Becker’s Spine Review

Devan Higginbotham, MD, performed his first case with the Simplify cervical disc replacement implant at Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno, Calif., Globus Medical said in a Feb. 13 LinkedIn post. The patient had neck pain, shoulder pain and radiating…

Keith Meister, MD, performed shoulder surgery on Anthony Santander, an outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays on Feb. 11. Dr. Meister completed a labral surgery on Mr. Santander’s left shoulder, according to a Feb. 10 report from mlb.com.  Mr. Santander…

The reimbursement structure and Medicare fee schedule in orthopedics and healthcare has slipped in recent years, leading to concerns from orthopedic surgeons and practices.  CMS issued its final policy changes for the 2026 Physician Fee Schedule in October, which includes…

Medicare’s spinal-deformity-specific diagnosis-related group distribution has some limitations when it comes to understanding the nuances of surgeries, according to a study in the March 1 edition of Spine. Five things to know: 1. The analysis included 314 adult patients who…

From trauma and total joint to sports medicine and adult reconstruction, orthopedic practices and health systems nationwide are actively recruiting surgeons to support growing patient demand and expand specialty services. Here are 10 organizations hiring orthopedic surgeons: Note: This is…

Endoscopic spine surgery has been growing steadily in the U.S., but a barrier to surgeon adoption is its learning curve. A systematic review published in the March 2026 issue of The Spine Journal examined the learning curves for uniportal and…

Multiple professional athletes have turned to leading orthopedic surgeons for care so far this year. 1. Ramon Cugat, MD, PhD, performed knee surgery on Riqui Puig, a midfielder for the LA Galaxy. Dr. Cugat completed an anterior cruciate ligament reconstructive…

For 20 years prior to the pandemic, Scott Boden, MD, achieved something many academic departments quietly struggle to sustain: He hasn’t lost a single faculty member, except to retirement or disability. “I pretty much had a 20-year period where I…

Medtronic earned the FDA’s 510(k) clearance for its Stealth AXiS system that brings planning, navigation and robotics into one spine platform. Stealth AXiS is cleared for use in spine surgery, and it is expected to support cranial and ENT pending…

The modern orthopedic surgeon does not practice in a vacuum of anatomy and biomechanics. They practice inside a system of reimbursement formulas, employer contracts, regulatory mandates and evolving payment models. Yet most are never formally taught how that system works.…