Spine News and Research

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First Edition: December 20, 2010

Today's headlines include more analysis on the continuing legal challenges to the health law and the path they might take to the Supreme Court.

20 Dec 2010

Take charge of your medical tests

Whether you're healthy or ill, there are a variety of medical tests your health care team might recommend for you. A yearly checkup often includes routine tests such as blood sugar and cholesterol levels, vision and hearing assessments, tests for heart functioning and others used to monitor a chronic condition—such as a lung function test for those with asthma.

20 Dec 2010

Researchers discover allium vegetable consumption may lower hip osteoarthritis

Researchers at King's College London and the University of East Anglia have discovered that women who consume a diet high in allium vegetables, such as garlic, onions and leeks, have lower levels of hip osteoarthritis

16 Dec 2010

Orthofix settles Trinity Evolution patent infringement suit with NuVasive and Osiris

Orthofix International N.V. today announced an internal reorganization designed to streamline operations within its three Global Business Units: Spine, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. The Company expects to record a charge related to employee termination benefits of approximately $4.0 million ($2.4 million net of tax, or $0.13 per diluted share) in the fourth quarter of 2010 in connection with the reorganization.

16 Dec 2010

Nation's leading health care systems collaborate to improve quality while reducing costs

Six of the nation's leading health care systems today announced a first-of-its-kind collaboration to improve health care quality while reducing costs.

16 Dec 2010

FDA grants marketing clearance to Accuray's CyberKnife VSI System Lung Optimized Treatment

Accuray Incorporated, a global leader in the field of radiosurgery, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the company 510(k) clearance to market Lung Optimized Treatment, a new component of the CyberKnife® VSI™ System. The 510(k) clearance enables Accuray to provide physicians with greater flexibility in delivering radiosurgery treatments to patients with lung cancer, the most common and deadly cancer worldwide.

15 Dec 2010

joimax to present C-Camsource HD Twister for endoscopic spinal surgery at 5th German Spine Congress

The 5th German Spine Congress (5. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Wirbelsaulengesellschaft (DWG)) will take place from 16 to 18 December 2010 at the Congress Centre in Bremen. joimax(R) is proud to present the innovative HD 5-in-1 complete system at their booth no.20: The C-Camsource(R)HD Twister offers state-of-the-art HD technology and works with both the joimax(R) HD endoscopes and HD flat screens producing an extremely precise and sharp picture and video imaging for endoscopic spinal surgery.

15 Dec 2010

Positive results from large, multi-center Canadian trial with On-X Prosthetic Heart Valve

On-X® Life Technologies, Inc., today announced the publication of results of a large, prospective multi-center Canadian trial with the On-X® Prosthetic Heart Valve in the November issue of The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.1 According to the results of the report, "The On-X mechanical prosthesis provides favorable intermediate-term results with regard to major thromboembolism, hemorrhage and composites of valve-related complications."

15 Dec 2010

Marin announces new joint venture with Mt. Tam Spine Center and UCSF Neurosurgery

Marin General Hospital has announced a new joint venture that provides a single point of access in Marin for world-class, comprehensive multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary treatment and management of spine and brain disorders and disease.

15 Dec 2010

Clinical trial investigates pomalidomide in only U.S. study for multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer in which malignant plasma cells are overproduced in the bone marrow, has led to an estimated 20,000 new diagnoses and 11,000 deaths in 2010. Patients with the disease, who have already failed previous treatments, may be considered for a currently enrolling Phase II study, examining a unique drug combination.

14 Dec 2010

Integra launches second size of Endoscopic Gastroc Release System

Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation announced today the launch of a second size of the Integra™ Endoscopic Gastroc Release (EGR) System in the United States. Integra's EGR System is a disposable device with a unique articulating blade that allows selective cutting of soft tissues. It is intended for use in the surgical treatment for posterior heel cord, or equinus, contracture.

14 Dec 2010

Fracture risk assessment tool for Singaporeans released

Today, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Metabolic Bone Diseases at the University of Sheffield, UK announced the launch of a FRAX- calculator for Singapore.

