In-hospital consumption of opioids after elective spine surgery is driven chiefly by age, previous opioid use, smoking and the number of levels fused, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Spine Surgery. With as many as 38% of patients nationally still on opioids one year after elective spine surgery, the researchers sought…
Hall of Fame horse trainer D. Wayne Lukas endured pain and weakness in his leg, foot and hip, from lumbar spinal stenosis, for years before seeing Jeffrey L. Gum, M.D., orthopedic spine surgeon with Norton Leatherman Spine. Dr. Gum initially managed the trainer’s spine issues with injections. “He always had the next big race to…
A combination of telehealth and remote monitoring is allowing some patients to go home sooner after significant spinal surgery, according to the medical director of Norton Leatherman Spine. Norton Telehealth and “virtual hospital” innovations accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic so patients can get care while practicing social distancing. The shift prompted Steven D. Glassman, M.D.,…
Steven D. Glassman, M.D., orthopedic spine surgeon with at Norton Leatherman Spine, has authored the two most frequently cited articles on spinal deformity, according to a long-term analysis published in the journal Spine. The analysis listed the 100 top-cited articles on spinal deformities on record. Two articles by Dr. Glassman, each published in 2005, led…
The National Spine Health Foundation recently highlighted Steven D. Glassman, M.D., and Norton Leatherman Spine’s leadership in patient-based outcome measures in its “Ask the Expert” video series. “Historically, whether a patient did well with surgery was determined by, the doctor said you did well or said you didn’t do well,” Dr. Glassman said in the…
Specialists with Norton Leatherman Spine and Norton Children’s Orthopedics of Louisville can diagnose and treat pediatric patients with mild, moderate or severe scoliosis. Scoliosis may be a concern if a child’s shoulders are uneven, a curve in the spine is visible or the pelvis appears to be tilted. Depending on the type of scoliosis, it…
This week, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons announced an historic partnership to build a national spine registry. As a recognized leader in spine care, Norton Leatherman Spine will be one of the initial pilot sites for the American Spine Registry (ASR), contributing data to the growing body…
Norton Leatherman Spine physicians have a history of innovation and research in areas such as spine surgery safety, spinal deformities and patient-reported outcomes. As participants in numerous studies and trials, our specialist physicians also offer access to ground-breaking treatments. See a list of current clinical trials. Congratulations to Norton Leatherman Spine physicians whose abstracts have been…
By Rebecca Hall The orthopedic spine surgeons at Norton Leatherman Spine are internationally recognized for their expertise in spine care. So, it’s no surprise that they receive referrals for complex spine conditions from physicians throughout the region. Because of their experience in determining which patients need surgery and which patients do not, many referring physicians…
Tiger Woods’ back surgery (Anterior lumbar interbody fusion – ALIF) was performed just less than two years before his comeback victory in the 2019 Masters. The procedure is a less invasive way to repair the L5/S1 – lowest disc in the spine at the pelvis. Tiger had three previous surgeries to relieve pain in the…
Pediatric orthopedic and spine surgeons at Norton Children’s Leatherman Spine, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, printed a 3D model of a patient’s severely curved spine to prepare with greater precision for her complex surgery. The 3D model of Gracie Latkovski’s spine was used to create custom-made drill guides for each of her affected…
Physicians are seeing more cases of an otherwise rare spine infection — osteomyelitis — that can be caused by injecting bacteria along with heroin. A recent Norton Leatherman Spine study took a closer look at osteomyelitis patients. The study revealed the number of Norton Leatherman Spine patients with spine infections that required surgery increased twelvefold…