Ep 17 Founder Series Pt 2: A 20-Year Journey to Make Motion Preservation the New Standard in Spine, Scott Hodges, DO
In Part 2 of our Founder Series, co-hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf sit down with fellowship-trained, orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Scott Hodges. Well known by several titles, including Medical Director at 3Spine, co-inventor of MOTUS, and leading advocate for motion preservation in spine surgery, Dr. Hodges shares his behind-the-scenes journey to bringing motion preservation to the forefront of spine care. His enthralling story includes the more than 20-year process of bringing a novel spine implant to market- from initial sketch drawings and early prototypes to clinical trials in South Africa and the U.S.
Dr. Hodges’ journey began at Southern Adventist University in his current hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, followed by medical school at Kansas City University, residency at Ohio University, and his fellowship in spine surgery at Loyola University Chicago School of Medicine. He went on to build a thriving surgical practice in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and it was here that the idea to improve upon the current standard of care for spine patients was formed and flourished.
Dissatisfied with the available technologies and long-term patient outcomes in spine, Dr. Hodges dedicated his career to creating a solution. With an aim for creating a better treatment for spine surgery patients, Dr. Hodges partnered with Dr. Craig Humphreys to co-develop MOTUS, the first total joint replacement for the lumbar spine. Their goal was to create an implant that restored function in the lumbar spine and the entire kinetic chain, without sacrificing the body's natural motion. With this new endeavor, Dr. Hodges shifted his focus entirely to bringing these solutions to patients, navigating the complex world of medical device development, and leading surgeon education for this novel approach to spine care.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- The road to innovation: What it takes to develop, refine, and clinically validate a motion-preserving device.
- What’s next for spine surgery: How motion preservation, total joint replacement, facet replacements, and endoscopic techniques are shaping the future of spine care for patients struggling with chronic leg and/or back pain.
- The origins of MOTUS: How a simple concept became the first lumbar total joint replacement.
- Patient demand as a driver of care: How patient demand is driving new technologies to the forefront of surgical care.
- The importance of the kinetic chain: Why motion in all areas of the body is important and how the different joints in the body - knees, hips, ankles, and spine - work together to allow the body to properly function.
- Why training & education matter: How surgeon training and patient education play a pivotal role in the adoption and access of new technologies for spine care.
This episode, recorded between the 3Spine headquarters in Chattanooga, TN and the world-renowned MERI Lab in Memphis, takes you inside the decades-long journey of bringing a new spine device to market, from the first clinical cases in South Africa to FDA trials in the U.S. As a pioneer, innovator, teacher, and leader, Dr. Hodges shares his compelling story of how data, surgeon training, and patient demand for motion preserving devices are driving the future of spine surgery.
This episode is a must-watch for spine surgeons, medical innovators, and anyone interested in the future of spine surgery and the journey of bringing a new device to the market.
Missed Part 1? Watch our interview with Dr. Craig Humphreys for the full Founder Series!
Note: The MOTUS device is currently in the data collection phase of a US IDE FDA Trial and is not available for commercial use at the time of recording. To keep up with the progress of the trial, you can visit www.3Spine.com.
Learn more about Dr. Hodges:
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- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/98f...
- iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-th...
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