Left to Right: Steven D. Glassman, M.D.; Leah Y. Carreon, M.D.; and Mitchell J. Campbell, M.D.
Spine Institute Spine Surgeons’ Research Papers Receive International Recognition
LOUISVILLE, KY. (Dec. 10, 2008): Of the nearly 1,000 research papers submitted for the North American Spine Society’s (NASS) 2008 annual meeting, three that were researched and written by spine surgeons of Louisville’s Spine Institute were graded “top 10” papers, and one of the three was named an Outstanding Paper Award Runner Up, according to NASS.
“Only 105 of 991 papers submitted to NASS were accepted to be on the program as podium presentations at this year’s annual meeting,” said Steven T. Hester, M.D., MBA, senior vice president and chief medical officer, Norton Healthcare. “To have three papers that were produced by the same practice group accepted for presentation at the same annual meeting is a remarkable achievement and reflects the high level of pioneering work being performed by the physicians at the Spine Institute.”
One of the three NASS-recognized research papers also has been named a best paper by the Cervical Spine Research Society, and a fourth paper by spine surgeons of the Spine Institute was recognized by the Scoliosis Research Society.
Spine surgeons at the Spine Institute provide orthopaedic expertise to the Norton Leatherman Spine Center. Norton Healthcare co-sponsors much of the research conducted at the Spine Institute, and one of the award-winning studies was the result of a unique collaboration between Norton Healthcare and the Norton Leatherman Spine Center physicians.
The three papers the spine surgeons presented at the NASS Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada,
Oct. 14 to 18, 2008, are:
“Lumbar Fusion Outcomes Stratified By Specific Diagnostic Indication”
by Steven D. Glassman, M.D.; Leah Y. Carreon, M.D.; Mladen Djurasovic, M.D.; John R. Dimar, M.D.; John R. Johnson, M.D.; Mitchell J. Campbell, M.D.; and Rolando M. Puno, M.D.
Historically, a lack of specific diagnoses limited the ability to accurately determine the relative benefit of lumbar fusion surgery versus medical management or the best surgical procedure for a given clinical scenario. The study examined clinical outcome measures of 428 patients segmented by specific diagnostic indications. The study supported the concept that having specific diagnoses is a critical component in building an improved evidence base for lumbar fusion surgery.
This paper received The Spine Journal Outstanding Paper Award Runner-up. It was published electronically Sept. 18, 2008, (ePub ahead of print) in The Spine Journal.
“Outcome of Lumbar Arthrodesis in Patients 65 Years and Older”
by Steven D. Glassman, M.D.; David W. Polly, M.D.; Christopher M. Bono, M.D.; Kenneth Burkus, M.D.; and John R. Dimar, M.D.
The value of lumbar spine arthrodesis in older patients is a topic of debate among clinicians and payers. Since the majority of available evidence is in patients younger than 65 years, it is unclear whether the data could be applied to the Medicare population. This study compared the outcomes of patients who underwent lumbar arthrodesis surgery to determine if those 65 years of age and older had less favorable outcomes than younger patients. The study concluded that lumbar arthrodesis was beneficial to all the patients and is a viable and reasonable treatment option for appropriately selected patients age 65 and older.
This paper has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
“Is a Cervical Collar After Anterior Cervical Fusion with Plating Necessary?”
by Mitchell J. Campbell, M.D.; Leah Y. Carreon, M.D.; Vincent Traynelis, M.D.; and Paul A. Anderson, M.D.
This study evaluated whether the use of a neck brace after cervical fusion surgery increases the fusion rate and improves clinical outcomes. The conclusion was that use of a brace did not improve the fusion rate or the clinical outcomes of the patients.
This paper also has been named the First-Place Clinical Science Award Paper for the Cervical Spine Research Society 36th Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas, Dec. 4 to 6, 2008.
A fourth paper by spine surgeons of the Norton Leatherman Spine Center received the Whitecloud Award for Outstanding Clinical Paper at the Scoliosis Research Society’s International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST) in Hong Kong, July 8 to 11, 2008. It is:
“RhBMP-2 vs. Iliac Crest Bone Graft for Lumbar Spine Fusion: A Randomized Controlled Study in Patients over 60 Years of Age”
by Steven D. Glassman, M.D.; Leah Y. Carreon, M.D.; Mladen Djurasovic, M.D.; Mitchell J. Campbell, M.D.; Rolando M. Puno, M.D.; John R. Johnson, M.D.; and John R. Dimar, M.D.
This study compared clinical, radiographic and economic outcomes in lumbar spine patients over the age of 60 who received bone grafts from their own hip bones versus those who received Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP), a material that can induce the body to grow its own bone where needed. The study concluded that the protein was a viable replacement in older patients in terms of safety, clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness.
This paper is accepted for publication in Spine.
