UPMC News in Brief

The spine bone’s connected to the … Healos?

In America, back pain is the leading cause of… The spine bone’s connected to the … Healos?

In America, back pain is the leading cause of worker’s compensation cases, the No. 2 reason for physician visits and the third most common reason for surgery. More than five million Americans are disabled by chronic back pain.

While they haven’t found a way to eliminate back pain yet, neurosurgeons at Pitt are studying a bone graft substitute called Healos to see if it can increase bone growth after spinal fusion surgery.

Between each of the vertebrae in the spine is a disc of cartilage that allows for movement and flexibility, but sometimes seniors or people who have sustained injuries can develop a degenerative disk disease.

Healos is a sponge-like material coated with bone marrow and slipped between vertebrae. This helps to relieve the pain and promote greater and more long-term healing.

Research while you walk

Researchers at UPMC Health System’s Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic are testing a new device that would allow them to track a patients