Growing Spine Committee Update

Scott J. Luhmann, MD
Growing Spine Committee Chair

The inaugural educational webinar for the SRS was on December 12 on “Casting for Early-Onset Scoliosis – Why, When and How,” chaired by Drs. Robert P. Huang (Past Chair) and James O. Sanders (Chair Elect). The audio program is being transcribed, edited, and will be available in text form within the SRS E-Text available on the website. The Growing Spine Committee is now developing additional topics for future webinars.

Since FDA approval of the MAGEC device for early-onset scoliosis, spine surgeons have embraced this novel device which enables non-surgical, painless distraction of the growing spine construct without anesthesia. Unfortunately EOS surgeons have struggled on the appropriate coding and billing for this ground-breaking device. Led by Drs. Jeff Cassidy and Jim Sanders, and other member of the Growing Spine Committee, a survey has been developed and will be distributed to the SRS members who are MAGEC users in the summer of 2017. 

An updated white paper on “Updated Techniques and Result for Early-Onset Scoliosis” is in its final editorial stage. The latest information from leading experts on growing rods, VEPTR, Shilla, vertebral stapling and tether will be assembled and submitted to Spine Deformity in May or June 2017.

Chair: Scott J. Luhmann, MD Committee: Robert P. Huang, MD; Francisco Sanchez Perez-Grueso, MD; John G. Thometz, MD; Wael Alkasem, MD; Jeffrey A. Cassidy, MD; Mazda Farshad, MD, MPH; Hyoungmin Kim, MD, PhD; Moyo C. Kruyt, MD, PhD; Hideki Murakami, MD, PhD; Rolf B. Riise, MD; Denis Sakai, MD; Shoji Seki, MD, PhD; Shiau-Tzu Tzeng, MD; Nigel J. Price, MD; Amer F. Samdani, MD; James O. Sanders, MD; Andre Luis F. Andujar, MD; Teresa Bas, MD, PhD; Jeff B. Pawelek; Peter F. Sturm, MD; Ron El-Hawary, MD; Colin Nnadi, FRCS (Orth); Eric D. Shirley, MD