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11 SPINE SURGEONS 14 things to know about the spine industry in 2020 By Alan Condon T he first half of 2020 brought big moves in the spine device industry, key milestones in spine surgery innovation and new challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are 14 of the biggest developments in the spine industry so far this year: 1. Augmented reality made waves in spine surgery. In early June, Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine surgeons performed the first augmented reality-assisted spine surgeries with Augmedics' Xvi- sion Spine System surgical guidance system. 2. Omar Ishrak retired. e former Medtronic CEO called time on a nine-year stint as head of the medical device company in April. Geoff Martha, former senior vice president of strategy and business devel- opment, assumed the role of CEO. 3. Artificial disc replacement celebrated 20 years in the U.S. Scott Blumenthal, MD, of Plano-based Texas Back Institute performed the first artificial disc replacement in the U.S. 20 years ago. e procedure has gone through several generations since then and proven in the literature a viable option for cervical procedures. 4. e COVID-19 pandemic le surgeons pondering the "new nor- mal" in spine. Spine surgeons are now connecting more with patients virtually and will rely more on telehealth in the future. Many are also strengthening data analytics capabilities and business intelligence to thrive in the future. 5. Device companies took action to control costs during the COVID -19 pandemic. Production halts, furloughs and hiring freezes were rife in the spine industry as device companies sought to maintain li- quidity during a challenging financial period. 6. Spine surgeons put their minds to use to assist patients and staff during the pandemic. Melissa Erickson, MD, of Duke University in Durham, N.C., remodeled surgical helmets into respirators and Dusty Richardson, MD, of Billings (Mont.) Clinic developed 3D-printed masks with a replaceable filter to stem the spread of COVID-19. 7. Up to 43 million people were projected to lose their employ- er-sponsored coverage, denying orthopedic surgery access to many patients in the U.S. 8. e M&A market continues to see action in the spine and ortho- pedic space. Medtronic kicked off the year with the acquisition of spi- nal cord stimulation developer Stimgenics. In May, Stryker proposed a $2.3 billion offering to fund the acquisition of Wright Medical Group, a device company focusing on orthopedic extremities and biologics. 9. Spine surgeons settled anti-kickback allegations with the Depart- ment of Justice. Colorado neurosurgeon William Choi, MD, agreed to pay $2.35 million to resolve anti-kickback and False Claims Act violation allegations and California spine surgeon Jeffrey Carlson, MD, agreed to pay $1.75 million to settle allegations that he accepted kickbacks from device company SpineFrontier. 10. A life sentence was upheld for a former spine surgeon. In May, a federal appeals court dismissed arguments from former spine sur- geon Johnny Clyde Benjamin Jr., MD, who was sentenced to life in prison for the death of a woman who overdosed on counterfeit oxy- codone pills. 11. Several key partnerships have been forged. Santa Monica, Ca- lif.-based Pacific Neuroscience Institute opened a surgical skills lab with John Wayne Cancer Institute, and Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital partnered with Louisville, Ky.-based Kindred Healthcare to develop a $35 million rehab facility for spinal cord injury. 12. At least 25 spine surgeons joined new organizations, retired or received promotions so far this year. 13. Two Colorado spine practices agreed to merge. In October, Fort Collins, Colo.-based Orthopaedic & Spine Center of the Rockies and Longmont-based Front Range Orthopedics & Spine will combine, bringing together more than 85 providers and eight clinical locations. 14. Neurosurgeons star on TV screens. Netflix debuted "Lenox Hill" June 10, a docuseries following the lives of four physicians at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, including neurosurgeon John Boock- var, MD. n Coronavirus delays trial of spine surgeon who fled US after allegedly performing 500+ unnecessary surgeries By Alan Condon F ormer Cincinnati-based spine surgeon Atiq Durrani, MD, fled to Pakistan in 2013 after he was charged with performing unnecessary surgeries on more than 500 patients, local NBC affiliate WLWT5 reports. Just 40 of the 500 civil cases filed against Dr. Durrani have gone to trial. The pandemic delayed their day in court. Attorneys representing the patients told WLWT5 that 60 patients have died waiting for their cases to be heard. The court is now considering a motion to consolidate the cases. Dr. Durrani, who practiced at Cincinnati Children's Hos- pital Medical Center and West Chester Hospital, was also charged with fraudulently charging Medicare mil- lions of dollars and indicted on federal charges related to clinical and billing issues. He has granted depositions from Pakistan and denies any wrongdoing. n