Kyphoplasty

• Dedicated patient and visitor areas, with a visitor's cafe.
• Ambulatory spine surgery center
• Imaging suite
• Osteoporosis treatment center
• Physical therapy suite
• Medical academic learning center with a bio-skills cadaver training lab and 65-seat amphitheater. 

Back Talk, Indiana Spine Groups continuing medical education symposium, will provide concurrent sessions in addition to the two educational tracks (general and in-depth) and general sessions. These concurrent educational sessions will provide conference attendees a wide array of topics related to spinal conditions and treatments. A few of the concurrent sessions include:

Myths and Realities | Treatment of Vertebral Compression Fractures – This session, which will be presented by Indiana Spine Group minimally invasive spine specialist Kevin Macadaeg, MD, will highlight the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment indicators for vertebral compression fractures. Vertebral compression fractures have been identified as one of the most common fragility fractures in the U.S. During this educational session, two common treatment procedures for vertebral compression fractures will be discussed – this includes kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty.    

The Wellness Paradigm – Presented by chiropractic physician Nate Blume, DC, this continuing medical education session will apply the concept of functional medicine to spine health. The role of functional medicine in spinal health looks at contributing factors such as genetics and lifestyle. In this session, how to apply a wellness model to patient care and the role of functional medicine to improve the quality of a patient’s back health will be discussed. 

(Nate Blume, DC, is a chiropractic physician with Lakeside Chiropractic.)

Osteoporosis, also called the silent disease, has been estimated to affect 10 million Americans.  Another 34 million are projected to have low bone mass, according the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Needless to say, this critical topic will be discussed at Indiana Spine Group’s annual continuing medical education symposium Back Talk. This talk entitled The Silent Disease | Osteoporosis Updates will be presented by William Schmalz, MD, an internist from Bloomington, Ind.

During this talk, Dr. Schmalz will discuss the latest screening, diagnostic and treatment algorithms for osteopenia and osteoporosis, including the recommendations for various demographic groups, e.g. teenagers and young adults. Additionally, Dr. Schmalz will review the indications and contra-indications of medications and hormone replacement therapy in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis – and will address the menopausal and post-menopausal life stages. 

The next series of blog entries will focus on a few spine wellness tips.  Simple solutions that provide health benefits to your spine. 

One popular New Year’s resolution is to go on a diet and lose weight.  Losing weight provides many health and wellness benefits, including spine wellness.  Did you know that obesity is one contributing factor to back pain? 

Spine Wellness Tip #1: Drop Some Pounds 

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation one in two women and one in four men will sustain an osteoporotic fracture sometime in their lives.  One of the most common fractures as a result of osteoporosis is a spinal fracture. 

In this spine wellness educational video, Dr. Kevin Macadaeg discusses osteoporosis and vertebral compression fractures.  Dr. Macadaeg is a minimally invasive spine specialist with Indiana Spine Group. 

One procedure performed by the minimally invasive spine specialists at Indiana Spine Group is vertebroplasty.  Vertebroplasty is one of the treatment options for vertebral compression fractures. 

During vertebrplasty,a very specialized orthopaedic cement is injected into the vertebral body.  The advantages of vertebroplasty include:  immediate fix of the fractured area of the spine, that area of the bone is stronger as a result of the cement and the patient has pain relief in 1-2 days. 

The last few spine wellness blog entries have discussed the effects of smoking and the spine.  For example smoking can increase your risk for lower back pain, increasing healing time following spine surgery and increase your risk for osteoporosis. 

For a spine wellness fact sheet about smoking and your spine's wellness, click here.

In these next series of blog entries – I will answer common questions about scoliosis – including the diagnosis, and provide an overview of the treatment options both medical and surgical treatments.

The Scoliosis Research Society defines scoliosis as a lateral deviation of the normal vertical line of the spine, which is greater than ten degrees when measured by an X-ray.  Scoliosis is often referred to as “curvature of the spine.”

According to the National Scoliosis Foundation (NSF), scoliosis affects 2-3% of the population.  The common age for onset is 10-15 years, old and it affects both genders equally although females are eight times more likely to have a greater degree of curvature that requires treatment the NSF indicates.  Although scoliosis is not heredity, there is an increased likelihood of an individual being diagnosed with scoliosis if a family member has had it. 

The different types of scoliosis include:

§         Idiopathic Scoliosis – This is where scoliosis occurs without a known cause.  This is the most common type of scoliosis.

§         Congenital Scoliosis – This is when an individual is born with scoliosis as a result of the vertebrae not being properly formed during pregnancy.  This malformation occurs within the first six weeks of embryonic formation.

