Nevro's spinal cord stimulation device won't be covered by UnitedHealthcare in all cases as of Dec. 1, the devicemaker said.

While spine robots are still widely considered to be in the infancy stages, endoscopy surgery has been around for far longer. Recent years have seen more device companies develop spine robots to rival legacy platforms on the market and interest in endoscopic spine surgery has spiked because of its potential efficiency and cost-effective status in the outpatient setting.

SeaSpine and Orthofix entered an agreement to merge, with the deal expected to close in early 2023. Both companies boast emerging technologies in spine and orthopedics, and together they plan to rake in $1 billion in their early years.

Accelus' implant milestone and five more key updates from spine and orthopedic devicemakers since Oct. 5:

Geoffrey Appelboom, MD, performed the first 3D printed patient-specific spinal implant procedure in New Jersey at Paterson-based St. Joseph's Health, according to an Oct. 11 press release sent to Becker's. 

Nexus Spine celebrated the 5,000th implantation of its interbody fusion technology Tranquil. 

Global medical technology company Surgalign has been awarded the 2022 Best New Spine Technology award for its Holo Portal surgical guidance system. 

Jupiter, Fla.-based Captiva Spine has partnered with Taiwanese robotics and navigation company Remex Medical to improve future developments in spine navigation and practical robotic solutions. 

The first patients have been enrolled in a clinical trial evaluating the outcomes of patients who underwent spine surgery with aprevo, Carlsmed's patient-specific spine implant.

More than 15,000 of Accelus' FlareHawk multiplanar expandable cages have been implanted in over 11,000 patients in the U.S.

In the last decade, 3D printing has gathered momentum in orthopedics, but its use in spine surgery has been complicated by the challenges reproducing full spine models that require specialized and expensive equipment. Spine surgeons may also be unaware of how 3D printing could apply to their procedures, according to an article published in the September issue of Journal of Spine Surgery.

Ivan LaMotta, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Midlands Orthopedics & Neurosurgery in Columbia, S.C., has performed the first procedure in the U.S. using Medacta's MySpine Anchor, according to an Oct. 5 press release from the company. 

Life Spine's Ghost spacer system received FDA 510(k) approval, the devicemaker said Oct. 5.

Spinal implant technology manufacturer Aurora Spine has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its new sacroiliac joint fixation system. 

Here are four key updates from spine and orthopedic medtech companies since Sept. 28:

Happe Spine received two U.S. patents for its "HydroxyApatite Porous PolyEtheretherketone" products, the company said Oct. 5.

Stryker launched its Monterey AL Interbody System for anterior lumbar interbody fusion, the devicemaker said Oct. 4.

Safe Medical and Wenzel Spine are partnering to distribute Safe Orthopaedics products in the U.S.

Medacta's software debut and four more updates from spine and orthopedic medtech companies since Sept. 21:

NuVasive's Reline Cervical fixation system for posterior cervical fusion was launched, the devicemaker said Sept. 28.