Spinal Fusion News and Research

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Misonix to introduce OsteoSculpt for facial bone surgery at EACMFS Congress

Misonix, Inc., a developer of state of the art, ultrasonic medical device technology, which worldwide is used for acute health conditions, has announced its attendance and exhibition at the 20th Congress of the European Association for Cranial-Maxillofacial Surgery (EACMFS), which was held recently in Bruges, Belgium.

16 Nov 2010

Economy saps hospital's earnings as patients avoid treatment

Reuters: The slow economy is infiltrating the hospital sector, too. "As the economic downturn drags on and the unemployment rate remains stubbornly high, patients who have lost private insurance coverage or watched their co-payments and deductibles spike up are simply not getting medical care at the rate they once did."

4 Nov 2010

Hospital mortality rates decline by 7.98% from 2007 to 2009

A new independent study by HealthGrades of patient outcomes at America's hospitals found that patients at 5-star rated hospitals had a 72% lower risk of dying when compared with patients at 1-star-rated hospitals -- an enormous gap that has held steady over the past years even as overall mortality rates have improved.

20 Oct 2010

Study compares minimally invasive and open surgeries for lower back pain

Rush University Medical Center is assessing whether minimally invasive surgery to relieve lower back pain differs from open surgery in terms of complication rate, recovery time, outcome and cost.

13 Oct 2010

DiFUSION Technologies' Xiphos line of posterior interbody devices receive 510(k) clearance

DiFUSION Technologies Inc., a medical device company focused on the development and commercialization of its proprietary CleanFUZE anti-microbial technology for orthopedic implants, announced today the 510(k) clearance of its new Xiphos line of posterior interbody devices indicated for intervertebral body fusion of the lumbar spine, from L2 to SI, in skeletally mature patients who have had six months of non-operative treatment.

7 Oct 2010

Novel invasive surgery for children with scoliosis may eliminate need for spinal fusion

A novel minimally invasive surgery for young children living with a difficult-to-treat progressive form of scoliosis, known as juvenile idiopathic scoliosis, may eliminate the need for spinal fusion later in adolescence, according to new research by surgeons from Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, Mo. The study was presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco.

6 Oct 2010

Titan Spine to release new Endoskeleton TC system in first-quarter 2011

Titan Spine announced that it will begin full commercial release of its new Endoskeleton® TC system first quarter of 2011. The Endoskeleton® TC is an interbody fusion device for the cervical spine. The product received 510(k) clearance in July of this year and has been in limited market release since early August. The device has an acid etched titanium surface and is biomechanically designed to promote spinal fusion.

4 Oct 2010

Wenzel Spine receives FDA marketing clearance for VariLift Expandable Interbody Fusion System

Wenzel Spine, Inc., a medical device company focused on offering less invasive, stand-alone alternatives to traditional spinal fusion, today announced they have received 510K clearance to market the VariLift Expandable Interbody Fusion System.

30 Sep 2010

Endoscopic laser spine procedures replace traditional open back surgery

The Bonati Spine Institute, the leading center for the patented Bonati Spine Procedures for minimally invasive laser spine surgery, supports recent studies by highly respected organizations such as the Journal of the America Board of Family Medicine and Consumer Reports reporting an unnecessary growth in tests and treatments targeting back pain.

16 Sep 2010

Study finds increase in bone morphogenetic protein usage for Off-Label procedures

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) is increasingly used as an alternative to the patient's own bone for spinal fusion surgery. Yet at least 85 percent of these procedures are operations for which BMP use has not been formally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), suggests a study in the September 1 issue of Spine.

8 Sep 2010

FDA grants 510(k) clearance to Aesculap's A-Fix Spinal System

The Aesculap Implant Systems A-Fix Spinal System received 510(k) clearance under K100802 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 20, 2010.

18 Aug 2010

Medtronic reports FDA Panel's affirmative votes on AMPLIFY rhBMP-2 Matrix for posterolateral spine fusion

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Devices Panel today voted 9 for and 4 against (1 abstention) on safety and 10 for and 3 against (1 abstention) on effectiveness, that data including results from a large, prospective randomized clinical trial demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of AMPLIFY™ rhBMP-2 Matrix for fusions of the lower spine in patients with degenerative disc disease.

28 Jul 2010

Brookhaven Science Associates, BioSET receive U.S. patent for tissue regeneration technology

Brookhaven Science Associates, the company that manages the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Biosurface Engineering Technologies, Inc. of Rockville, Maryland, have been issued a U.S. patent for an improved second-generation technology for designing synthetic peptides that are important for tissue regeneration.

14 Jul 2010

SLU Hospital announces increase in number of minimally-invasive spinal procedures performed

With the recent launch of the Neurosurgical Spine Program at Saint Louis University Hospital's Center for Cerebrovascular and Skull Base Surgery, the hospital has seen a dramatic increase in the number of minimally-invasive spinal procedures, including lumbar spinal fusion surgery. Designed to stop the motion at a painful vertebral segment, this procedure is traditionally performed via a large incision on the back, stripping vital muscles away from the spine. However, the emergence of minimally-invasive neurosurgical techniques is revolutionizing spinal surgery.

21 May 2010

Aesculap Implant Systems introduces S4 Element Pedicle Screw System

Aesculap Implant Systems, LLC is pleased to announce the launch of the S4® Element™ Pedicle Screw System.

11 May 2010

Researchers analyze spine surgery patients' existing comorbdities in relationship to hospital stay, costs

It is estimated that between 75 and 85 percent of all Americans will suffer from low back pain and/or neck pain at some point in their lives. An estimated 12 million Americans suffer from degenerative disc disease, with over one million patients undergoing surgery each year. The cost of treating back pain is currently estimated at more than $100 billion annually in the U.S. Many patients with back pain have comorbidities that impact spine surgery.

5 May 2010

Facet Solutions announces data from ACADIA lumbar stenosis pilot study

Facet Solutions, Inc. today announced that it has finished compiling two year data from its lumbar stenosis pilot study in the US. At two years, patients in the ACADIA™ study experienced significant and sustained improvement in Oswestry Disability Index, VAS back pain and VAS leg pain. There were no re-operations in any of the patients, and all patients met the definition of success for ODI improvement.

23 Apr 2010

Complex back surgeries skyrocket, raising concerns about cost, complications

NPR: "Too many complex back surgeries are being done and people are suffering as a result, according to a study in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The general tendency noted in the study — that many patients and doctors think more medical care is always better — has implications for the new health overhaul law.

8 Apr 2010

Nanoparticle-core polymer holds promise as weight-bearing replacement for traditional graft materials

Orthopedic surgeons are often hamstrung by less-than-ideal grafting material when performing surgeries for complex bone injuries resulting from trauma, aging or cancer. Conventional synthetic bone grafts are typically made of stiff polymers or brittle ceramics, and cannot readily conform to the complex and irregular shapes that often result from injury; in addition, they often require metallic fixation devices that require open surgeries to insert and remove.

6 Apr 2010

Patent applications continue to alter medical landscape to improve patient care

Over the past 40 years, more than 2,400 patents and patent applications-pioneering modern medicine with the devices and drugs that advance minimally invasive treatments-have been filed by members of the Society of Interventional Radiology.

17 Mar 2010