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Lower back pain is frequently associated with degenerative disc disease; the diseased disc compresses, painfully pinching crucial nerves in the back and/or leading to the legs. With the AxiaLIF Lumbar Interbody Fusion procedure, doctors can stabilize the discs and free the nerves being pinched. “This is a very important development for patients with degenerative disc disease and severe back pain caused by injury and other diseases,” said Frederik Pennings, MD, PhD, a neurosurgeon at UMass Memorial Medical Center and expert in this procedure. “The goal of spinal fusion is to stabilize the injured or diseased lower spine, and now we can do it without cutting muscles or nerves, thus further reducing the patient’s pain,” said Pennings, who is also an assistant professor of surgery at UMass Medical School. The AxiaLIF, approved by the FDA, is a percutaneous transsacral procedure that gives the surgeon access to the lowest segment of the spine through a tiny incision near the tailbone. Because surgeons do not actually see the discs they are working on—as they do in traditional or open surgery—a series of X-rays is taken at several points during the procedure to provide accurate guidance to the surgeon. Using specialized drills, surgeons remove the diseased tissue inside the lowest discs of the spine and replace that tissue with sturdy bone graft material. The AxiaLIF implant (a screw) is inserted to restore the disc space to its original healthy disc height. Surgery takes less time than the traditional operation and often allows the patient to be up and about more quickly. Dr. Pennings, who joined UMass Memorial last year, is an expert in complex spine surgery. He is board certified in neurosurgery and completed a fellowship in spine surgery at University of California at Davis; and one in neurosurgery at New York University Medical Center. He received his medical degree from the University of Leyden Medical School and completed his residency at the Academic Medical Center at the University of Amsterdam. UMass Memorial Health Care is the largest not-for-profit health care system in Central Massachusetts with 1,500 physicians and more than 12,000 employees. Our comprehensive network of care includes teaching hospitals, affiliated community hospitals, outpatient clinics, community-based physician practices, long-term care facilities, and home health, hospice, rehabilitation and mental health services. UMass Memorial is dedicated to promoting health and wellness in the community, and is proud to be the clinical partner of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. www.HealthNewsDigest.com Top of Page 
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