Spine News

Stryker announced a definitive agreement to acquire Vertos Medical Inc., a company that specializes in minimally invasive solutions for chronic lower back pain due to lumbar spinal stenosis, according to a press release.

Results showed patients aged 8 to 11 years, known as “tweeners,” undergoing posterior spinal fusion had a more cephalad lowest instrumented vertebrae selections compared with those who received magnetically controlled growing rods.

DePuy Synthes announced it received FDA 510(k) clearance and launched its Velys active robotic-assisted spine system, according to a company press release.

G. Dean MacEwen, MD, former medical director of the Alfred I. duPont Institute, died on Aug. 6 at the age of 96 years.

Published results showed posterior spine decompression, correction and fixation surgery may improve neurological function, pain control and quality of life for patients with thoracic ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament.

MiRus announced it received FDA breakthrough device designation for its Europa posterior cervical system for patients undergoing cervical and upper thoracic spinal fusion, according to a press release.

Results showed a novel posterior column osteotomy technique may be effective in improving deformity correction in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis undergoing posterior spinal fusion.

With comparable outcomes at 2 years, posterior cervical foraminotomy may be an effective alternative to anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for patients with cervical radiculopathy, according to published results.

A 6-year-old girl presented with worsening hip pain and an energy inefficient gait pattern (Figure 1 and video).