Here are five spine and orthopedic surgeons who earned awards in the first quarter of 2024.

Long-term survival and positive outcomes in adult cervical deformity patients depend on factors such as BMI, frailty status and fusion length, according to a study in the March 2024 issue of The Spine Journal.

As spine procedures continue to trend toward the outpatient setting, patients are becoming more empowered to take an active role in managing their well-being and deciding where to have procedures performed, Yesh Navalgund, MD, said.

Persistent spine issues led former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch to retire after six seasons, the NFL reported March 18.

Stanley Hoang, MD, performed LSU Health Shreveport's (La.) first awake spine surgery, ABC affiliate KTBS reported March 14.

Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine has added new technology to support more complex procedures as part of its recently developed brain and pituitary tumor program.

Here are 11 spine surgeons and physicians that hospitals, health systems and practices have added to their staff that Becker's has reported on since the start of 2024:

Brooklyn Nets guard and forward Ben Simmons had a microscopic partial discectomy, the team said March 14.

Juan Ronderos, MD, joined South Baldwin Regional Medical Center in Foley, Ala., according to a March 14 announcement in Gulf Coast Media. 

Spine and orthopedic surgery remain as specialties that are majority white and male. 

Spinal fusions can be performed in ASCs or hospitals but there are different considerations when deciding the best setting for the procedure.

Endoscopic spine surgery is a critical skill for every spine surgeon to have in their armamentarium or at least be familiar with. I was exposed to endoscopic spine surgery by chance in 2018 when I was a spine fellow interviewing for staff positions around the country. At one of my job interviews, an interviewer suggested that I should learn endoscopic spine surgery. I had no idea what he was talking about. When I got to my hotel room that evening, I looked up a video of endoscopic spine surgery on YouTube, and watched Dr. Albert Telfeian perform a lumbar microdiscectomy via a transforaminal approach. I was immediately sold!

Benjamin Burch, MD, became the first surgeon in Mississippi to perform an endoscopic spine procedure, according to an announcement in The Oxford Eagle. 

Two spine surgeons, Pedro Aguilar, MD, and Eric Chamberlin, MD, have joined WVU Medicine Uniontown (Pa.) Hospital's Orthopedics & Spine Center, according to a March 12 report from The Daily Courier. 

Spine and orthopedic surgeons may benefit from earning an MBA along with their medical training.

LMH Health in Lawrence, Kan., added spine surgeon Hemil Maniar, MD, the health system said.

Pittsburgh-based UPMC opened a UPMC Spine Care clinic in Lewisburg, Pa.

Here are seven key spine and orthopedic studies Becker's reported on so far in 2024:

Klaus Meine, frontman for the band the Scorpions, has undergone complex spine surgery, according to a March 8 report from LoudWire.

Building a community of women in medicine has been a priority for Lauren Matteini, MD, of Elgin, Ill.-based Fox Valley Orthopedics.