Spine News

Weather changes are not risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis or knee, hip or low back pain, but do appear to influence gout flares, according to a meta-analysis published in Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism.

Orthofix Medical Inc. has announced Jason Shallenberger as president of its bone growth therapies business. The company also announced a realignment of its spine business, according to a press release.

There is much written about the virtue of compassion, which literally means “to suffer together.” A more practical definition would be sympathetic awareness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.

SAN FRANCISCO — Robot-guided spinal fusion may improve clinical outcomes compared with fluoroscopy-guided spinal fusion, according to results presented here.

Momentum Health Inc. has announced FDA 510(k) clearance of its Momentum Spine mobile application, an artificial intelligence-enabled platform to assist surgeons in the treatment of spinal deformities, according to a press release.

SAN FRANCISCO — Severe or morbidly obese patients had increased operative times, estimated blood loss and rates of surgical site infection after lumbar spinal fusion vs. patients with lower BMI, according to data presented here.

SAN FRANCISCO — Researchers developed a modified spinal instability neoplastic score that may enhance detection of unstable lesions that necessitate surgical intervention, according to results presented here.

We would see this more readily in the lumbar spine in particular. Currently, many surgeons who do not do lumbar artificial disc replacement still perform cervical disc replacements.

Cervical and lumbar disc replacement have shown promising results compared with spinal fusion for the treatment of neck and lower back conditions, but sources said surgical skepticism and insurance barriers have stifled utilization rates.

People with spinal cord injury have elevated risk for heart attack, heart failure and atrial fibrillation compared with controls, researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.