Orthopedics This Week - 2018 | July 17, 2018

ORTHOPEDICS THIS WEEK VOLUME 14, ISSUE 23 | JULY 17, 2018 He said that one of the biggest take- aways from the study was that they identified worsened dual-task gait costs across a typical clinical recovery time line among those who went on to sustain an acute time-loss injury during the year following their concussion, but not for those who did not sustain an additional injury. He added, “Although preliminary, these findings indicate that the ability to suc- cessfully execute a gait and cognitive task simultaneously may worsen across clinical recovery among those who go on to sus- tain a subsequent injury during sports.” “Tests that incorporate simultaneous task performance across different domains may aid in identifying those at risk for further injury and thus assist clinical decision making,” he added. — TR SPINE Study on PEEK, Osseointegration and Fusion A ccording to NuVasive, Inc., a study published April 25, 2018 in the Journal of Spine & Neurosurgery has found that the company’s “patented porous polyetheretherketone (PEEK) technology is a clinically viable alterna- tive for improving osseointegration and fusion rates of interbody implants to treat degenerative cervical disc disease.” The study is titled, “Early Outcomes of Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Using Porous PEEK Interbody Fusion Device.” A total of 50 patients with degenera- tive cervical disc disease underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) using NuVasive’s Cohere cervi- cal interbody fusion device. The com- pany indicates that all patients experi- enced positive results. “This interbody fusion device with Porous PEEK surface technology provid- ed improved osseointegration and sup- ported spinal fusion in single level and multi-level cervical fusions,” said study author Dr. J. Kenneth Burkus of the Hughston Clinic in Columbus, Georgia. “Twelve-month clinical outcomes have demonstrated the efficacy and stability of the Cohere Porous PEEK interbody device and shown that it is a clinically viable implant alternative for achieving successful clinical and radiological out- comes in cervical spine fusion surgery, particularly in multi-level or revision surgeries where fusion rates are lower.” According to the company, “During the course of the clinical study, there were 11 1-level, 23 2-level and 16 3-level fusions between C3 and C7. Patients came from all walks of life and with various comorbidities. Thirteen of them had previously had an unsuccessful anterior cervical fusion procedure.” 26 fusion six months after the surgery. At 12 months post-operative ACDF surgery, all 50 patients demonstrated improved motion, decreased neck pain and average disc height increased by more than 4 mm. In addition, each of them showed radiographic fusion.” Matt Link, executive vice president, strategy, technology and corporate development for NuVasive, told OTW, “The study by Dr. Burkus demonstrat- ed remarkable results with the Cohere Porous PEEK device in as little as six months with improved clinical outcomes and excellent fusion rates. We look for- ward to sharing these exciting findings with our surgeon and hospital custom- ers. The Porous PEEK technology was designed for enhanced osseointegration and this study provides additional evi- dence of its clinical value.” — EH Pain Study: Stop Opioids to RELIEVE Pain R esearchers studying 551 Veteran Affairs (VA) patients on long-term opioid therapy for chronic, non-cancer- related pain found that halting such treatment does not make this type of “It is notable that all patients who had revision surgery with Cohere achieved Cohere interbody fusion / Courtesy of NuVasive, Inc. Wikimedia Commons and lincolnwood620 ryortho.com | 1-888-352-1952

Orthopedics This Week - 2018 | July 17, 2018 | Page 26