3D-printed implants help customize spine surgery

Richard Menger, M.D., MPA, chief of complex spine surgery at USA Health, and his team are utilizing 3D-printed interbody implants that are designed for each patient.

To offer patients more options for a better quality of life, USA Health is now using customized 3D-printed implants and patient-specific rods for complex spine surgery. Patient-specific 3D interbody implants are currently only available at USA Health in the Mobile area.   

“The days of pulling an implant off the shelf and hoping it fits are over,” said Richard Menger, M.D., MPA, chief of complex spine surgery at USA Health and an associate professor of neurosurgery at the Whiddon College of Medicine. “Now we are able to simulate our surgery plan, measure the patient’s alignment, and pre-operatively design the implants for each patient.”  

The idea is developing a completely patient-specific construct, customized implants that reconstruct the spine bones and patient-specific rods that create alignment of the spine, Menger said, noting: “We can create the exact rod or implant that fits in their vertebrae like a puzzle piece, giving our patients long-term relief and decreasing the need for repeat surgeries.”  

A spinal deformity is an abnormal alignment or curve in the spine’s vertebral column, and can be caused by trauma, aging, birth defects or disease. Spinal deformities can be present in up to 68% of elderly populations, according to the Journal of Spine Surgery, and in up to 4% of children. The most common deformities tend to be kyphosis (bending forward) or scoliosis (bending sideways).  

USA Health partners with multiple leading medical technology companies to allow patients to receive the most leading-edge technology available. USA Health’s Neurosurgery Department uses digital technologies to create spinal fusion devices and optimize surgical plans for each patient based on their scans.  

Those scans, coupled with the surgeon’s operative goals, are used to generate a design for the necessary rod or implant. Confirming spinal placement allows a 360-degree visualization of the implant into the patient’s spine digitally; then the surgeon will approve the personalized plan and order the custom-made fixture.   

The element is 3D printed and placed in the patient’s spine during surgery. The different aspects of the surgery can also be modeled and predicted, Menger said, to ensure proper alignment after correction of the spinal deformity. The 3D-printed procedure is offered at no additional cost to the patient.  

For more complex spinal surgeries, a 3D model of the patient's spine can be printed and used as a reference during surgery. “We strive to be on the leading edge of safe surgery, bringing the best possible technology to our patients,” Menger said.

 

First cohort graduates from Healthcare Leadership Certificate Program

A group of faculty and staff from the Whiddon College of Medicine and USA Health became the first cohort to complete USA's Healthcare Leadership Certificate Program.

The first cohort of students – a select group of faculty and staff from the Whiddon College of Medicine and USA Health – graduated from the Healthcare Leadership Certificate Program on Saturday, Dec. 6.  

The program is a partnership of the Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama, the USA Mitchell College of Business, and USA Health. Designed to equip professionals with the essential skills and knowledge to excel in today’s dynamic healthcare environment, the comprehensive program covers critical areas such as leadership with an emphasis on self-leadership, communication, human resources management, financial acumen, and the principle of sustainability in healthcare organizations. 

The 2024 graduates are: 

Ahmed Abdalla, M.D. 

Natalie Bauer, Ph.D. 

Judy Blair-Elortegui, M.D. 

Kimberly Boykin, RN, MSN 

Kimberly Corbett 

Timothy Dexter, MSM 

Jack H. Fowler, CRNA 

Sarah Givens, RN, BSN 

Kimberly Hale 

Terri Hudson 

T.J. Hundley, M.D. 

Kevin Macaluso, Ph.D. 

Mary “Mimi” Munn, M.D. 

Jason Payne, MBA 

Melody Petty, M.D. 

Rachel Seaman, M.D. 

Philip Streit, RN, MHA, CRNI 

Colin Wehner 

Emily Wilson, Ph.D. 

Wei Xin, M.D., Ph.D. 

In a survey, 89% of participants said they found the program valuable, and 84% said they were “extremely likely” or “likely” to recommend it to others. Participants said they enjoyed the meaningful relationships they developed with fellow classmates during the yearlong program. There was also recognition that while leadership is rewarding, it is hard, dynamic, and a lifelong process entailing finding your purpose, reflection, being self-aware, letting go of control, and extending compassion, including self-compassion.  

Participants said being a leader meant “ensuring others were seen and valued” and not being a “workaholic” in the process. “I have a better perspective of being an effective leader,” one said. 

Binata Mukherjee, MBBS, MBA, assistant dean for faculty and professional development at the Whiddon College of Medicine and director of healthcare leadership initiatives at the Mitchell College of Business, said 30 candidates have registered for the 2025 program. It will be the first session open to community participants.   

Learn more about the Healthcare Leadership Certificate Program.

Internal Medicine residents collect donations for Goodwill's Care Closet

Team members load donations for Goodwill's Care Closet.

The USA Health Internal Medicine Residency Program collaborated with Goodwill Gulf Coast to gather more than 100 bags of new and gently used clothing and shoes for its second annual Care Closet initiative. 

In return, Goodwill provided coupons for USA Health patients to select items in their specific sizes, ensuring their needs are met. 

