Spine News and Research

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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

SpineSmith receives U.S. patent for VisuALIF lumbar interbody device

SpineSmith, a Celling Biosciences company, announces that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued US Patent 8,273,127, covering the VisuALIF, the first lumbar interbody device featuring a revolutionary open-face design.

4 Oct 2012

Humble Surgical Hospital acquires Mazor Robotics’ Renaissance system

Mazor Robotics Ltd., a developer of innovative surgical robots and complementary products, today announced that Humble Surgical Hospital in Humble, Texas acquired its Renaissance system.

3 Oct 2012

Gentle chiropractic care improves child's overall health and well-being

Irritation to a young person's nervous system can begin in utero. The baby's position during delivery (natural or cesarean) can create stress on their nervous system. Even a "normal, healthy" birth can induce 40-50 pounds of pressure on a newborn's neck and spine.

29 Sep 2012

Nearly 20% of people develop PTSD symptoms after low back fusion surgery

Nearly 20 percent of people who underwent low back fusion surgery developed post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms associated with that surgery, according to a recent Oregon Health & Science University study published in the journal Spine.

29 Sep 2012

Collaborative Spine completes research agenda-setting process for spine care

The Collaborative Spine Research Foundation (Collaborative Spine) today announced it has completed the process of setting a research agenda for spine care. The agenda articulates the most critical clinical research issues that need to be addressed in order to deliver on the Foundation's commitment to advance the science and practice of the highest-quality spine care.

29 Sep 2012

FDA approves Globus Medical’s SECURE-C Cervical Artificial Disc

Globus Medical, Inc., today announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Premarket Approval (PMA) for the SECURE-C Cervical Artificial Disc. Clinical data from a 380 patient investigational device exemption (IDE) study demonstrate that SECURE-C is statistically superior to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) in terms of overall success, subsequent surgery at the index level, device-related adverse events, and patient satisfaction at 24 months.

29 Sep 2012

Efavirenz drug may play a key role in brain damage

The way the body metabolizes a commonly prescribed anti-retroviral drug that is used long term by patients infected with HIV may contribute to cognitive impairment by damaging nerve cells, a new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

28 Sep 2012

Medtronic to acquire Kanghui

Medtronic, Inc. and China Kanghui Holdings announced today that they have entered into a merger agreement whereby Medtronic will acquire Kanghui.

From Medtronic 28 Sep 2012

Osteopathic manipulation improves spine mobility in obese

Osteopathic manipulative therapy, when combined with specific exercises, has an added benefit of improving kinematics of the thoracic spine in obese patients with chronic low back pain, Italian study findings show.

25 Sep 2012

UH Rainbow pediatric sports medicine specialist strongly cautions against home trampolines: AAP

Susannah Briskin, MD, a pediatric sports medicine specialist with University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, is the co-author of an updated report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) strongly cautioning against home trampolines. The report provides updated data on the number of and types of injuries caused by trampolines.

25 Sep 2012

UH Case Medical Center offers per-oral endoscopic myotomy for achalasia

University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center is one of five institutions nationwide performing a novel scarless procedure that restores swallowing function in some patients with achalasia, a rare condition where the esophagus is unable to move food into the stomach.

25 Sep 2012

LifeBridge Health’s Center for Memory & Behavioral Disorders to be opened on Oct. 2

The Center for Memory & Behavioral Disorders at LifeBridge Health opens its doors on the campus of Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital on Tuesday, October 2 to provide comprehensive initial evaluation services to people with dementia and behavioral disorders.

25 Sep 2012

Researchers identify gene linked to common cause of lower back pain

Researchers at King's College London have for the first time identified a gene linked to age-related degeneration of the intervertebral discs in the spine, a common cause of lower back pain.

24 Sep 2012

No evidence for added benefits of spinal manipulation for acute lower back pain

Manipulating or "adjusting" the spine is a popular way to treat occasional or acute lower back pain and is covered by many health insurance plans, but a recent review by The Cochrane Library finds no evidence to suggest it is more effective than other therapy options.

21 Sep 2012