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  • New Technology

    I’ve just received my annual report from Abbott Laboratories of which I am a shareholder. It spotlights some product innovations and technologies that are in the pipeline, one such technology being that which would correct abnormal spinal curvatures, including scoliosis, while at the same time addressing motion preservation and dynamic stabilization of the spine.

    Chris

  • #2
    Chris,

    Thanks for posting that. I am always curious about alternative technologies. My daughter is scheduled for a fusion in June and I often wonder about possible technologies that might help her. I suppose the Abbott Lab stuff is going to be WAY down the road...

    Sam

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    • #3
      You can visit (http://www.abbottspine.com/) to see what's on the forefront in spine care. I predict fusionless surgery becoming the wave of the future as more and more technological advancements are achieved.

      Chris

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      • #4
        New spinal implant from Abbott-ongoing study

        Here is a link where this device is explained:

        http://www.spine-health.com/research...is/wallis.html

        It is contraindicated for scoliosis but used at one level in the lumbar area for disc disease where the lumbar spine is unstable. I'm not so hopeful that this would work for scoliosis but you never know.

        Here is another link and excerpt:

        http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medi...p?newsid=31433

        The Wallis system has been in use in Europe for more than 15 years. It was developed by physicians in France and first used to treat degenerative disc disease in the 1980's. Since then, it has been used in thousands of patients outside the United States.

        Lower Back Pain and Treatment Options

        Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on low back pain, according to the National Institutes of Health. Back pain is the most common cause of disability in the United States and a leading contributor to missed workdays. While most instances of low back pain go away on their own, others may be associated with chronic conditions, including disc degeneration. Currently, physicians rely on a variety of non-surgical techniques to treat milder forms of degenerative disc disease, while advanced cases of disc degeneration are treated with spinal fusion, effectively immobilizing sections of the spine, or total disc replacement
        Original scoliosis surgery 1956 T-4 to L-2 ~100 degree thoracic (triple)curves at age 14. NO hardware-lost correction.
        Anterior/posterior revision T-4 to Sacrum in 2002, age 60, by Dr. Boachie-Adjei @Hospital for Special Surgery, NY = 50% correction

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        • #5
          Very intersting. Thanks for posting the links, Karen.

          My daugher is getting a lumbar fusion (L1-L4) with Dr. Boachie in June and I have learned through reading Neuwirth and Wolpert's book that because the fusion is in her lumbar area, the fusion will reduce her flexibility quite a bit so non-fusion technology would be great for her. Unfortunately, her curve is progressing (from 29 deg to 36 deg) and the discs and below her kyphosis are getting wedged so the new technology may be a tad late for her.

          But hopefully others will benefit from it...

          Sam

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