Spine

From a 3D-printed spinal interbody to an augmented reality-assisted shoulder system, here are five surgeons who introduced innovations in the past two months:

CMS' procedure price look-up tool allows users to compare average pay for several procedures in ASCs and hospital outpatient departments.

As spine procedures continue to accelerate to the outpatient setting, surgeons will need access to technologies that enable higher-acuity procedures to be done with accuracy and predictability in the least traumatic manner.

The minimally invasive spinal implants market reached nearly $2 billion in 2020, and it's expected to hit close to $3 billion by 2027, according to iData Research.

Neurosurgeon Todd Lanman, MD, became the first in the U.S. to restore motion at three contiguous levels in a patient's cervical spine.

More than 3.9 million patients are expected to be treated for degenerative disc disease in the U.S. by 2028, according to a report from Coherent Market Insights.

Robert Rothrock, MD, joined Baptist Health’s Miami Neuroscience Institute as neurosurgical director of spinal oncology, South Florida Hospital News reported Aug. 18.

CMS' payment and site-of-care proposed changes for 2022 have caused some head-scratching among surgeons as the agency plans to walk back many of the changes it enacted this year.

Increasing regulatory changes, the spread of the COVID-19 delta variant and continued reimbursement cuts are top of mind for spine surgeons in the remaining months of the year.

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to spike, particularly in regions with higher levels of community transmission and lower vaccination rates, and spine surgeons are worried that elective surgeries in these areas could be affected once again.