A drain or injection in a major joint or bursa without an ultrasound is the musculoskeletal procedure with the highest volume in 2021, according to claims data in a June report from Definitive Healthcare. 

Orthopedic surgeons saw a 7.3 percent increase in work relative value units from 2019 to 2021, according to the Medical Group Management Association's 2022 "Datadive Provider Compensation Report."  

Advanced Surgery Center of Sarasota (Fla.), an affiliate of United Surgical Partners International, has launched a robotic-assisted surgery program, the center said June 1. 

Christiana Spine Center, a nine-physician group in Newark, Del., was hit by a ransomware attack that could have exposed patients' protected health information.

Outpatient spine is on track to becoming the new normal, and ASCs are on the forefront of the transition. More than 190 ASCs in the U.S. now offer minimally invasive spine surgery, a significant increase in the last decade.

Cleveland Clinic is building a new neurological institute in Cleveland that will provide inpatient and outpatient care, surgical services and research laboratories. 

Gainesville, Ga.-based Southern Pain and Spine Associates opened a surgery center in Jasper, Ga., according to a May 13 LinkedIn post.

National Spine and Pain Centers, a network of minimally invasive spine and pain physicians has added 12 locations and an ASC to its network.

The Surgery Center of Merrimack Valley performed its first outpatient total knee replacement, Shields Health Care Group said May 5. 

There are more than 3,500 orthopedic ASCs in the U.S., according to 2021 CMS figures, but many of them do not offer spine surgery.

Surgeons and ASCs in Oregon, California, North Carolina, Washington and Louisiana all reached spine surgery milestones recently.

Spinal Simplicity released its Minuteman G5 implant for minimally invasive surgery.

Two of the biggest drawbacks of spine surgical robots are their size and cost, but the next generation of robots are addressing these challenges to encourage their adoption at ASCs.

Newport Beach, Calif.-based DISC Surgery Center has performed its 1,000th artificial disc replacement.

Adding high acuity procedures, such as spine surgeries, to an ASC requires preparation to ensure a safe migration of these procedures to the outpatient setting. 

The development of spine technology has increasingly pushed procedures to ASCs, and many spine leaders expect the trend to continue.

Surgeons and ASCs in Oregon, California, North Carolina, Washington and Louisiana reached spine surgery milestones since March 1.

The most common complications after spine surgery at ASCs are gastrointestinal, with vascular being the most infrequent, according to a study published in Clinical Spine Surgery in April.

Orthopedic procedures have increasingly shifted to the ASC setting in the last 10 years as technology and patient education advance. 

Northbank Surgical Center, a Surgical Care Affiliates' center in Salem, Ore., performed its first spine surgery using the StealthStation S8 navigation system, SCA said April 5.