Becker's Spine Review

Sign up for Becker's Orthopedic, Spine Business & Pain Management E-Weeklies at www.BeckersOrthopedicandSpine.com or call (800) 417-2035 50 Spine Surgeons & Specialists Researching Biologics for Spine Treatments (continued from page 1) time researching stem cell repair for degenerative disc disease and the use of growth factors to treat spinal cord injuries. Scott Boden, MD, is a professor of orthopedic surgery and director of the Emory Orthopaedics & Spine Center in Atlanta. He has at least six patents for medical devices and his research is focused on bone regeneration, spine fusion and spinal disorders. Nicholas Boulis, MD, is a neurosurgeon at The Emory Clinic and an assistant professor of neurology at Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Boulis' research interests include biological neurorestoration and neuromodulation through cell, protein and gene delivery to the nervous system. Frank P. Cammisa, MD, is the chief of the spine service at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, is interested in autologous and synthetic biologic bone growth factors. His expertise includes minimally invasive spine surgery, computer-assisted spinal surgery, athletic spinal injuries and motion-preserving procedures Ivan Cheng, MD, is the orthopedic surgery residency program director and chair of the education committee in the orthopedic surgery department at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. He has been conducting research using stem cells for spinal cord injury for the past five years at Stanford. Freddie Contreras, MD, joined Neurosurgical Associates of Texarkana in 1987, where he has been practicing ever since. He is among a group of three surgeons from the practice who have used the stem cell procedure from Harvest Technologies to treat back pain.  Domagoj Coric, MD, was a lead investigator and author of "Prospective study of disc repair with allogenic chondrocytes," which describes the initial clinical experience with a cell-based biological therapy for treating degenerative disc disease. He is the chief of neurosurgery at Carolina Medical Center. Matthew Cunningham, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon focused on spine surgery at Hospital for Special Surgery. He has conducted research related to intervertebral disc regeneration and published literature on tissue-engineered intervertebral disc procedures to produce new matrix, maintain disc height and restore biomechanical function to the rodent spine. Timothy Davis, MD, is the director of interventional spine, electrodiagnostics and musculoskeletal medicine at The Spine Institute, Center for Spinal Restoration in Santa Monica, Calif. He has a special interest in interventional pain management, disc regeneration technology and spinal cord stimulation. Rick B. Delamarter, MD, is the co-medical director of the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center and vice chair for spine services in the department of surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He has a vast interest in non-fusion and minimally invasive techniques, including the use of growth factors for fusion and stem cells for repairing degenerative disc disease. Randall Dryer, MD, is a spine surgeon with the Central Texas Spine Institute in Austin who focuses on treatment of the cervical and lumbar spine. Along with his practice, Dr. Dryer has participated in FDA-approved clinical trials and spearheaded innovative procedures, such as using adult stem cells from a patient's body to aid in tissue regeneration. Richard G. Fessler, MD, of Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, was the first physician in the United States to perform a human embryonic spinal cord transplant in 1997. He has been a medical specialist and flight surgeon for NASA and participated in the first FDA trial to test the use of embryonic stem cells in patients with thoracic spine injuries. 15 Mark Flood, DO, is the chief of surgical innovation and an orthopedic spine surgeon at the Laser Spine Institute in Tampa, Fla. He uses the RegenaDISC system to help repair patients' degenerative, torn, ruptured, herniated or bulging discs. Gary Ghiselli, MD, is a board-certified spine surgeon at Denver Spine Surgeons. He has performed research on problems in cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, and published many articles and book chapters. Jonathan Glass, MD, was among the physicians who performed the first FDA-approved stem cell injection into a patient's cervical spine for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis treatment. He is a neurologist at The Emory Clinic and professor of neurology at Emory University in Atlanta. Steven Glassman, MD, is a professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Louisville (Ky.) and practices at Norton Leatherman Spine Center in Louisville. He focuses on patient-based outcomes and cost-effectiveness for spinal surgery, as well as the role of biologics in spinal fusion. Robert F. Heary, MD, is the director of the Spine Center at the Neurological Institute of New Jersey in Newark and the director of the neurosurgical intensive care unit. He is also a professor of neurosurgery. Michael Heggeness, MD, is director of the spine surgery fellowship program at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and former president of the North American Spine Society. His current research includes the anatomy and biomechanics of the spine, nerve investigations and developing new techniques for tissue engineering of bone that seeks to use molecular genetic techniques to stimulate fusion and healing of fractures. Wellington Hsu, MD, is a spine surgeon at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago with a special interest in trauma and minimally invasive instrumentation. He also serves as the director of the Professional Athlete's Spine Initiative, which compiles data on athletes who undergo treatment for spinal conditions. Richard A. Hynes, MD, is a spine surgeon at Osler Medical in Melbourne, Fla. He has participated in numerous FDA-approved studies and has a professional interest in biologics and the use of stem cells in spinal surgery. Stanley Jones, MD, of SpineCare in Houston, earned national recognition for performing spine surgery using stem cells on Texas Governor and former Republican candidate for the presidential nomination Rick Perry. The procedure was developed by RNL BIO, a company specializing in adult stem cell therapeutics. register today! 11th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management-Drive ASC Conference June 13-15, 2013 in Chicago The Best Business Conference for Spine and ASCs Featuring 50+ Physicians Speaking, 90+ Sessions Featuring keynote speakers Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K), Geoff Colvin, Brad Gilbert, Forrest Sawyer and more than 135 speakers. For more information visit www.beckersspine.com.

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