Spinal Fusion News and Research

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United Healthcare changes lumbar spinal fusion policy to include coverage for XLIF procedure

NuVasive, Inc., a medical device company focused on developing products for minimally disruptive surgical treatments for the spine, announced today that United Healthcare changed its lumbar spinal fusion policy to include coverage for the eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion, or XLIF procedure, published on February 26, 2010, a reversal from its previous policy that labeled XLIF as unproven.

27 Feb 2010

HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2010 identified

The HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2010 were identified in a report issued today by the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. The analysis, which examined objective patient outcomes over three years at all 5,000 of the nation’s nonfederal hospitals, found that the 50 Best Hospitals had mortality rates that were, on average, 27% lower than other hospitals.

25 Feb 2010

HealthGrades names Good Samaritan Hospital as One of America’s 50 Best Hospitals in 2010

Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles is named as One of America’s 50 Best Hospitals in 2010 by HealthGrades, Inc., the nation’s leading independent healthcare ratings organization.

24 Feb 2010

Use of braces in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is still an area of controversy

The use of braces to correct excessive curvature of the spine, or scoliosis, in adolescents is still an area of controversy — and is likely to remain that way until there is better evidence, concludes a new review of published research. Although some evidence points toward a benefit from using braces, research has failed to prove definitively that they work.

20 Jan 2010

Medtronic launches its SOVEREIGN Spinal System in the U.S.

Medtronic, Inc. today announced the U.S. launch of the SOVEREIGN™ Spinal System.

18 Dec 2009

Medicare expenditures less for POHs compared to non-POHs, says new study

The cost to Medicare of a patient receiving treatment at a physician owned and operated hospitals is "4.6 to 6.00% lower" than hospitals not run by physicians, according to a new study by Oxford Outcomes, an internationally respected research agency.

18 Dec 2009

LifeNet Health distributes 40,040 allograft bio-implants to patients in November 2009

According to recent statistics, LifeNet Health was able to distribute 40,040 allograft bio-implants to patients in November 2009, an unprecedented number in LifeNet Health's 27-year history.

18 Dec 2009

Ouroboros Medical receives approval to market its spinal fusion product in Europe

Ouroboros Medical, Inc., an early stage medical device company focused on developing minimally invasive spine products for degenerated disc disease, has received approval to market Ouroboros’s spinal fusion product in Europe.

16 Dec 2009

Applied Spine Technologies: Two Stabilimax surgeries performed in South Africa

Applied Spine Technologies announced today the first two Stabilimax surgeries performed outside of the United States. The surgeries were performed in Johannesburg, South Africa, by Ajay Maharaj, MD, at Sunninghill Hospital. The Stabilimax Dynamic Spine System is currently part of an IDE multi-center, randomized, controlled clinical trial in the U.S.

8 Dec 2009

Minimally invasive spine surgery poised for rapid growth

Minimally invasive techniques have become standard for many procedures, from the removal of the gallbladder to angioplasty, but the approach is now only beginning to be available to patients with spinal conditions. The surgical team at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center's Spine Center aims to bring the benefits of minimally invasive surgery for patients with intractable back pain, stenosis, spinal deformity, even spinal cancer.

4 Dec 2009

$Stem cell technology for rapid healing of complicated bone fractures$

Stem cell technology for rapid healing of complicated bone fractures

A novel technology involving use of stem cells, developed by Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers, has been applied to provide better and rapid healing for patients suffering from complicated bone fractures.

30 Nov 2009

SpineSmith Partners signs product development agreement with GenOsteo

SpineSmith Partners has signed an initial agreement with GenOsteo, Inc. to co-develop a unique scaffold that mimics the structure of natural cancellous bone.

5 Nov 2009

Risk of postoperative visual loss is highest after heart surgery

Imagine waking up after surgery to find out you have lost your sight—permanently. Although rare, postoperative visual loss is a well-recognized complication of anesthesia and surgery that is more common after certain types of procedures and in some groups of patients, according to a study in the November issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

3 Nov 2009

FDA orders spinal system manufacturers to conduct postmarket surveillance studies on their products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today ordered manufacturers of certain types of pedicle screw systems, called dynamic stabilization systems, to conduct postmarket surveillance studies to collect clinical data on a number of potential safety issues, including fusion rates and frequency of additional surgeries.

27 Oct 2009

Vision loss after non-ocular surgery is rare but potentially devastating

Vision loss after non-ocular surgery is a rare but potentially devastating surgical complication that is usually the result of cortical blindness, ischemic optic neuropathy or retinal vascular occlusion. Due to its rare and unexpected occurrence, the origin of perioperative vision loss (POVL) is poorly understood.

26 Oct 2009

Patient outcomes better in highly rated hospitals than others

The largest annual study of patient outcomes at each of the nation's 5,000 nonfederal hospitals found a wide gap in quality between the nation's best hospitals and all others. According to the study, issued today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization, patients at highly rated hospitals have a 52 percent lower chance of dying compared with the U.S. hospital average, a quality chasm that has persisted for the last decade even as mortality rates, in general, have declined.

13 Oct 2009

TOPS Versalink Spinal System to treat moderate to severe lumbar stenosis

Impliant, Inc., a developer of novel motion-sparing alternatives to traditional spinal fusion surgery, announced today that it conducted the first two implantations of its TOPS VersaLink System, the newest addition to its product portfolio.

9 Oct 2009

Spinal fusion dynamic stabilization system manufacturers ordered to conduct postmarket surveillance studies

6 Oct 2009

ETEX' Equivabone receives additional FDA clearance for use in posterolateral spine fusion

ETEX Corporation, an advanced biomaterials company, announced today additional FDA 510(k) cleared indications for EquivaBone®. EquivaBone was the first FDA cleared hard-setting osteoinductive material and is the only osteoinductive bone graft substitute that provides a continuous nanocrystalline calcium phosphate scaffold.

3 Oct 2009

Progressive infantile scoliosis responds well to a series of casts: Study

When parents are told their babies' scoliosis needs treatment, they often try bracing first. If that fails, they need surgery to place metal rods in their backs with spinal fusion later on. These children face the risk of complications from the surgery and their backs and chests may be stiff for life.

1 Oct 2009

Spinal Fusion News and Research

United Healthcare changes lumbar spinal fusion policy to include coverage for XLIF procedure

HealthGrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals for 2010 identified

HealthGrades names Good Samaritan Hospital as One of America’s 50 Best Hospitals in 2010

Use of braces in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is still an area of controversy

Medtronic launches its SOVEREIGN Spinal System in the U.S.

Medicare expenditures less for POHs compared to non-POHs, says new study

LifeNet Health distributes 40,040 allograft bio-implants to patients in November 2009

Ouroboros Medical receives approval to market its spinal fusion product in Europe

Applied Spine Technologies: Two Stabilimax surgeries performed in South Africa

Minimally invasive spine surgery poised for rapid growth

Stem cell technology for rapid healing of complicated bone fractures

SpineSmith Partners signs product development agreement with GenOsteo

Risk of postoperative visual loss is highest after heart surgery

FDA orders spinal system manufacturers to conduct postmarket surveillance studies on their products

Vision loss after non-ocular surgery is rare but potentially devastating

Patient outcomes better in highly rated hospitals than others

TOPS Versalink Spinal System to treat moderate to severe lumbar stenosis

Spinal fusion dynamic stabilization system manufacturers ordered to conduct postmarket surveillance studies

ETEX' Equivabone receives additional FDA clearance for use in posterolateral spine fusion

Progressive infantile scoliosis responds well to a series of casts: Study

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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