Orthopedics & Rehabilitation (see more articles like this)

WHAT:  Not many people think twice about bending over and picking up their children, but for Felix Cruz, this is one of the most painful activities he suffers through on a daily basis.  Cruz is one of the 31 million Americans who suffer from chronic lower back pain.  In fact the 32-year-old has suffered for 5 years due to herniated discs in the spine and now from a pinched nerve in his spine.  Recently, Dr. Faissal Zahwari, MD, Orthopaedic Surgeon at Florida Hospital Celebration Health told him about the new Dynesys® Spine Stabilization System that offers another approach to traditional fusion and disc replacement.  Now, thanks to this revolutionary treatment, Cruz is looking forward to getting home and picking up all three of his girls!

HOW:  The Dynesys® Dynamic Stabilization System is a new concept in the treatment of lower back and leg pain in adults. Developed to bring the lumbar vertebrae back into a more natural position while stabilizing the affected segments, it uses flexible materials threaded through screws rather than rigid rods or bone grafts in addition to fusion.  The procedure allows some motion in the spine and is easy to implant in surgery with minimally invasive techniques in a wide range of patients.

BACKGROUND:  Chronic lower back and leg pain is usually treated non-surgically for as long as possible. A surgical spinal fusion may be recommended to restore the spine's alignment and the spacing between vertebrae. This procedure helps to remove pressure from the nerves, reducing or eliminating the pain, by removing the affected discs and fusing the vertebral segments together.  However, it often limits flexibility.  The Dynesys® Dynamic Stabilization System is designed using flexible spacers that still allow for movement and flexibility while providing the same stability as surgical spinal fusion surgery.  Today, Friday, June 7, 2006, Florida Hospital was the first hospital in Central Florida to perform this procedure.

PLEASE NOTE:  Video with interviews and B-roll available upon request including:B-roll of Dynesys® Dynamic Stabilization System surgery; B-roll of Dynesys® Dynamic Stabilization System device; Interview with patient Felix Cruz; Interview with Faissal Zahwari, M.D., Orthopaedic Surgeon, Florida Hospital Celebration Health