Five spine surgeons discuss the biggest technology trends on the horizon for 2018.
D. Greg Anderson. Rothman Institute (Philadelphia): "There is a continued trend toward cost containment and complication prevention in the field. Technologies that support this are slated to win out over traditional techniques. Therefore, minimally invasive approaches, pre-packaged sterile products and disease-based procedural solutions are expected to gain ground in 2018."
William Tally, MD. Athens (Ga.) Orthopedic Clinic: "I think two things are going to continue to happen. I think true minimally invasive surgeries, not marketed MIS surgery but actually less invasive approaches, will continue to grow. I think ASC-based surgery will continue to grow as well, and I think this year we are seeing the beginning of the commercially viable spine robots being used. It will still need a few years before robotics is ready for prime time, but I do think it will become more common for surgeons to perform their minimally invasive procedures successfully and comfortably."
Jocelyn Idema, DO. Advanced Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation (Pittsburgh and Washington, Pa.): "Navigation seems to be the newest trend. [It's] costly for community hospitals and ASCs, easier to afford in teaching hospitals, but both robotic and computerized navigation seems to ensure less malpositioned hardware, although this number is fairly small with the utilization of fluoroscopy and neuromonitoring; its cost/benefit ratio may be upside down."
Kern Singh, MD. Minimally Invasive Spine Institute at Rush (Chicago): "3-D titanium printing with customizable implants that are particularly important for tumor surgery in the pelvis."
Christian Zimmerman, MD. Saint Alphonsus Medical Group (Boise, Idaho): "Anterior cervical plate systems with "stand-alone" graft technology seem to follow the bundling schedules for cervical surgery reimbursements. The interchangeable plug (Sea-Spine) allows for certain variance in size of plug placement to the plating system and the different arrays of screw insertion offer significant options dependent on vertebral body surface area."