image-guidance system can result in greater accuracy of pedicle screw placement than using preoperative CT scans, according to a study published in The Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques.

Stanton Ward, MD, a spine surgeon, has become a fellowship colleague with the NorthEast Institute for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery in Laconia, N.H., according to a report from The Citizen of Laconia.

Thomas C. Schuler, MD, Founder and CEO of The Virginia Spine Institute (VSI), and Brian R. Subach, MD, Director of Research for VSI and The Spinal Research Foundation, a national 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, are leading spine patient advocacy…

Lynn S. Feldman, RN, MBA, administrative manager of Eastwind Surgical, a spine center in Westerville, Ohio, discusses eight reimbursement and business concepts for spine.

Laser Spine Institute, based in Tampa, Fla., was recently commended by Florida Senator John Thrasher for its innovation, economic development and efforts to lower the cost of healthcare through the procedures surgeons perform, according to a company news release.

Physicians should be careful when suggesting intradiscal steroid injections for chronic lower back pain patients, according to a NASS news release.

Medtronic recently announced study results that show performing Kyphon balloon kyphoplasty on cancer patients provides better back-specific function and improved quality of life compared to non-surgical treatment, according to a company news release.

Patients with low back pain and no evidence of an underlying condition often do not benefit from diagnostic imaging such as radiography, MRI and CT scans, according to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The active range of motion in patients undergoing an anterior cervical decompression and fusion increased after surgery, and success was dependent on the number of operated levels, according to a study published in Spine.

Trang H. Nguyen, MD, of University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, recently led a study that showed that spinal fusions led to worst long-term outcomes in workers' compensation patients, according to an article published in Spine.