Standing Tall Thanks to Norton Surgeon

A local spine surgeon’s invention is now a standard used around the world for people needing back surgery.

Rolando Puno, M.D., orthopaedic spine surgeon with Norton Leatherman Spine Center, created the world’s first polyaxial pedicle screw in the early 1980s — an important invention for spine surgeries that require the placement of rods and screws. His invention was first used in a human in 1988 at Norton Hospital.

The polyaxial pedicle screw allows the surgeon to attach rods to the spine from almost every angle. Today the polyaxial pedicle screw remains the standard used in spine surgery around the world.

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