Emerging Spine Surgery Technologies: Evidence and Framework for Evaluating New Technology  

Edited by Terry P. Corbin, BSBME, Patrick J. Connolly, MD, Hansen A. Yuan, MD, Qi-Bin Bao, PhD, Scott D. Boden, MD Today's spinal surgeons are poised at the threshold of technological breakthroughs that will enable them to restore the disc to like-new performance, make every fusion a certainty, and reverse osteoporotic fractures ... all with minimally invasive procedures. Yet several of the final barriers to success are unlike those faced by earlier researchers and clinicians. EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE Evidence-based medicine, which requires different and more stringent clinical studies than those required for regulatory approval, is now the dominant decision methodology demanded by payers of health care. This is where the treatments to be used by tomorrow's spinal surgeon will be made or broken. To ensure reimbursement, physicians must have access to scientific evidence that a new product is not only safe and effective but also appropriate for a specific condition. This comprehensive book provides a solid evidence-based foundation for evaluating the exciting new developments in the spine surgery arena. It is essential reading for all spine surgeons. Emerging Spinal Surgery Technologies presents the methods from which the gold standard of the next decade will most likely emerge. It thoroughly details what lies on the horizon in every discipline dedicated to treatment of the spine. And it outlines the many new considerations—FDA approval and ever-rising reimbursement standards by Medicare and the major health insurers—that will influence the course of future developments. LEADING AUTHORITIES Chapters by distinguished figures in each field preview the most promising developments in biologic and tissue engineering as applicable to spine fusion, repair and regeneration of the intervertebral disc, and spinal cord repair and regeneration. Chapters describing the leading methods of surgical navigation, often required to verify placement of devices and to visualize anatomy, are also included. STEP-BY-STEP SURGICAL TECHNIQUE FOR ALL MAJOR PROCEDURES Readers will find authoritative, step-by-step descriptions of the entire spectrum of surgical techniques and methods for spinal implants and disc replacements. In each chapter the authors outline patient indications and then guide the reader through the intricacies of each procedure. Numerous photographs and radiographs as well as ample boxes and tables add further detail. In addition, tips and tricks, problems and complications, as well as results and benefits are discussed. For devices still in clinical trial, the authors discuss the testing done to date and trial results.