Spine News and Research

RSS

3D imaging technology improves spinal surgery outcome

Using a three-dimensional (3D) image-guided system to help place screws in the spines of patients results in safe and accurate surgery with a decrease in the number of misplaced screws, and subsequent injuries, seen in more traditional operations, say neurosurgeons at Mayo Clinic in Florida.

10 Dec 2008

$Thiazolidinediones doubles risk of fractures in women$

Thiazolidinediones doubles risk of fractures in women

New findings out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of East Anglia show that long-term use of a popular class of oral diabetic drugs doubles the risk of fractures in women with type 2 diabetes.

10 Dec 2008

Axial Biotech launches DNA-based test for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Axial Biotech, Inc. has announced the commercial launch of a new DNA-based test that indicates the likelihood of progression to a severe curve for children diagnosed with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS).

10 Dec 2008

Spinal stapling - new treatment alternative for scoliosis

Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian is one of only a few hospitals in the country to offer spinal stapling, a new treatment alternative for young people with scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine that is painful and can restrict breathing.

3 Dec 2008

Risk factors for chronic disability after back injury

A wide range of factors-including variables related to health care and job characteristics-affect the risk of long-term disability for workers with back injuries, reports a study in the December 1 issue of Spine.

3 Dec 2008

Virtual colonoscopy has potential to screen for colorectal cancer and osteoporosis at same time

New research reveals that computed tomography (CT) colonography, also known as virtual colonoscopy, has the potential to screen for two diseases at once-colorectal cancer and osteoporosis, both of which commonly affect adults over age 50.

3 Dec 2008

New stapling treatment may help reverse scoliosis

1 Dec 2008

Adiponectin is a metabolic link between obesity and bone mineral density

Researchers at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Canada, have discovered that adiponectin, a protein secreted from adipocytes, is a metabolic link that can explain, in part, the known positive relationship between obesity and both bone mineral density and reduced susceptibility to fractures.

25 Nov 2008

World's first pediatric robotic bladder reconstruction performed

A 10-year-old Chicago girl born with an abnormally small bladder that made her incontinent has become the first patient to benefit from a new robotic-assisted bladder-reconstruction method developed by surgeons at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

20 Nov 2008

Tissue Genesis applies CE Mark to tissue genesis cell isolation system

Tissue Genesis, Inc. has announced that effective immediately, the Tissue Genesis Cell Isolation System will be available to the European marketplace.

19 Nov 2008

Expectations drive patient preferences for treatment of spine problems

For patients with low back pain caused by a herniated disk, expectations of good results without surgery are the main factor affecting the preference for nonsurgical treatment, reports a study in the November 15 issue of Spine.

17 Nov 2008

$Treating osteoporosis after hip fracture$

Treating osteoporosis after hip fracture

Most patients who suffer a hip fracture are referred to their primary care physicians for osteoporosis follow-up care.

4 Nov 2008

First-ever international guidelines for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis

Rheumatologists, dermatologists, and patient advocates have come together to publish the first-ever international guidelines for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis, a disease that mainly affects people who have psoriasis but also some people without it.

26 Oct 2008

Smart Disc successfully tests artificial spinal disc technology

Smart Disc, Inc. announced today that it has conducted a cadaver test utilizing its unique artificial spinal disc technology and that the test was deemed a success by the surgeons involved.

14 Oct 2008

Will patients stick to physical therapy? Questionnaire can help doctors predict

Patients' responses to a simple questionnaire can reliably predict whether they will adhere to physical therapy after spine surgery, Johns Hopkins researchers suggest in a new study. The findings could help physicians identify patients who might benefit from additional preoperative preparation to ensure they attend therapy sessions and follow through with prescribed exercise, a factor that can greatly affect their long-term recovery.

2 Oct 2008

Pain is not a symptom of arthritis, pain causes arthritis

Pain is more than a symptom of osteoarthritis, it is an inherent and damaging part of the disease itself, according to a study published today in journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.

29 Sep 2008

Dollar-sized medical device provides injured military skydiver with pain relief

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today announced the first patient implant of an Eon Mini, the world's smallest, longest-lasting, rechargeable neurostimulator to treat chronic pain of the trunk or limbs and pain from failed back surgery.

17 Sep 2008

Roman York skeleton could be one of Britain's earliest victims of tuberculosis

The skeleton of a man discovered by archaeologists in a shallow grave on the site of the University of York's campus expansion could be that of one of Britain's earliest victims of tuberculosis.

16 Sep 2008

Smart Disc issued patent for artificial spinal disc technology

Smart Disc, Inc., a Michigan-based medical technology company focused on the development of new and innovative spine products, announced today that it has been awarded Patent US 7,407,513 B2 for Smart Disc’s unique artificial spinal disc technology.

11 Sep 2008

Spine surgery through a straw

Performing minimally invasive surgery through narrow tubes has provided great benefit for patients suffering with worn and painful spinal disc degeneration. Additional findings also show that -- following a learning curve -- minimally invasive techniques take the same amount of time for surgeons to perform as more invasive "standard" procedures.

11 Sep 2008