This year's team was led by Brant Weindorf, residency program coordinator, and residents Haris Manan, M.D.; Claudia Barrios, M.D.; Aaron Chinners, M.D.; Omsai Meka, M.D.; and Kelley Cutrell, M.D. 

Bags were collected from multiple locations on USA Health University Hospital's campus as well as direct pickups from the team. 

“This initiative highlights the importance of supporting vulnerable populations by addressing basic needs like clothing, fostering dignity, and creating a positive impact beyond medical care,” Manan said. “I’m really thankful for our amazing team. This wouldn't be possible without everyone.”

Medical student presents research on opioid education program at AAMC conference

Naden Kreitz presents at the AAMC conference.

Fourth-year medical student Naden Kreitz recently presented his research on opioid education at the 2024 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Learn Serve Lead Conference, held Nov. 8-12 in Atlanta. Kreitz’s poster, titled “Opioid Education and Prevention from a Medical Student Perspective,” detailed an innovative near-peer teaching program designed to address the critical issue of opioid misuse among college students. 

The program, developed and facilitated by Kreitz and two fellow medical students, reached more than 450 undergraduate students across diverse campus organizations, including Greek life, during the 2023-2024 academic year. Kreitz’s work, completed under the mentorship of David S. Williams, Ph.D., assistant dean of institutional and academic success at the Whiddon College of Medicine, is part of his pursuit of the M.D. with Research Honors designation.

“Presenting my research at the AAMC Learn Serve Lead conference, alongside some of the most influential medical educators in the United States, was both humbling and rewarding,” Kreitz said. “My project stems from my deep passion for making a meaningful impact on community health while being a medical student. Having the AAMC showcase my work affirms its potential to transform lives and establish a new model for how medical students can positively influence the undergraduate community.”

The educational sessions covered key topics such as defining opioids, recognizing intoxication symptoms, administering Naloxone, and responding appropriately to overdoses. Feedback from participants highlighted the value of engaging with medical students as near-peer educators, noting the relatability, safe learning environment, and trust inspired by facilitators of similar age. Kreitz’s research showed statistically significant knowledge gains among participants, as well as improved confidence in identifying and addressing opioid-related emergencies. In addition to his work on the program’s implementation, Kreitz is conducting further research on the validated survey instruments used in the study.

“This program exemplifies the profound role our medical students can play in making an impact on the university’s undergraduate student population,” Williams said. “Naden’s work not only addresses a pressing societal health issue but also builds bridges between the medical school and the broader university community, fostering knowledge sharing and collaboration.”

The success of the pilot program has led to expanded implementation and ongoing evaluation with formal assessment tools to measure knowledge and attitude changes. The program serves as a model for leveraging medical students to address societal health challenges while enhancing professional identity formation.

Mbaka first in area to implant breathing device in patient with quadriplegia

Maryann Mbaka, M.D., an assistant professor of surgery, right, performed the minimally invasive procedure, giving the patient a better chance for recovery and an improved quality of life. 

In the first procedure of its kind in the area, a USA Health surgeon has implanted a diaphragm pacer in the abdomen of a patient with quadriplegia, enabling the patient to breathe without a ventilator.

Maryann Mbaka, M.D., a trauma and emergency general surgeon at USA Health and an assistant professor of surgery at the Whiddon College of Medicine, performed the procedure Nov. 7 at USA Health University Hospital.

“The goal with this procedure is to liberate patients with spinal cord injuries from mechanical ventilation as soon as possible,” Mbaka said. “This gives them a better chance for recovery and an improved quality of life, which is great news for patients.”

During the minimally invasive procedure, a surgeon places small electrodes – part of the NeuRX Diaphragm Pacing System – in areas near the phrenic nerves that control the diaphragm, the major muscle used in breathing.

The electrodes connect to a small battery-powered device that stimulates the muscle and phrenic nerves to cause the diaphragm to contract and pull air into the lungs, mimicking the body’s natural breath cycle. By contrast, a ventilator uses forced air to help a patient breathe. The NeuRX DPS device can be used for at least four hours a day, and, in many cases, continuously.

“I am so thankful that Dr. Mbaka works at USA Health. Her forward thinking and excellent surgical skills allow us to offer the most leading-edge technology and operations for our patients,” said Jon D. Simmons, M.D., chief of trauma, acute care surgery and burn at USA Health. “The placement of the first diaphragmatic pacer in our region is a perfect example of the impact an academic healthcare system can have on our community.”

Mbaka said the patient was discharged from the hospital in less than three weeks. “This is a major milestone given that quadriplegic patients typically would be in the ICU for months or, in most cases, could never be liberated from the ventilator,” she said.

Studies have shown that ventilator dependence significantly decreases life expectancy in patients with spinal cord injuries. “Being freed from a ventilator reduces the risk of pressure injuries and infections,” Mbaka said. “It also allows for earlier physical rehab, which results in better patient outcomes.”

First implanted during a prospective clinical investigation in 2000, the NeuRX DPS has been used in more than 2,500 patients worldwide. The late actor Christopher Reeve was one of the first recipients. The FDA granted premarket approval for patients with spinal cord injuries in 2023, enabling the device to be more widely available.