Category: Spine Talk:

Spondylolisthesis Fusion vs ULBD

In Degenerative Spondylolisthesis, Unilateral Laminotomy for Bilateral Decompression Leads to Less Reoperations at 5 Years When Compared to Posterior Decompression With Instrumented Fusion Study Purpose Multicenter retrospective cohort study comparing the results of unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression versus posterior decompression with instrumented fusion for low-grade degenerative spondylolisthesis with lumbar spinal stenosis. View Full Study […]

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Lasers, Stem Cells and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

As a spine surgeon,  I get it!  In the ideal situation,  spine surgery will have a tiny incision,  with no surgical pain,  the latest technology,  and the ability to recreate the normal state after the procedure. Many times,  you can acheive success if you wait long enough.  That is because many spine problems can improve without surgical […]

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Avoiding Addiction

Last week’s blog was on the opioid crisis and what is happening in our society where drug addiction has increased by large percentages over the last 10 years. We blame large drug companies, physicians, hospitals and of course dealers of illegal drugs, for the rise in deaths and addiction but as in any other social […]

Update on Adjacent Segment Degeneration

There remains considerable controversy on the nature of Adjacent Segment Degeneration after lumbar fusion.  To the non-spine surgeons,  the issue is the theory that a fusion operation places more stress on the levels above or below the fusion,  and will lead to accelerated degeneration and subsequent surgery.  In fact,  most surgeons will tell patients about […]

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HIgh Intensity Zone

What is a High Intensity Zone? In relationship to the spine,  it is a term that has been used on and off for the past 20 years. Initially described by Drs’ April and Bogduk in 1992,  it is a  MRI finding  identified on a specific sequence called T2.  A High Intensity Zone (HIZ) is defined […]