13 Dec 2010

Excess weight gain during winter holidays increases back injury

Thousands of Americans sustain winter-related back injuries every year, including many injuries directly related to holiday activities. But there are often simple things that can be done to reduce injury risk and minimize or eliminate back pain.

13 Dec 2010

31-year-old mother with Gorham-Stout syndrome goes home with virtually rebuilt spine

Laurie Harms, Los Angeles, feared she'd never hold her infant daughter, Sky, again. A devastating and extremely rare bone-eroding disease - Gorham-Stout syndrome - had left the 31-year-old crumpled in a hospital bed - her neck broken, arms limp and useless, and voice muted by tubes.

10 Dec 2010

Alliance of Specialty Medicine calls for new, permanent Medicare reimbursement formula

The Alliance of Specialty Medicine (Alliance) today called on Congress to permanently fix Medicare's Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) after lawmakers once again passed a temporary fix, thereby postponing unprecedented reimbursement cuts to Medicare doctors until 2012.

10 Dec 2010

Nuss Procedure safe and effective for chest deformity

Since 1987, when a surgeon at Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters developed a minimally-invasive surgery to correct sunken chest, the procedure has been adopted world-wide as a standard of care and continually refined to increase its effectiveness and safety, according to a paper published in the December issue of the Annals of Surgery.

10 Dec 2010

Ellipse's PRECICE Limb Lengthening device receives CE-Mark approval

Ellipse Technologies, Inc. announced today that it has received CE-Mark approval of the Company's PRECICETM Limb Lengthening device. Limb Lengthening procedures are used to treat a number of medical conditions, including shortened legs due to congenital abnormalities, major fractures of one of the legs and shortened leg bones due to other medical diseases, such as cancer.

9 Dec 2010

Ortho Kinematics closes $2 million of new funding

Ortho Kinematics, a privately held spine diagnostics company focused on revolutionizing spine motion analysis announced today the close of $2 million of new funding. TEXO Ventures led the investment, which also included participation by both original investors, PTV Sciences, and Gatebridge Investments.

8 Dec 2010

Loss of healthy bacteria may contribute to increasing rates of depression, say researchers

In an effort to pinpoint potential triggers leading to inflammatory responses that eventually contribute to depression, researchers are taking a close look at the immune system of people living in today's cleaner modern society.

8 Dec 2010

Orthovita granted FDA marketing clearance for Vitoss Bioactive Foam-2X Bone Graft Substitute

Orthovita, Inc. , an orthobiologics and biosurgery company, announced today that it received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market Vitoss Bioactive Foam-2X Bone Graft Substitute for use as a non-structural bone void filler for use in the spine, pelvis and extremities. Orthovita expects to launch the newest addition to its bone graft substitute product line by late February or early March of 2011.

7 Dec 2010

Spine News and Research

First Edition: December 20, 2010

Take charge of your medical tests

Researchers discover allium vegetable consumption may lower hip osteoarthritis

Orthofix settles Trinity Evolution patent infringement suit with NuVasive and Osiris

Nation's leading health care systems collaborate to improve quality while reducing costs

FDA grants marketing clearance to Accuray's CyberKnife VSI System Lung Optimized Treatment

joimax to present C-Camsource HD Twister for endoscopic spinal surgery at 5th German Spine Congress

Positive results from large, multi-center Canadian trial with On-X Prosthetic Heart Valve

Marin announces new joint venture with Mt. Tam Spine Center and UCSF Neurosurgery

Clinical trial investigates pomalidomide in only U.S. study for multiple myeloma

Integra launches second size of Endoscopic Gastroc Release System

Fracture risk assessment tool for Singaporeans released

Excess weight gain during winter holidays increases back injury

31-year-old mother with Gorham-Stout syndrome goes home with virtually rebuilt spine

Alliance of Specialty Medicine calls for new, permanent Medicare reimbursement formula

Nuss Procedure safe and effective for chest deformity

Ellipse's PRECICE Limb Lengthening device receives CE-Mark approval

Ortho Kinematics closes $2 million of new funding

Loss of healthy bacteria may contribute to increasing rates of depression, say researchers

Orthovita granted FDA marketing clearance for Vitoss Bioactive Foam-2X Bone Graft Substitute

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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