Scoliosis: Life, Support & Friends

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — Device-maker Medtronic Inc. has partnered with an imaging software firm to introduce a service that provides three-dimensional images of veins, which the company says will help surgeons treat aortic aneurysms. Author: Brandon Glenn Medtronic says the service will help surgeons better visualize the inside of a patient’s vein before an operation and better view an implanted stent graft after the operation. The service, called 3D Recon, converts two-dimensional computed tomography images to three-dimensional images and removes bone and anatomy from the images, according to a statement from Medtronic. An aortic aneurysm is a weakened and bulging area in the body’s largest blood vessel, a condition that can cause life-threatening bleeding. The service has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, thanks to a 510(k) granted to Vital Images, a Minnetonka, Minnesota-based visualization software firm that partnered with Medtronic. A Medtronic spokesman...

Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), today announced the launch of the TSRH ® 3Dx ™ Spinal System. Designed with procedural efficiency in mind, the TSRH 3Dx Spinal System offers two screws designed to address multiple pathologies. The Multi Planar Adjusting (MPA ® ) Screw option provides surgeons a variable angle posted screw for targeted, controlled correction maneuvers. The OSTEOGRIP ® Screw enhances bone fixation by incorporating a dual-lead thread pattern that reduces toggle at the bone-screw interface. Building on more than 20 years of clinical success, this next generation pedicle screw system includes competitive differentiating technology for addressing multiple spinal pathologies, from degenerative disc disease to spinal deformity. The system also offers CHROMALOY™ rods and a minimally invasive capability. “The TSRH 3Dx Spinal System allows me to better match solutions to specific patient needs,” said Dr. Brett Scott. “It gives me confidence by marrying new technologies with a long cl...

I have been seeing pòsts around and about on the web about Medtronic's Infuse Bone Graft. They are facing a lawsuit from a woman in Texas who is blaming them for off label use and for the injuries she has suffered after her cervical spine surgery! Mary Selke who is the claimant has saud that she suffered from breathing problems and was unable to swallow due to bone that formed in her neck! Mark Selke has also got her physician on side who will provide testimony about Medtronic and the promotion of their product. We would love to hear from any InFuse Bone Graft patients, have you had problems similar to Mary? There is an estimated half a million people each year that undergo spinal surgery to repair/correct/fuse patients who experience damage to discs or to stablise Scoliosis. The InFuse Bone Graft is a device to help fuse vertebrae in the lower spine in order to treat degenerative disc disease. It differs from other, similar devices in that it uses genetically engineered protein to...

Medtronic and the Scoliosis Research Society launched Spine Check - a new program designed to help promote scoliosis screenings for middle school and junior high school students. The Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), one of the world’s premier spine societies, and Medtronic are supporting the Spine Check program to help improve the overall spinal health of students. Because of a commitment to research and education in the field of spinal deformities, the organizations are working together to generate awareness of the condition, while offering resources to empower school nurses to perform screenings. Related content is also available to surgeons and other practitioners for use in facilitating community education. “In the United States, less than half of the 50 states currently legislate school screening. The purpose of school screening is to detect scoliosis at an early stage when the curve is mild and may even go unnoticed,” said Lawrence Lenke, MD, Jerome J. Gilden Endowed Professor o...