Augmedics named Raj Asarpota as executive vice president and CFO in a Sept. 15 announcement.

Kevin Kaplan, MD, has joined Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.-based technology company Draganfly's board of advisers, the company said Sept. 14.

Dan Drawbaugh is CEO of The Steadman Clinic and Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colo.

Centinel Spine's Titanium FLX platform made its international debut, according to a Sept. 14 announcement.

Accelus has made its TiHawk9 expandable interbody cage commercially available, according to a Sept. 14 news release.

Shabbar Danish, MD, was named chair of neurosurgery at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune City, N.J.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus performed the state's first augmented reality-assisted spine surgery.

The Maryland State Board of Physicians has suspended the license of a neurosurgeon who practiced in Harford County over multiple sexual harassment complaints.

Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare on Sept. 13 is postponing nonurgent surgeries at 13 hospitals, but operations will continue as normal at the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Murray, Utah, the Standard-Examiner reports.

Zimmer Biomet has named its spine and dental spinoff ZimVie, and several executives were appointed to its leadership team, the company announced Sept. 14.

Illinois Bone & Joint Institute opened a walk-in clinic in Arlington Heights, Ill., the company announced Sept. 13. 

The FDA granted 22 spine-related 510(k) device clearances last month.

The drive to maintain independence is spurring more orthopedic practices to seek strategic partnerships with other groups, private equity platforms, hospitals and health systems.

Connecticut Orthopaedic Institute at MidState Medical Center in Meriden became the first center in the country to receive the Joint Commission's advanced certification in spine surgery.

The FDA granted 37 orthopedic-related 510(k) device clearances last month.

Bruce Thomas, the owner of Pinnacle Orthopedic Services, an orthopedic devices and orthotics company, was sentenced to eight months in prison Sept. 10 for his role in a kickback scheme, according to Bethesda Magazine.

Orthopedic and spine surgeons have watched the preapproval process become more rigorous over the past few years, and one reason is third-party administrators, said Scott Blumenthal, MD, partner at Texas Back Institute in Plano.

A National Institutes of Health award recipient and nine other orthopedic surgeons to know:

Nicholas Grosso, MD, is president of The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics in Bethesda, Md.

Spinal Elements marked 100 procedures using its Sapphire X anterior cervical fixation system.