Spine Fusion News and Research

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Intraoperative 3D imaging more effective in confirming the accuracy of pedicle screw placement during spine surgery

A study at Hospital for Special Surgery found that intraoperative three-dimensional (3D) imaging was superior to two-dimensional radiographs in confirming the accuracy of pedicle screw placement during spine surgery.

7 Mar 2023

Spinal fusion procedures have unacceptably low hospital “rankability"

Routinely collected data on patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery do not provide a valid basis for assessing and comparing hospital performance on patient safety outcomes, reports a study in Spine. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

9 Apr 2021

Abnormalities in bone microarchitecture linked to risk of complications after spinal fusion surgery

The microscopic structure of bone appears to predict which patients will experience poor outcomes after spinal fusion, according to a new study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City.

15 Dec 2020

Latest issue of Neurosurgical Focus journal examines anterior approaches to thoracolumbar spinal surgery

The September issue of Neurosurgical Focus looks at anterior approaches to thoracolumbar spinal surgery.

1 Sep 2020

Variability in function after lower spinal fusion reflects patient characteristics

Patient-reported functional outcomes vary considerably after lower (lumbar) spinal fusion surgery. But the variability mainly reflects patient characteristics, rather than differences in care provided by surgeons or hospitals, suggests a study in Spine.

8 Dec 2019

Study: The effect of electrical stimulation therapies on spinal fusion

Researchers from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published data on the effect of electrical stimulation therapies on spinal fusion.

9 Oct 2019

New robotic technology increases the safety and precision of spinal fusion surgeries

A new technology that increases the safety and precision of spinal fusion surgeries while reducing the time needed for the procedure now is available at Rush University Medical Center.

3 Jun 2019

CT scan of the lumbar spine prior to surgery reveals undiagnosed osteoporosis in many patients

For patients contemplating spinal fusion surgery to alleviate pain, bone health is an important consideration. If a patient is found to have low bone density prior to surgery, it could affect the treatment plan before, during and after the procedure.

13 Mar 2019

Preoperative opioid consumption is strongest risk factor for prolonged opioid use, shows study

Patients taking opioids for at least three months before spinal fusion surgery in the lower spine are much more likely to continue taking opioids one year after surgery, reports a study in Spine .

27 Jul 2018

Novel technique to monitor nerve function could transform the way doctors perform surgeries

In a first-of-its-kind study, Mount Sinai researchers have discovered a novel technique to monitor laryngeal and vagus nerve function while patients are under anesthesia during otolaryngology and neurosurgery procedures.

3 Jul 2017

Study warns against use of bone morphogenetic proteins in pediatric spinal fusion

Bone morphogenetic proteins, commonly used off-label to enhance pediatric spinal fusion (spinal arthrodesis), did not improve revision rates for pediatric spinal fusion, according to a study presented on March 14 at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in San Diego.

15 Mar 2017

Risk of blindness from spinal-fusion surgery has declined, study shows

The risk of blindness caused by spinal fusion, one of the most common surgeries performed in the U.S., has dropped almost three-fold since the late 1990s, according to the largest study of the topic to date.

1 Jul 2016

Study shows no higher cancer risk in patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery with rhBMP

Adding to previous evidence, a study based on a statewide cancer database shows no increase in cancer risk in patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery with the bone-promoting growth factor recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP). The study appears in Spine, published by Wolters Kluwer.

8 Jun 2016

Combining NELL-1 with BMP2 therapy may promote bone development

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) is used clinically to promote bone repair. However, the high BMP2 concentrations required to stimulate bone growth in humans may produce life-threatening adverse effects such as cervical swelling in spinal fusion procedures, a problem that prompted an FDA warning in 2008.

7 Jan 2016

Vertera Spine receives FDA 510(k) clearance for COHERE Cervical Interbody Fusion Device

Vertera Spine, a developer of medical devices with advanced functional surface technologies for spine applications, today announced it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance for its COHERE Cervical Interbody Fusion Device.

6 Oct 2015

FDA grants first cervical multilevel indication to Centinel Spine’s STALIF C integrated interbody device

Centinel Spine, Inc., the pioneer of Stand-Alone, No-Profile, Integrated Interbody fusion devices was granted the first cervical multilevel indication for a Stand-Alone interbody device by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

30 Jun 2015

Centinel Spine achieves milestone implantation of 20,000 STALIF C cervical integrated interbody devices

Centinel Spine, Inc., the pioneer of spinal Stand-Alone, No-Profile®, Integrated Interbody™ devices has now implanted 20,000 STALIF C cervical Integrated Interbody devices. The STALF C device is implanted during cervical fusion procedures to treat degenerative spinal disorders.

2 Jun 2015

Amedica's CASCADE data shows silicon nitride spacers are comparable to hollow-body PEEK spacers

Amedica Corporation, a biomaterial company that develops and commercializes silicon nitride ceramics, today released the results of its CASCADE study, a blinded, randomized clinical trial that compared outcomes of spinal fusion surgery between its composite silicon nitride spacers manufactured with a central core of cancellous structured ceramic (CsC), to the gold standard, i.e., PEEK (polyether ether ketone plastic) spacers filled with bone autograft.

6 Jan 2015

St. Mary's Medical Center adds Mazor Renaissance robot-assisted system to Spine Center

Dignity Health St. Mary's Medical Center has added the Mazor Robotics Renaissance computer-generated guidance system to its multidisciplinary Spine Center. St. Mary's is the only hospital in the Bay Area to exclusively offer this state-of-the-art technology for spine surgery.

3 Dec 2014

New neuromonitoring method prevents malpositioning of pedicle screws during thoracic spine surgery

Researchers from Syracuse, New York, report a new, highly accurate, neuromonitoring method that can be used during thoracic spine surgery to prevent malpositioning of pedicle screws such that they enter the spinal canal and possibly cause postoperative neurological impairment.

2 Apr 2014