§          Neuromuscular Scoliosis – This is caused as a result of a neurological disorder such as muscular dystrophy that results in a weak trunk and the individual can not support the weight of their body.

§         Adult Scoliosis – This is when scoliosis is diagnosed in an individual as an adult.  It can either be undiagnosed scoliosis when the individual was younger or the result of age-related degeneration.  An example of age-related scoliosis is osteoporosis. 

If you have a question on scoliosis that you would like answered in this series of blog entries, please send your question to info@indianaspinegroup.com. 

A recent blog entry referenced the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF).  The IOF is an international non-profit organization headquartered in Switzerland, whose mission is to increase awareness and understanding of osteoporosis.  Their goals are to:

·                     Increase awareness and understanding of osteoporosis.

·                     Motivate people to take action to prevent, diagnose and treat osteoporosis.

·                     Support national osteoporosis societies in order to maximize their effectiveness.

According to the IOF:

• Osteoporosis affects 75 million people in Europe, USA and Japan.
• In 2000, 9 million individuals suffered an osteoporotic fracture.
• I out of 3 women and 1 out 5 men will suffer an osteoporotic fracture. 
• Of these fractures, approximately 58% will be spinal fractures. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) introduced a new diagnostic tool in the fight against fractures resulting from osteoporosis.  This new risk assessment tool – call FRAX (fracture risk assessment tool), was created to provide a way to assess the risk for osteoporotic fractures more accurately.   FRAX provides the 10-year probability that an individual may have a major osteoporotic fracture; including hip, clinical spine, forearm, hip or shoulder.  FRAX takes into consideration the results of the FRAX questionnaire and bone mineral density (BMD) at the femoral neck (part of the thigh bone that connects to the hip joint).

Indiana Spine Group would like to recognize World Osteoporosis Day – today October 20.

• It is estimated that 10 million individuals in the US have osteoporosis.
• Eighty percent of those with osteoporosis are female, and twenty percent are male.
• Approximately one in two women will have an osteoporotic related fracture in their lifetime after the age of 50.
• One out of four men will suffer an osteoporotic related fracture in their lifetime after the age of 50.

Here are a few links to resources about osteoporosis:
National Osteoporosis Foundation
International Osteoporosis Foundation
MedLine Plus
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

A second concurrent session at Back Talk, the continuing medical education symposium will focus on spinal fractures and the treatment options for spinal fractures. With the aging population, the incidence of age-specific spinal fractures is expected to increase. One study estimated that vertebral compression fractures affects 25% of post-menopausal women.

This session will be presented by Kevin Macadaeg, MD, a minimally invasive spine specialist with Indiana Spine Group. At this session, he will discuss:

• How to recognize the symptoms, assess and diagnose osteoporotic spinal fractures. 
• Discuss the indications for medical management and interventional therapies.
• Highlight vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures.
• Review the indications and treatment of sacroplasty for sacral fractures. 

A few concurrent sessions at Back Talk, will address The Aging Spine. One session, entitled The Aging Spine | Osteoporosis and Spinal Arthritis Update, will be presented by Michael Stack, MD, PhD.  Dr. Stack is a board-certified rheumatologist with Diagnostic Rheumatology & Research. 

During this continuing medical education session, Dr. Stack will provide the latest information on osteoporosis and spinal arthritis. This will include:

• The latest screening, diagnostic and treatment algorithms for osteopenia and osteoporosis.
• Indications and contra-indications of medications and hormone replacement therapy to prevent and treat osteoporosis. 
• The symptoms, diagnostic triage and current treatment options for spinal arthritis. 

Recently we have updated the educational resources on our Indiana Spine Group web site.  With this update, we included a few educational videos.  These videos include myself and other physicians with Indiana Spine Group discussing different topics; i.e. artificial cervical disc, spinal pain, spinal stenosis, etc.

Previously, I did a series of blog entries on osteoporosis and spinal fractures. In the next 25 years, the number of adults aged 65 and older are expected to double, according to a study by the Department of Health & Human Services Administration on Aging. With this increased longevity, it is also projected that the incidence of osteoporosis and subsequent spinal fractures will increase.

To help protect your bone health, which should begin as early as childhood, the Surgeon General’s office prepared a helpful resource. This resource entitled Bone Health and Osteoporosis, summarizes a two-year, 400 page report prepared by the country’s top experts on osteoporosis. To review this report, click here. Learn the facts about osteoporosis and how you can help prevent osteoporosis and improve your bone’s health. 

Another sponsor for Back Talk, Indiana Spine Group's continuing medical education symposium is Stryker Interventional Spine.  Stryker Interventional Spine specializes in minimally invasive spine treatment options for the relief of chronic back pain. Stryker Interventional Spine provides physicians with a wide range of minimally invasive spine surgical tools. This includes spine surgical tools for   radiofrequency, vertebroplasty, disc decompression and discography. 

