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Important updates on spondyloarthritis highlighted at 2010 SPARTAN meeting

Spondyloarthritis is a group of inflammatory conditions causing spine and joint pain and deformity, mostly in young men. Important updates on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of SpA are presented in the April issue of The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, official journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation.

31 Mar 2011

Vexim granted FDA approval for COHESION bone cement

Vexim specialises in medical instruments and the minimally invasive treatment of vertebral fractures. The company recently announced that it had been awarded FDA certification for its flagship product COHESION™, a bone cement for injection into the vertebra for its fixation following minimally invasive spine repair with the company's SpineJack® device, or following conventional vertebroplasty.

30 Mar 2011

The Wall Street Journal: Medicare records show trail of troubling surgeries

The Wall Street Journal continues its examination of Medicare's claims databases to uncover potentially fraudulent activities. Meanwhile, The Miami Herald reports on one alleged fraud perpetrator who is now awaiting trail.

30 Mar 2011

Study: Gene combinations may increase risk of hip osteoporosis in women

Women with osteoporosis in their hip suffer menopause two years earlier than healthy women, a study conducted at the University of Granada says. Additionally, although further study is required, researchers have found at least three genetic markers associated with osteoporosis in the hip in postmenopausal women.

30 Mar 2011

SpHb sensor can monitor blood hemoglobin levels during spine surgery

A spectrophotometric hemoglobin sensor may become a useful new approach to noninvasive monitoring of blood hemoglobin levels during surgery, reports a study in the April issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

29 Mar 2011

Mild decompression procedure for lumbar spinal stenosis leads to sustained improvements in pain

Patients treated for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) with the mild decompression procedure (an alternative to open spinal surgery for many patients), reported sustained improvements in pain and mobility at one year and had no serious adverse events occur, according to the first multi-center one-year post-study follow-up of this patient cohort.

25 Mar 2011

Emory plays key role in bringing advanced proton cancer therapy to Georgia

Emory Healthcare is a key player in plans to bring the world's most advanced radiation treatment for cancer patients to Georgia. In furtherance of that role, Emory Healthcare has signed a letter of intent with Advanced Particle Therapy, LLC, of Minden, Nevada, opening the door to a final exploratory phase for development of The Georgia Proton Treatment Center - Georgia's first proton therapy facility.

25 Mar 2011

Positive Phase 3 results from Tarsa's ORACAL study validates Unigene's oral peptide drug delivery technology

Unigene Laboratories, Inc. a leader in the design, delivery, manufacture and development of peptide-based therapeutics announced today that the statistically significant top-line results released by its licensee, Tarsa Therapeutics, validate its proprietary oral peptide drug delivery technology.

25 Mar 2011

Patients with low back pain can benefit from new spinal neuromodulation device

Results from an ongoing prospective study report that a novel spinal neuromodulation device changes the paradigm for patients suffering with low back pain who have not found relief through conventional spinal cord stimulation.

25 Mar 2011

Study: Surgeon enthusiasm linked to high spinal procedure rates

Surgeons in some areas are more likely to recommend surgery for low back problems—and those differences in "surgeon enthusiasm" are a major factor driving regional variations in spinal surgery rates, suggests a study in the March 14 issue of Spine. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

25 Mar 2011

Positive results from Tarsa's oral calcitonin Phase III trial against postmenopausal osteoporosis

Tarsa Therapeutics today announced that the Phase III ORACAL trial of its oral recombinant salmon calcitonin in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis was successfully concluded and yielded statistically significant, positive top-line results.

25 Mar 2011

Prolia associated with greater adherence than alendronate in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis

Amgen today announced new data that showed postmenopausal women with osteoporosis had significantly greater adherence, compliance, and persistence during Prolia® (denosumab) treatment than during alendronate treatment, an oral bisphosphonate commonly used to treat osteoporosis.

24 Mar 2011

$Cancer patients with spinal fractures can benefit from Kyphon Balloon Kyphoplasty$

Cancer patients with spinal fractures can benefit from Kyphon Balloon Kyphoplasty

Medtronic of Canada Ltd. today announced the results of the first randomized, controlled trial comparing Kyphon Balloon Kyphoplasty with non-surgical care in treating spinal fractures in cancer patients.

23 Mar 2011

Artificial disc replacement may provide better long-term results at reduced cost

When physical therapy and drugs fail to relieve back or neck pain, patients often turn to spinal fusion surgery as a last resort, but two new studies show that in certain situations, especially when several discs are involved, artificial disc replacement may give better long-term results at lower cost.

23 Mar 2011

LDR submits two-level Mobi-C cervical artificial disc PMA to the FDA

LDR, a privately held medical device company offering innovative spinal implants for both non-fusion and fusion applications, announced the March 11 submission of its two-level Mobi-C cervical artificial disc PMA to the FDA. LDR is one of only two companies to have completed a two-level randomized IDE trial with two-year follow up, and is the first to submit its results.

23 Mar 2011

Britax supports AAP updated guidelines for children riding in car seats

Britax Child Safety, Inc., among the world's largest manufacturers of car seats, today supported the American Academy of Pediatrics updated guidelines for children riding in car seats.

22 Mar 2011

Patients with bone cancer can benefit from radical surgery

During a radical surgery to treat a rare bone cancer, surgeons at UC San Diego Health System and Moores Cancer Center removed 50 percent of a patient's pelvis. Instead of amputating the connected leg, the surgical team, comprised of orthopaedic, vascular and urologic experts, saved the entire limb. The patient was able to walk with assistance five weeks after surgery.

22 Mar 2011

Unigene initiates oral PTH Phase 2 study in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis

Unigene Laboratories, Inc. a leader in the design, delivery, manufacture and development of peptide-based therapeutics announced today the dosing of the first subject in a Phase 2 study with an experimental oral parathyroid hormone analog for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

16 Mar 2011

DJO Global signs definitive agreement to purchase Rikco for $254.6 million

DJO Global, Inc., a leading provider of medical device solutions for musculoskeletal health, vascular health and pain management, today announced that one of its indirect subsidiaries has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Rikco International, LLC, D/B/A Dr. Comfort, for approximately $254.6 million in cash.

15 Mar 2011

Medtronic launches VERTEX SELECT CHROMALOY Plus Rods in the U.S.

Continuing its leadership in cervical spine medical device therapies, Medtronic, Inc. today announced the U.S. launch of VERTEX SELECT CHROMALOY Plus Rods.

10 Mar 2011