Lahey's Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Neurosurgery collaborate to provide the best in spine care and spine surgery. In general, the Department of Neurosurgery takes care of patients with neurogenic back pain, neurologic disorders related to the spine and clinical conditions that compress the spinal cord or nerve roots. The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery has primary responsibility for mechanical spine pain, spinal instability, and disruptions of the spine due to trauma or tumor.
The Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Neurosurgery work very closely to provide spine care for patients, and also collaborate with the Departments of Rehabilitation Services and Neurology to provide optimal patient care. In addition, a physiatry service is offered through the Department of Neurology.
New Techniques/Technologies Introduced at Lahey Clinic
- Spinal fixation systems, or segmental fixation of the spine, which originally used the Cottrel-Dubousette system, and now, the more modern titanium systems; performed at Lahey since 1986
- Lateral mass plate fixation of the cervical spine
- Percutaneous discectomy for disc space infection and discal biopsy
- Anterior lumbar interbody fusion for instability; currently under Institutional Review Board (IRB) study of two different cage techniques, the BAK screw-in style versus a titanium ring prosthesis
- Posterior lumbar interbody fusion using a new, low profile cage compared to a standard bone graft fusion
- Vertebroplasty for reconstruction of osteopenic compression fractures
Physical Therapy Services
Under the leadership of Mary Murphy, MS, RPT, the Spine section of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery offers patients cutting-edge physical therapy services.
