Miami Neuroscience Institute Advanced Diagnosis and Management of Spine Conditions

Join this online course to delve into state-of-the-art, evidence-based spine care. This course will feature four expert-led presentations, each focusing on critical aspects of spinal health:
These topics were originally presented as part of the Baptist Health Spine Symposium:

  • Claudication: Spinal vs. Vascular
  • Lumbar Discitis: How to Diagnose and Not Miss
  • Avoiding Lumbar Adjacent Segment Disease
  • Surgical Management of Discitis Osteomyelitis of the Lumbar Spine

Commercial Supporter

Baptist Health gratefully acknowledges the educational grants provided by Cerapedics.

Target Audience

Primary care physicians, family medicine physicians, neurologists, neurosurgeons, pain specialists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, integrative medicine physicians, clinical pharmacists and all other healthcare professionals interested in the treatment of common spinal disorders.

Learning Objectives

  • Identify and differentiate the clinical syndrome of neurogenic intermittent claudication (NIC) and vascular claudication.
  • Evaluate the importance of checking lower extremity pulses in patients presenting with claudication symptoms.
  • Recognize the risk factors and implement appropriate workup strategies for diagnosing lumbar discitis.
  • Analyze the medical and surgical management options for lumbar discitis, including relevant pathophysiology and clinical features.
  • Examine Adjacent Segment Disease, including its prevention and treatment strategies.
Additional information
Bibliography: 

Avoiding Lumbar Adjacent Segment Disease
Nakajima, H., Watanabe, S., Honjoh, K., Kubota, A., & Matsumine, A. (2024). Risk factors for early-onset adjacent segment degeneration after one-segment posterior lumbar interbody fusion. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 9145.

Antonacci, C. L., Zeng, F., Jackson, C., Wellington, I. J., Patel, S. M., & Esmende, S. M. (2024). Lateral interbody fusion for adjacent segment disease: a narrative review. Journal of Spine Surgery, 10(2), 286.

Lumbar Discitis: How To Diagnose and Not Miss
Bury, D. C., Rogers, T. S., & Dickman, M. M. (2021). Osteomyelitis: diagnosis and treatment. American family physician, 104(4), 395-402.

Leow, K. S., Low, K. T., & Peh, W. C. (2021). Magnetic resonance imaging of spinal infection. Imaging of Spinal Infection, 51-69.

Surgical Management of Discitis Osteomyelitis of the Lumbar Spine
Thavarajasingam, S. G., Vemulapalli, K. V., Vishnu K, S., Ponniah, H. S., Vogel, A. S. M., Vardanyan, R., ... & Davies, B. M. (2023). Conservative versus early surgical treatment in the management of pyogenic spondylodiscitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 15647.

Edelbach, B., Glaser, D., Almekkawi, A. K., Caruso, J. P., Sbaiti, G., Aoun, S. G., & Bagley, C. A. (2024). Optimal Duration of Antibiotic Therapy for Primary Osteomyelitis Discitis: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. Spine, 10-1097.

Claudication: Spinal vs. Vascular
Bapat, G. M., Bashir, A. Z., Malcolm, P., Johanning, J. M., Pipinos, I. I., & Myers, S. A. (2023). A biomechanical perspective on walking in patients with peripheral artery disease. Vascular Medicine, 28(1), 77-84.

Krawisz, A. K., Raja, A., & Secemsky, E. A. (2021). Femoral-popliteal peripheral artery disease: from symptom presentation to management and treatment controversies. Progress in cardiovascular diseases, 65, 15-22.

Course Summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.25 ABIM Medical Knowledge
  • 1.25 ABS Accredited CME
    • 1.25 ABS Self-Assessment
  • 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.25 General certificate of attendance
  • 1.25 Nurse Practitioners
  • 1.00 Florida Board of Nursing
  • 1.00 Florida Board of Pharmacy
  • 1.00 Florida Board of Respiratory Therapy
Course opens: 
04/01/2025
Course expires: 
03/31/2028

Melissa M. Guanche, M.D.
Pain Medicine, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Director, Interventional Spine
Miami Neuroscience Institute Spine Center
Baptist Health Surgery Center at Kendall and South Miami
Baptist and South Miami Hospitals
Miami, Florida

Ronald B. Tolchin, D.O.
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Medical Director, Miami Neuroscience Institute Spine Center
Baptist Health Medical Group
Baptist Health Quality Network
Baptist Hospital of Miami
Miami, Florida

Robert J. Rothrock, M.D.
Spinal Neurosurgeon and Director, Spinal Oncology
Miami Neuroscience Institute
Baptist Health Quality Network
Baptist and South Miami Hospitals
Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery
Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Miami, Florida

Michael E. Gomez, M.D., FAANS
Director, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Miami Neuroscience Institute
Baptist Health Medical Group
Baptist Health Quality Network
Baptist, Doctors and South Miami Hospitals
Miami, Florida

Melissa M. Guanche, M.D., Ronald B. Tolchin, D.O. and Michael E. Gomez, M.D., FAANS faculty for this educational activity, have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies* to disclose, and have indicated that the presentations or discussions will not include off-label or unapproved product usage.

Robert Rothrock, M.D., faculty for this educational activity, is on the speakers’ bureau and is a consultant for Stryker Spine.

Non-faculty contributors and others involved in the planning, development and editing/review of the content have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies* to disclose.  

All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.

*Ineligible companies ― Companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, reselling or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. 

Baptist Health South Florida is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Baptist Health has been re-surveyed by the ACCME and awarded Commendation for 6 years as a provider of CME for physicians.
              
Baptist Health South Florida designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

American Board of Internal Medicine Maintenance of Certification

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 1.25 Medical Knowledge MOC point in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

Your participation information will be shared with specialty boards through the ACCME's PARS reporting system. Successful completion of a course examination is required. Submissions are recorded in approximately 48 hours. You will receive an email when your credits have been processed.

Through an agreement between the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, medical practitioners participating in the Royal College MOC Program may record completion of accredited activities registered under the ACCME’s “CME in Support of MOC” program in Section 3 of the Royal College’s MOC Program.



American Board of Surgery - Maintenance of Certification (MOC) - Self-assessment CME - Neurocritical Care

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn credit toward the CME and Self-Assessment requirements of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABS credit.

Your participation information will be shared with specialty boards through the ACCME's PARS reporting system. Successful completion of a course examination is required. Submissions are recorded in approximately 48 hours. You will receive an email when your credits have been processed.

Available Credit

  • 1.25 ABIM Medical Knowledge
  • 1.25 ABS Accredited CME
    • 1.25 ABS Self-Assessment
  • 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 1.25 General certificate of attendance
  • 1.25 Nurse Practitioners
  • 1.00 Florida Board of Nursing
  • 1.00 Florida Board of Pharmacy
  • 1.00 Florida Board of Respiratory Therapy
Please login or register for a Baptist Health CME account to take this course.

Your participation information will be shared with specialty boards through the ACCME's PARS reporting system. Successful completion of a course examination is required. Submissions are recorded in approximately 48 hours. You will receive an email when your credits have been processed.

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