Spine

A restrictive referral process can quietly cap a practice’s surgical volume long before administrators notice the pattern in the numbers. That was the case at Austin Regional Clinic, a multispecialty practice serving about 800,000 patients across Austin, Texas, and its…

Osteoporosis and low bone mineral density are among the most consequential and most frequently overlooked risk factors in elective spine surgery, and optimizing bone health before the operating room is increasingly treated as a standard of care rather than an…

The minimal clinically important difference, or MCID, has become a central tool for judging whether spine surgery actually helped a patient. But treating it as a fixed, one-size-fits-all number can create a false sense of precision, according to an article…

L&K Spine, Inc., based in Texas, a leading innovator in spinal implant technologies, today announced the successful completion of the first surgical case utilizing the BluEX-C Expandable Cervical Interbody System. The procedure was performed by Dr. Fidai in a single-level…

Robert Norton, MD, founding partner and spine surgeon at Boca Raton, Fla.-based Florida Spine Associates, said the practice’s growth from a single office to six facilities across Palm Beach and Broward counties came down to one decision: giving up control.…

For years, spine surgery has been judged by what happens early. How long was the hospital stay? Were there complications? Did the patient need another operation? Did pain improve in the first year? Praveen Mummaneni, MD, believes those questions miss…

Morristown, N.J.-based Atlantic Brain and Spine has opened an office in Edison, N.J., expanding access to brain, spine and neurovascular care for patients across the region. The new location offers first consultations, second opinions and specialty neurological care. Patients can…

CMS released its 2027 proposed payment rule for outpatient hospital departments and ASCs on July 2, 2026, projecting reimbursement cuts for four of the most common spine pain management procedures in ASCs. According to ASCA, proposed 2027 rates for top-volume…

For years, posterior cervical spine surgery has required a trade-off. Surgeons could use lateral mass screws, the long-standing workhorse of posterior cervical fixation. The technique was familiar, broadly taught and generally safe. But the fixation was not always strong enough.…

A standardized MRI classification system improved the accuracy and consistency of lumbar spinal stenosis grading among radiologists and spine specialists, according to a study published July 4 in Academic Radiology. Researchers from Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. evaluated a structured…