Human vs. robot: Robotic-guided S2AI screw placement “safe, accurate, reliable” in spinopelvic fixation

Both free hand and robotic-guided S2 alar-iliac screw placement prove to be safe, accurate and reliable techniques for achieving spinopelvic fixation. This is the finding of Jamal Shillingford (New York, USA) and colleagues, initially published in Spine.

Stem cell therapy confers neurological improvement in spinal cord injury patients with complete paraplegia

Intraspinal injections of human spinal cord-derived neural stem cells are well tolerated in a Phase I study of four patients with chronic thoracic (T2–T12) spinal cord injury. This result was recently published in Cell Stem Cell.

Experimental drug restores some bladder function after spinal cord injury

An experimental drug that blocks abnormal neural communication after spinal cord injury could one day be the key to improving quality of life by improving bladder function, new research published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation suggests.

Complex adolescent idiopathic scoliosis case

Oded Hershkovich and Bronek Boszczyk (both Nottingham, UK) present an interesting clinical case of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, in which the concave costoplasty technique utilised was modified after a very productive case-based discussion with faculty during the last Nspine meeting (29 January–2 February 2018, Arosa, Switzerland).

Spinal surgery cannot reverse the back pain tsunami

"Spinal fusion is a procedure for an abnormality only weakly related to the symptom it is trying to relieve with no way of identifying clinically the people who might benefit". Martin Underwood (Coventry, UK) argues spinal surgery is an inappropriate intervention in the treatment of non-specific low back pain.

Paradigm Spine receives FDA pre-market approval (PMA) for first of its kind disposable instrument kit

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted pre-market supplemental approval (PMA) for the coflex interlaminar stabilisation disposable instrument kit (Paradigm Spine). This marks the first approved disposable instrument set for a Class III spinal device to receive a supplemental PMA approval, the most stringent type of device marketing application required by the FDA.

Europe braces for harder times in medical device innovation while US FDA eases regulations

Countries in the European Union have long been the first to receive new innovations in medical technology, as the EU’s Medical Device Directive (MDD) provided quicker routes to implementation of new devices than its equivalent in the USA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, on both sides of the Atlantic, the regulatory pace is likely to change over the next few years—in opposite directions.

Rampart One standard ALIF interbody fusion system gains FDA clearance for stand-alone use

The Rampart One Standard anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) device (Spineology) has been granted FDA (Food and Drug Administration) clearance, allowing it to be used with or without supplemental fixation. The company hopes this stand-alone clearance will provide additional momentum as they prepare for the full market release of the Rampart One ALIF interbody fusion system.

20–23 June

Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery (CARS) 32nd International Congress and Exhibition 2018

Berlin, Germany

22–23 June

Ultrasound Guided Lumbar Procedures

Burr Ridge, USA

11–14 July

25th IMAST

LA, USA