The patient A neonate was born with a prenatally diagnosed myelomeningocele, the most severe type of spina bifida, and severe associated myelokyphosis. Due to the extent of the bony deformity, prenatal surgery was deemed too high risk. At birth, the patient presented with a large open neural tube defect with exposed spinal cord and abnormal…
Families in Kentucky and Indiana seeking specialized spine care for their children now have a centralized location and expertise close to home. Norton Children’s and Norton Leatherman Spine have established Norton Children’s Leatherman Spine, affiliated with UofL School of Medicine, a dedicated practice serving children with spine disorders at two Louisville locations: downtown on Gray…
Norton Leatherman Spine has reached a major milestone in the evolution of spine care. Jeffrey L. Gum, M.D., spine surgeon with Norton Leatherman Spine, has become the first in the world to perform spine surgery using a next-generation robotic-assisted platform designed to deliver greater precision and accuracy than any previous technology. Dr. Gum played a…
Back pain among adolescents has become increasingly common in pediatrics, particularly in primary care. Once relatively rare, it now affects an estimated 28% to 48% of school-age children, with higher rates among adolescents and athletes. “Adolescent back pain is now common and often multifactorial, with posture-related pain now representing a significant proportion of cases,” said Kent…
Norton Children’s Leatherman Spine surgeons recently performed the world’s first implantation of a novel device for correcting scoliosis in young children. The device is an advancement from traditional growing rods and harnesses the body’s natural spinal growth. Surgeons with Norton Children’s Leatherman Spine, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, are the only surgeons in Kentucky, Indiana,…
The patient A man in his forties with a history of epilepsy and ankylosing spondylitis presented with acute onset neck pain after he was found down on the ground next to his bed by his father. The patient is amnesic to the event. The challenge The care team The solution The patient was placed in…
Neck injuries are common among athletes. When assessing the nature of a neck injury, valuable diagnostic tools include considering any neurologic component and comparing the initial symptoms with the current symptoms, according to Jeffrey L. Gum, M.D., a spine and orthopedic surgeon with Norton Leatherman Spine. A video of the event or an eyewitness account…
As health care providers, it’s essential to stay aware of the evolving surgical techniques and technologies in spine surgery. In a presentation by John R. Dimar II, M.D., spine surgeon with Norton Leatherman Spine, several questions were raised regarding the widespread promotion of minimally invasive techniques and their applicability in complex cases. Dr. Dimar cautioned…
Robot-assisted sacroiliac joint (SIJ) fusion surgery can, in about 1% of cases, injure the superior gluteal artery (SGA), but preoperative imaging, precise robot-assisted screw insertion and soft tissue protection can mitigate risks, according to a recently published study in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Case Lessons. The study describes the case of an 80-year-old man who…
Prehabilitation, or “prehab,” refers to optimizing general health and well-being before surgery to improve surgical outcomes. Prehab takes a multidisciplinary approach, focusing on strength and aerobic exercises, nutrition, smoking cessation, alcohol reduction, and psychological factors such as mitigating stress, anxiety and depression. The approach is primarily designed for patients who are at the highest risk…
The patient A 64-year-old woman tripped after “missing a step,” fracturing her left tibial plateau and resulting in deformity of the joint. This was managed conservatively, with a leg brace removing weight from the extremity. She developed persistent numbness and tingling in her left leg, as well as weakness. She was evaluated in the Norton…
Spine surgeries have come a long way from the large open procedures that were the standard of care for many years. A wide range of minimally invasive surgeries are now possible for patients, with excellent results and faster recovery. Our goal with minimally invasive surgery is to decrease soft-tissue disruption yet accomplish the same results…