The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
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Use of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) as an adjunct to spinal fusion surgery proliferated after Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2002. Major safety concerns emerged in 2008. ⋯ Use of BMP in spinal fusion surgery declined subsequent to published safety concerns and revelations of financial conflicts of interest for investigators involved in the pivotal clinical trials.
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Orthopedic residents seeking additional training in spine surgery commonly use the Internet to manage their fellowship applications. Although studies have assessed the accessibility and content of Web sites in other medical specialties, none have looked at orthopedic spine fellowship Web sites (SFWs). ⋯ Most orthopedic spine surgery programs underuse the Internet for fellow education and recruitment. The inaccessibility of information and paucity of content on SFWs allow for future opportunity to optimize these resources.
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Pedicle screw fixation is currently widely used in spine surgery for various pathologies. Increasing screw placement accuracy would improve the outcomes. ⋯ The results of our study show that conventional methods for pedicle screw placement remain safe and accurate, with best results obtained in the lumbosacral spine, followed by the thoracolumbar junction. Nonetheless, results are less accurate in the midthoracic spine.