Back Talk | A Comprehensive Review and Practical
Approach to Spinal Diagnosis and Treatment
One challenge to physicians is ongoing back pain following spine surgery. This 
session will provide attendees a better understanding of failed back syndrome / post-laminectomy syndrome.
During this continuing medical education session during the Back Talk spine symposium, speakers will discuss the contributing factors and causes of failed back syndrome. Additionally, the medical and interventional treatments for failed back syndrome will be reviewed – their indications and expected outcomes. One treatment that will be discussed is spinal cord stimulators. Indications for salvageable spine surgery and the outcome predictors will be reviewed.
Faculty for this continuing medical education session includes minimally invasive spine specialist Jonathan Gentile, MD, and spine surgeon Thomas Reilly, MD, FACS.
Back Talk | A Comprehensive Review and Practical
Approach to Spinal Diagnosis and Treatment
Another series of talks during the spine symposium Back Talk, Indiana Spine Group’s fifth annual continuing medical education symposium will focus on treatment options for spine patients and highlight medical, minimally invasive and spine surgery options. This includes their clinical indicators and expected outcomes.
These sessions include:
- Nonoperative and Noninvasive Therapies, which will be presented by minimally invasive spine specialist Jonathan Gentile, MD.
- Minimally Invasive Therapies, presented by Kevin Macadaeg, MD, minimally invasive spine specialist.
For a complete spine symposium brochure, visit this link.
Staff from Indiana Spine Group attended the 4th Annual annual spine run, sponsored by and benefiting The Spinal Research Foundation. The Spinal Research Foundation is a non-profit organization, who's mission is to improve spinal health care through research and education. Funds raised from the event will go directly to spinal research.
This foundation was established by spine surgeon Thomas Schuler, M.D., F.A.C.S. in 2002.
Since its inception, The Spinal Research Foundation has produced significant scientific research resulting in enhanced spinal care. New technologies, treatments and techniques are the results of the research conducted by The Spinal Research Foundation.
For more information about The Spinal Research Foundation, visit this link.
Spinal stenosis is a general term that refers to the narrowing of the spinal canal. Of
ten this is a degenerative condition resulting from aging. More commonly found in the lumbar (lower back) spine, it also occurs in the cervical (neck) spine.
Learn more about spinal stenosis, the diagnosis and treatment with this education video featuring Dr. Kenneth Renkens. Dr. Renkens is a neurosurgical spine surgeon with Indiana Spine Group. Orthopaedic spine surgeons with Indiana Spine Group include Rick Sasso, M.D., Thomas Reilly, M.D., and Paul Kraemer, M.D.
If you were not able to attend Indiana Spine Group’s continuing medical education conference, Back Talk | Comprehensive Concepts in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Spinal Disorders - educational sessions are now available on-line.
Educational Sessions include:
- The Fundamentals of Spinal Diagnostics | Kevin Macadaeg, MD
- Common Spinal Disorders | Paul Kraemer, MD
- The Uncommon and Difficult | Part One: Benign | Michael Stack, MD, PhD
- The Uncommon and Difficult | Part Two: Urgent | Kenneth Renkens, MD
- The Basics | Spinal Imaging | Thomas Reilly, MD
- Non-Operative Care: An Evidence-Based Overview | Jonathan Gentile, MD, and Jeff Hebert, DC, PhD (c)
- Minimally Invasive Spine Treatments | John Arbuckle, MD
- The Surgical Patient | Part One: Cervical | Rick Sasso, MD
- The Surgical Patient | Part Two: Lumbar | Kenneth Renkens, MD
To view these continuing education sessions, click here. Additionally, if you would like to receive continuing medical education credits for viewing theses sessions, visit the St.Vincent Distance Education Site and view from there. Registration is free.
(A very special thank you to St.Vincent Spine Center for making these videos possible.)
One unique session for “Back Talk”, the continuing medical education symposium sponsored by Indiana Spine Group, will feature a hands-on component. During this session, entitled Hands-On | Surgical Case Studies, attendees will have the opportunity to get a first-hand look at spinal instrumentation, cervical artificial disc implants and other surgical devices used during spine surgery. Spine surgeons Kenneth Renkens, MD, and Thomas Reilly, MD, will lead this discussion. As they review the technology, they will discuss spine surgery case studies including diagnoses, recommended surgical interventions and expected outcomes.
For more information about Back Talk, and a complete continuing medical education conference agenda, click here.
