Here are eight things for spinal surgeons to know for April 13, 2017.
Cervical Spine Research Society names 5 new officers
The Cervical Spine Research Society elected new officers for the 2016-2017 year:
• Darrel S. Brodke, MD: President
• Jeffrey C. Wang, MD: President-elect
• Alexander Vaccaro, MD, PhD: Vice President
• Christopher I. Shaffrey, MD: Treasurer
• Rick Sasso, MD: Secretary
Medtronic voluntarily recalls neurosurgery product
Dublin, Ireland-based Medtronic is voluntarily recalling all unused units of its StrataMR adjustable valves and shunts. The company decided to issue the product recall following a boost in the product complaint rate. The product is intended to manage hydrocephalus by controlling the cerebrospinal fluid flow drained from the brain to subdue intracranial pressure.
Mazor Robotics earns FDA clearance for Mazor X Align software
Caesarea, Israel-based Mazor Robotics earned FDA approval for its Mazor X Align software. Mazor X Align helps surgeons create a patient-specific, 3-D spinal alignment plan, combining preoperative planning, image processing and computerized anatomy recognition elements. The company plans to release the software to a limited number of Mazor X customers in early May.
Brigham and Women's Hospital becomes 31st INSPIRE study site for spinal cord injury
Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital is the 31st INSPIRE trial site and Yi Lu, MD, PhD, will serve as the principal investigator at the site. The study examines InVivo's Neuro-Spinal Scaffold, designed to treat patients within the first few hours after spinal cord injury.
Aesculap offers warranty against delamination & visualization — A 1st in spine industry
Center Valley, Pa.-based Aesculap Implant Systems launched a warranty program for its Plasmapore surface-enhancing technology portfolio. Under the warranty, Aesculap will give facilities a device replacement if a reoperation occurs due to a "clinically relevant delamination or the generation of impaction debris or a CT or MRI artifact caused by the device that impedes a physician's ability to visualize adjacent anatomy."
Dr. Scott Blumenthal performs 1st US herniated disc surgery with Anchor Orthopaedics tissue kit
Scott Blumenthal, MD, of Plano-based Texas Back Institute, performed the nation's first herniated disc repair surgery with the AnchorKnot Tissue Approximation Kit by Burlington Mass.-based Anchor Orthopaedics. He noted the majority of discectomy procedures heal through the body's scar tissue, often taking six weeks or more. By using the AnchorKnot Tissue Approximation Kit, Dr. Blumenthal said patients return to function and rehabilitation earlier.
Self-employed specialists earn 28% more than employed peers
Medscape surveyed more than 19,200 physicians in more than 27 specialties, seeking information about their salaries. While self-employed primary care physicians make 4 percent more than their employed counterparts, self-employed specialists see a significant 28 percent jump in earnings compared to employed specialists.
Global cervical artificial disc replacement market to exceed $3B by 2024
The global artificial disc market will likely surpass $4.5 billion by 2024, according to a Global Market Insights report. The cervical segment of the global market accounted for more than 65 percent of total revenue and will likely exceed $3 billion by 2024, while the lumbar segment drew in $240 million in 2015.