Advances in Spine Treatment

Spine researchers are investigating noninvasive spine treatments called "spine biologics.”

These new treatments work with the body's natural processes to help inhibit disc degeneration, encourage cells to repair themselves, or provide implants that mimic the normal function of spine components.

The new technologies focus primarily on two areas of spine therapy: therapies to assist healing for patients who undergo a spine fusion procedure, and treatments for patients who have injured or diseased intervertebral discs. A new study provides some evidence that tumor-necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors can reduce pain and disability in the latter group.

Another promising advance is in the area of gene therapy. This involves using a therapeutic molecule that delivers genetic information to targeted cells in the spine. Viruses, because of their ability to integrate their genetic material into the chromosomes of cells, could deliver genes responsible for the production of growth factors that can stimulate the bone growth needed for healing after fusion surgery.

These developments were showcased in a special issue of The Spine Journal, the journal of the North American Spine Society (NASS, La Grange, IL, USA).

"The use of biologic materials has been one of the most exciting developments in spine care, and continued research will bring many of these projects into the marketplace in spine care,” said Dr. Howard An, editor of the special issue and an orthopedic surgeon at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago (IL, USA).




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