Here are eight things for spinal surgeons to know for Nov. 2, 2017.
NASS names Dr. Daniel Resnick 2018 president
The North American Spine Society named Daniel Resnick, MD, president for the coming year. Dr. Resnick previously served as NASS' director of the research council, secretary and vice president; he is also a past chair of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and past president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He currently serves as director of the NASS registry efforts.
Alphatec, Patrick Miles file complaint against NuVasive in ongoing dispute
Alphatec Spine and Patrick Miles filed a complaint against NuVasive in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, citing unfair competition and breach of contract, among other issues. Mr. Miles left his position at NuVasive for Alphatec amid controversy. The complaint was filed on Oct. 13, two weeks after Alphatec named Mr. Miles, a former NuVasive executive, the company's chairman and three days after NuVasive filed a complaint against Mr. Miles in Delaware Chancery Court. Read more about the case, here.
Stryker Q3 net sales up 6.1% to $1.1B, spine sales drop 3.7%
Stryker reported net earnings increased in the third quarter, despite headwinds related to the recall of certain Sage products and a sales slowdown due to hurricane damage. Stryker consolidated net sales increased 6.1 percent to $3 billion in the quarter, including a negative 1.8 percent impact from the Sage product recalls. Spine sales dropped 3.7 percent to $185 million.
Hoag Neurosciences Institute receives $15M gift, changes name: 5 notes
Hoag Neurosciences Institute in Newport Beach, Calif., received a $15 million donation from the Pickup Family Foundation. With the $15 million donation, which comes on the institute's 10th anniversary, Hoag renamed the institute the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute.
InVivo cuts 39% of workforce, reports $9.4M net loss in Q3
For the third quarter, InVivo reported a $9.4 million net loss, up significantly from the $6.2 million net loss reported at the end of the third quarter last year. CEO Mark Perrin reported the company reduced its workforce by 39 percent in the third quarter and expects the change to result in $7.3 million in operating expense savings next year.
NASS names 4 2017 Recognition Award winners
The North American Spine Society presented its 2017 Recognition Awards. K. Daniel Riew, MD, of New York City-based Columbia Orthopaedics won the Leon Wiltse Award; S. Tim Yoon, MD, PhD, of Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare, won the Henry Farfan Award; William Mitchell, MD, Mount Laurel Township, N.J.-based Coast Spine Center, won the David Selby Award; and David A. Wong, MD, MSc, FRCS, of Denver Spine Surgeons, won the Spine Advocacy Award.
Neural Analytics receives $10M contract from Department of Defense
Neural Analytics signed a $10 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to develop and supply a portable, point-of-injury ultrasound for assessing combat-related traumatic brain injuries. Over the next 18 months, Neural Analytics will develop its Lucid System to measure and monitor physiological parameters relevant to moderate to severe traumatic brain injury and to operate in prolonged field care scenarios.
Spinal anesthesia yields 9.9% hospital savings compared to general anesthesia for spine surgery
Researchers from Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, both located in New York City, studied the use of spinal anesthesia versus general anesthesia for spine surgery. The researchers found spinal anesthesia boosted recovery and decreased costs by about 10 percent. The spinal anesthesia patients reported less postoperative pain as well, yielding lower opioid use.