News Trends

Four spine firms have joined a platform that may represent the next generation of communication with surgeons.

SpineConnect, developed by Syndicom Inc. (Durango, CO), is a Web-based application that communicates and shares data with a vast community of spine surgeons. It allows for real-time discussion that can help surgeons with difficult cases immediately, even in the emergency room. It also provides a massive searchable database of how to perform various spine procedures and the results from them.

In April, Syndicom announced that four device companies, Stryker Spine (Kalamazoo, MI), Johnson & Johnson's DePuy Spine (Raynham, MA), NuVasive Inc. (San Diego), and SeaSpine Inc. (Vista, CA), have signed up as sponsors for SpineConnect.

“Syndicom's monthly 20% growth rate underscores the power of collaboration within the spine surgeon community,” said Stryker Spine spokesman Gerald Pennington in a news release. “From using SpineConnect to obtain input on difficult and unusual cases to integrating it with conferences for grand rounds, spine surgeons now have an easy-to-use educational tool at their disposal with a vast potential to improve patient care. Stryker Spine is proud to be a premier sponsor of this innovative platform.”

In its first four months of existence, SpineConnect saw 190 cases and almost 1000 reviews posted.