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Spine Center in the News

Dr. Roger Härtl Talks About Concussions in the NHL
December 21, 2011
The chief of spinal surgery and neurotrauma at Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center was interviewed by NBC Sports about concussions in professional hockey: how to recognize them, treat them, and recover from them. Dr. Härtl reviews the three components of diagnosing a concussion, the risks of returning to play too soon, and the potential long-term effects of repeated concussions. Watch the video below.

Dr. Roger Härtl Interviewed About Biological Replacement Discs
August 18, 2011
Artificial disc implants break down over time and can lead to spinal fusion. Dr. Härtl's research into biological replacement discs, which integrate into the spine over time, holds promise for a great advance in the treatment of herniated discs. In this video, Dr. Härtl discusses these new biological discs, and demonstrates the procedure from the operating room. Watch the video.

Drs. Härtl and Bonassar Publish Results of "Living" Spinal Disc Implants
August 15, 2011
Dr. Roger Härtl, Director of Spinal Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Dr. Larry Bonassar, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University, report success in their laboratory tests of living, tissue-engineered replacement discs for patients with degenerative disc disease. The new artificial discs are designed to integrate into the spine and improve over time as they generate new growth. The researchers hope this next generation of disc implants will replace today's artificial implants, which can degenerate in the body. The promising results were published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and were reported in the Cornell University Chronicle as well as in Discovery News.

Dr. Härtl Named One of the Top 12 Surgeons for Professional Athletes
March 29, 2011
Roger Härtl, MD, chief of spinal surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and neurosurgeon for the New York Giants, has been named one of the Top Spine Surgeons for professional athletes by Becker's Orthopedic, Spine, and Pain Management Review. See the article.

Roger Härtl, MD, Named One of the 50 Best Spine Specialists in America
February 5, 2011
Dr. Härtl, chief of spinal surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, has been named one of the 50 Best Spine Specialists in America by Becker’s ACS Review. See the article.

NFL Grant Supports Research on Bioengineered Discs
December 21, 2010
NFL Charities has donated $100,000 for research on bioengineered intervertebral discs being conducted by Dr. Larry Bonassar at the Cornell School of Engineering and Dr. Roger Härtl (team neurosurgeon for the New York Giants) of the Weill Cornell Medical Center. Read the article.

Dr. Roger Härtl and Dr. Larry Bonassar Receive Hansjärg Wyss Award
July 2010
Dr. Roger Härtl, chief of spinal surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Dr. Larry Bonassar, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Cornell University, received the prestigious Hansjärg Wyss Research Award from AOSpine and the Hansjärg Wyss Foundation for their research project on biological disc replacement.

Dr. John Boockvar Gives Hope to Brooklyn Flight Attendant After Horrifying Fall
November 26, 2008
After a three-story fall from a hotel balcony in the Dominican Republic, Jessica Mazzone thought she would never walk again. But after an airlift to New York and surgery by Dr. Boockvar, her prognosis was excellent.

CBS News Early Show Interviews Dr. Härtl for Segment on Acupuncture
September 25, 2007
A German study finds that acupuncture – even fake acupuncture – works just as well or better than conventional treatments. Dr. Härtl agrees that surgery should be used only for those patient who will benefit from it, and welcomes alternative treatments. More from CBS News Early Show.

New York Magazine Feature: A Firefighter's Leap From a Building Fire, and Dr. Härtl's Fight to Save Him June 11, 2006
Eugene Stolowski was one of four firefighters who jumped from a burning building in the Bronx on what became known as Black Sunday. Two of the four died at the scene, and Stolowski suffered a life-threatening atlanto-occipital dislocation - the ligaments between the skull and the spine were torn. Read about Dr. Härtl’s life-saving surgery.