Vertebroplasty is a minimally invasive spine procedure that is used to treat vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) as a result of osteoporosis, trauma or tumors.  

Discography is a procedure that is used to diagnose the the cause of back pain; and to identify which spinal disc(s) are involved.

Radiofrequency is a type of injection which utilizes an injection which involves heat – and the goal of this interventional pain management procedure is to interrupt pain signals therefore eliminating back pain. 

Disc Decompression is a spine surgical procedure that is performed to alleviate pinched nerves. The two common types of decompression spine surgical procedures are microdiscectomy and laminectomy.  

To learn more about Stryker Interventional Spine, and their minimally invasive spine products visit their web site.  

Exercise is not only good for loosing weight or for your cardiovascular health.  Exercise is also important for your spine health! It is important to strengthen and condition your spine. By building a strong spine, it will help you to avoid back pain and back injuries.  Exercise also helps to build bone mass to help prevent osteoporosis later in life. It is never too early to begin. 

For spine wellness tips and a  few bone-building guidelines to exercising to help reduce your risk of osteoporosis, this link provides tips prepared by Spine Universe

Planning continues for the annual spine symposium / continuing medical education conference Back Talk. The overall objective of this conference is to provide primary care physicians and practitioners comprehensive information for the diagnosis and treatment of their patients with spinal disorders, injuries and abnormalities. 

At the conclusion of this program, participants will:

·        Provide a comprehensive diagnostic assessment of patients that present with back and neck pain; including the physical exam, imaging and psychological assessment.

·        Review current evidence-based treatments of spinal disorders from a non-operative to an operative perspective; including medical and physical therapy, chiropractic care and when referrals are indicated. 

·        Identify the diagnostic and treatment algorithms of spinal conditions specific to life stages – from the pediatric patient to the older adult; i.e. pediatric injuries, scoliosis, osteoporosis, and the degenerative spine.

·        Discuss spinal injuries resulting from sports activities and trauma, their non-operative and operative treatments as well as preventative measures. 

·        Identify uncommon and difficult causes of spine disorders; including rheumatologic disorders and cancer.

·        Understand the key principles of spine wellness to maintain a healthy spine; i.e. nutrition, lifestyle and exercise.

·        Discuss emerging technologies and the future of spine care. 

For more information, visit the Back Talk information page on Indiana Spine Group's web site.

Planning on the third annual spine symposium / continuing medical education program continues.  This conference entitled, Back Talk:  Comprehensive Concepts in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Spinal Disorders - will address one of the key reasons people visit their physicians, back pain! 

This symposium will discuss the latest spinal diagnostic and treatment information for back and neck problems.  Overall conference objectives include:  

·        Provide a comprehensive diagnostic assessment of patients that present with back and neck pain; including the physical exam, imaging and psychological assessment.

·        Review current evidence-based treatments of spinal disorders from a non-operative to an operative perspective; including medical and physical therapy, chiropractic care and when referrals are indicated. 

·        Identify the diagnostic and treatment algorithms of spinal conditions specific to life stages – from the pediatric patient to the older adult; i.e. pediatric injuries, scoliosis, osteoporosis, and the degenerative spine.

·        Discuss spinal injuries resulting from sports activities and trauma, their non-operative and operative treatments as well as preventative measures. 

·        Identify uncommon and difficult causes of spine disorders; including rheumatologic disorders and cancer.

·        Understand the key principles of spine wellness to maintain a healthy spine; i.e. nutrition, lifestyle and exercise.

·        Discuss emerging technologies and the future of spine care. 

For more conference infomration, visit Indiana Spine Group's web site, or call (317) 228-7000.

With this blog entry, I will answer a question recently asked by one of my patients.  What is celiac disease and is there a link between celiac disease and osteoporosis?

Celiac disease is a genetic, autoimmune disease affecting the digestive system.  In this disease, the lining of the small intestine is damaged by a protein called gluten.  This damage to the small intestine interferes with the absorption of nutrients.    Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley – and also some medications/vitamins.  To learn more about celiac disease – visit this link.   

In respect to osteoporosis; one side effect of celiac disease is “brittle bones”.  Often celiac disease goes undiagnosed or is misdiagnosed, in that the symptoms vary in people and mimic other common aliments.  As a result of this, a research study was conducted at the Washington University Bone Clinic to determine if there was a link between celiac disease and osteoporosis.  This study concluded that celiac disease is uncommon, but individuals with osteoporosis were more likely to have celiac disease.  As a result of this study, researchers recommend that individuals diagnosed with osteoporosis to be screened for celiac disease (blood test).