Spine

Laser Spine Institute has opened a consult facility in Oklahoma City led by G. David Casper, MD, a spine surgeon with expertise in minimally invasive techniques, according to a company news release.

One-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion can be safely performed in an outpatient setting, according to a study published in the Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques.

From the biomechanical primary stability point, cervical pedicle screws are unnecessary in a bi-level corpectomy model, according to a study published in Spine.

AAOS defends its guideline against vertebroplasty, citing support for studies that found the procedure to have comparable results to a "sham" procedure, and explains the process for creating guidelines in an AAOS Now article.

The Norton Neurosciences & Spine Rehabilitation Center has opened at the Norton Healthcare Pavilion in Louisville, Ky., according to a Courier-Journal report.

Spine surgeons should explain a prognosis using radiological findings instead of using phrases such as "wear and tear," which may cause patients to have negative beliefs about their condition, according to an article published in Spine.

In response to recent studies supporting and disputing the effectiveness of vertebroplasty, the North American Spine Society has called for a "thorough and systematic review of all the literature in order to better define a subgroup of patients for which…

William Beutler, MD, has been named medical director of the Harrisburg, Pa.-based PinnacleHealth's new spine institute for comprehensive assessment and treatment of back and neck pain, according to a report from The Patriot-News.

Asymmetric facet joints increase the force through one side of the spine with a unilateral spondylolysis occurring on the coronally oriented facet joint, according to a study published in Spine.

Rush University Medical Center in Chicago is comparing minimally invasive spine surgery to different forms of open surgery to determine which procedure is most beneficial in terms of complication rate, recovery time, outcome and cost, according to a hospital news…