Key to diagnosis is spinal imaging. With proper imaging studies, a majority of spinal diagnoses can be determined. The spinal imaging presentation, during this continuing medical education program, will provide attendees an opportunity to review imaging studies and understand the indications and applicability of the studies for effective spinal diagnosis and treatment. 
Dr. Thomas Reilly, a spine surgeon with Indiana Spine Group, will discuss the clinical indications and appropriate imaging studies. As he reviews imaging studies, Dr. Reilly will compare those to anatomical illustrations for a better understanding of underlying spinal problems and their significance.
Physicians with Indiana Spine Group presented at the fall conference of the Indiana State Chiropractic Association this past weekend, on November 1 and 2.
On Saturday Dr. Kevin Macadaeg, a minimally invasive spine specialist, spoke on minimally invasive techniques used to help manage spinal pain. Additionally, he addressed diagnostic and therapeutic spinal injections. Spine surgeons - Dr. Thomas Reilly, Dr. Kenneth Renkens and Dr. Rick Sasso also spoke on Saturday. Dr. Reilly discussed when spine surgery is a potential treatment option. Dr. Renkens’ talk entitled “Understanding Lumbar Surgery”, focused on the lower back and reviewed spine surgery options and indications for the lumbar spine. Additionally, he discussed the different types of lumbar fusions and their applications. Dr. Rick Sasso focused on cervical surgery, and his talk was entitled “The ABC’s of Cervical Surgery”. In this talk, he discussed common cervical surgical procedures; including spinal fusion and cervical artificial disc replacement.
On Sunday, minimally invasive spine specialists Dr. Jonathan Gentile and Dr. John Arbuckle reviewed case studies of minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. Spine surgeons Dr. Thomas Reilly and Dr. Paul Kraemer also reviewed case studies of surgery patients.
For more information about this conference, click here.
This special interest symposium, The Physical Exam, will be lead by Laurie Scott, RN, MSN, NP-C, and Jodi Hetterman, PA-C. Laurie is a nurse practitioner with Indiana Spine Group, and she works with spine surgeon Thomas Reilly, MD. Jodi is a physician assistant with Indiana Spine Group and she works with our neurosurgical spine surgeon Kenneth Renkens, MD.
During this workshop, they will demonstrate using a live-model, the diagnostic steps in conducting a physical exam related to spine pain (back and neck). In their presentation, they will include key points in evaluating both lumbar and cervical problems. Additionally, with the lumbar exam – they will specifically discuss the identification of radicular pain from low-back pain, and the evaluation process to rule out hip abnormalities or knee problems.
In this session, which focuses on evaluating a patient for spine surgery, spine surgeon Thomas Reilly, MD, will discuss when spine 
surgery is an option and timing for referral to a spine surgeon.
In that only 10 -20% of patients with spine problems require spine surgery, this session will provide:
§ Detailed indications and contraindications for spinal surgery.
§ When to refer to the spine surgeon; a review of case studies.
§ An overview of surgical options and expected outcomes.
Another session on spinal diagnostics will be an in-depth review of spinal imaging. This presentation will be given by Tom Reilly, MD. Dr. Reilly is a spine surgeon with Indiana Spine Group.
During this presentation, Dr. Reilly will review the essential elements to help primary care physicians understand the different imaging options and he will also review spinal images and diagnoses.
The overall objectives of this presentation include:
§ Review spinal imaging options and identify the appropriate use and applicability to diagnose spinal problems.
§ Identify limitations of spinal imaging and indications for additional testing.
§ Highlight and review spinal imaging studies with discussion of surgical versus medical management.
Indiana Spine Group is a center of excellence for the treatment of spinal disorders and abnormalities. Located in Indianapolis - with offices in Kokomo and Anderson, we provide comprehensive spine care – including interventional pain management treatments, nonsurgical spine treatments, minimally invasive spine procedures, minimally invasive spine surgery and spine surgery. Treating both adults and children, some common diagnoses that we treat include degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, herniated cervical disc, failed back syndrome, osteoporosis and scoliosis.
Physicians with Indiana Spine Group include:
§ Ken Renkens, MD (neurosurgical spine surgeon)
§ Rick Sasso, MD (spine surgeon)
§ Kevin Macadaeg, MD (minimally invasive spine specialist)
§ Thomas Reilly, MD (spine surgeon)
§ Jonathan Gentile, MD (minimally invasive spine specialist)
§ John Arbuckle, MD (minimally invasive spine specialist
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