Insights from an Orthopedic Spine Surgeon

TR: What are the most exciting recent developments in your field that you would like to share with readers?

Dr. Reidler: There now exists technol­ogy that utilizes advanced algorithms and state-of-the-art 3D modeling to develop personalized surgical plans and spinal implant devices. For many years, surgeons have relied on selecting off-the-shelf surgical implants for patients, like picking a shoe at the shoe store based on the available sizes. With this newer technology, we can provide care that is individualized to the patient’s anatomy. This is impor­tant in the treatment of patients with conditions like axial spondyloarthritis, when the vertebral body endplates can become distorted and irregular and the typical surgical implants will not fit well.

The other area that I am excited about is the use of robotic surgery, which is often more precise, more predictable and less invasive than conventional techniques. For instance, screw accuracy is now much higher than it used to be and we are able to operate with smaller incisions than was possible in the past. I feel fortunate to have trained with these techniques and to be practicing in an era of advanced technological capabilities in the surgical realm.

Jason Liebowitz, MD, FACR, is an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York.