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$Epidural steroid injection may increase risk of bone fractures$

Epidural steroid injection may increase risk of bone fractures

Patients treated with an epidural steroid injection for back pain relief are at increased risk of bone fractures in the spine, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.

26 Oct 2012

Study finds high internet use by caregivers of children with hydrocephalus

When faced with disease, patients and caregivers now readily turn to the Internet for information and emotional support. This is particularly true in the case of caregivers of children with hydrocephalus.

25 Oct 2012

ACIS Anterior Cervical Interbody Spacer System launched by DePuy Synthes Spine

DePuy Synthes Spine today announced the launch of the ACIS Anterior Cervical Interbody Spacer System (ACIS System), a comprehensive set of spacers and instrumentation for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).

24 Oct 2012

First access system designed specifically for minimally invasive posterior-lateral fusion launched by DePuy Synthes Spine

DePuy Synthes Spine announced the launch of the SPOTLIGHT PL Access System, the first access system designed specifically for minimally invasive posterior-lateral fusion.

24 Oct 2012

DSM extends license to supply CarboSil® TSPCU for use in AxioMed Spine Corporation’s Freedom® Spinal Discs

DSM, a global leader in biomedical materials sciences, and AxioMed Spine Corporation, an innovator in the field of spinal implant devices, today announced that they have revised and extended an existing licensing and supply agreement. DSM will supply its proprietary CarboSil®Thermoplastic Silicone-Polycarbonate-urethane material for use in AxioMed’s Freedom® Lumbar and Freedom® Cervical Discs.

24 Oct 2012

Neurophysiologic mechanism may underpin manual therapy effects

Non-thrust manual therapy may reduce chronic low-back pain by attenuating side-to-side differences in the stretch reflex amplitude of the erector spinae muscles, study findings suggest.

24 Oct 2012

K2M to exhibit comprehensive product portfolio at the North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting

K2M, Inc., the largest privately held spinal device company in the world focused on developing innovative solutions for the treatment of complex spinal pathologies and minimally invasive procedures, today announced that with the recent addition of multiple breakthrough technologies, K2M offers a market leading comprehensive product portfolio to be exhibited at the North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting.

23 Oct 2012

Aesculap to launch ArcadiusXP L spinal system during NASS meeting

On October 24, 2012, Aesculap Implant Systems will debut the ArcadiusXP L Stand alone Interbody Device for ALIF procedures during the North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting being held in Dallas, Texas.

23 Oct 2012

Adachi purchases Mazor Robotics' Renaissance surgical guidance system for spine procedures

Mazor Robotics Ltd., a developer of innovative surgical robots and complementary products, today announced that Adachi Medical Instruments Co., Mazor's distribution partner in Japan, placed an order for its Renaissance™ system. As part of the distribution agreement, Adachi is committed to obtain Japanese PMDA (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency) approval for the Renaissance system.

22 Oct 2012

Choice Spine launches vertebral body replacement system

Choice Spine, a Knoxville, TN-based spine company, announces the launch of the HAWKEYE VBR System. The HAWKEYE VBR System was designed by a surgeon panel with the goal of simplifying vertebral body replacement.

22 Oct 2012

Brachyury variation may increase risk of chordoma

A genetic variation possessed by 40% of the population is associated with a five-fold increase in risk for developing chordoma, a cancer that strikes the bones of the skull and spine.

17 Oct 2012

Thrust techniques do not outweigh nonthrust for low-back pain

Early use of thrust manipulation does not offer improved outcomes and a quicker recovery from low-back pain compared with nonthrust techniques, US study findings suggest.

16 Oct 2012

Wal-Mart expanding program for no-cost employee surgeries

Wal-Mart announced this week that it will expand a program that ends out-of-pocket procedure and travel costs for employees seeking some heart and spine surgeries if they go to hospitals across the country that have agreements with the retailer.

15 Oct 2012

Merck announces results from odanacatib Phase II trial on post-menopausal osteoporosis

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced results from a Phase II trial for odanacatib, an investigational cathepsin K (cat-K) inhibitor in development for the treatment of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women.

15 Oct 2012

Study identifies pitfalls in current calculation of hospital readmission rates in spine surgery

When hospital patients have to be readmitted soon after discharge, hospitals look bad. And in addition to reflecting poorly on a hospital's quality of care, a high readmission rate also can result in reduced Medicare reimbursements, under provisions now taking effect under the 2010 health care law.

12 Oct 2012

Nearly all groups of patients with spinal stenosis do better with surgery

Nearly all groups of patients with spinal stenosis—but not smokers—do better with surgery than with nonsurgical treatment, reports a study in the October 1 issue of Spine.

10 Oct 2012

Anesthetic-loaded liposomes can delay onset of neuropathic pain

Using tiny spheres filled with an anesthetic derived from a shellfish toxin, researchers at Boston Children's Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a way to delay the rise of neuropathic pain, a chronic form of pain that arises from flawed signals transmitted by damaged nerves.

10 Oct 2012

Vitamin C actively protects against osteoporosis

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have shown for the first time in an animal model that vitamin C actively protects against osteoporosis, a disease affecting large numbers of elderly women and men in which bones become brittle and can fracture. The findings are published in the October 8 online edition of PLoS ONE.

10 Oct 2012

Biomet first quarter net sales increase 6% to $707.4 million

Biomet, Inc. announced today financial results for its first fiscal quarter ended August 31, 2012.

10 Oct 2012

HVLA manipulation comes out top for low-back pain

Spinal high-velocity-low-amplitude manipulation for the treatment of nonspecific low-back pain has shown to be superior to a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, researchers report.

9 Oct 2012