USF Health presents DRX9000 research at FCA National

USF Health neurosurgery faculty presented new research and patient outcomes on non-surgical spinal decompression at FCA National in Orlando on July 28, 2026. The talks underscored how the university’s integrated spine-care model is pairing clinical care with research on the DRX9000 systems.

Why it matters: - USF Health is using an academic neurosurgery setting to test and expand the role of non-surgical spinal decompression for lumbar and cervical spine disorders. - The work matters for patients who may want to avoid surgery and for clinicians looking for more objective evidence on conservative spine care. - The presentations also signal growing collaboration between neurosurgery, chiropractic, rehabilitation science, biomechanics and medical engineering.

What happened: - Faculty from the University of South Florida’s Department of Neurosurgery, Brain and Spine presented at FCA National in Orlando on July 28, 2026. - Presenters included Dr. Susan Welsh, Dr. Nathan Schilaty, Dr. Harry van Loveren and Saleem Musallam of Excite Medical. - The group shared clinical research, patient outcomes and academic initiatives involving the DRX9000® Lumbar and DRX9000C® Cervical Spinal Decompression Systems.

The details: - Dr. Harry van Loveren reviewed the five-year partnership between the Florida Chiropractic Association and USF. - Van Loveren said the department’s goal is to determine and demonstrate the role of chiropractic treatment and research within an allopathic medical school and inside a neurosurgery department. - He said the department’s integrated model has delivered high patient satisfaction, shorter waits for neurosurgical consultation, better operational efficiency, greater program visibility and more multidisciplinary research. - USF Health says it has built a model that combines clinical patient care and university research inside the Department of Neurosurgery, Brain and Spine. - Dr. Susan Welsh uses the DRX9000 systems in comprehensive conservative treatment programs for appropriately selected patients with lumbar and cervical spine disorders. - Many of those patients have already tried traditional conservative options and might otherwise be sent for surgical consultation. - USF Health owns and operates multiple DRX9000 lumbar and cervical systems to support both patient care and a university-based research program on non-surgical spinal decompression. - That setup allows researchers to evaluate objective clinical outcomes while expanding the scientific understanding of conservative spine care. - Dr. Nathan Schilaty and the Center for Neuromusculoskeletal Research are leading studies that use objective measures rarely included in conservative spine research. - Current methods include advanced MRI imaging, functional MRI analysis, AI-assisted image analysis, biomechanical evaluation, H-reflex neurological testing, markerless motion capture, muscle morphology analysis, patient-reported outcomes and functional recovery assessments. - The RESTORE Trial is a prospective, randomized clinical trial using DRX9000 systems to study which patients may benefit from non-surgical spinal decompression. - Researchers are studying pain reduction and objective physiological changes through imaging, biomechanics, neurological testing, functional movement analysis and AI-assisted MRI analysis. - The research program includes Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, Florida High Tech Corridor and industry-supported projects covering lumbar decompression, cervical decompression, biomechanics and imaging science. - Dr. Susan Welsh has received the Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Award for 32 consecutive quarters, or eight straight years. - Welsh has also been named Florida Chiropractic Association Chiropractor of the Year and Palmer College Woman Chiropractor of the Year. - Excite Medical says its role is to support ongoing research while leaving university investigators free to design, conduct, analyze and publish their work independently. - USF Health has publicly recognized Excite Medical as an industry partner supporting patient care and research through the donation and use of the DRX9000 and DRX9000C systems.

Between the lines: - The presentation reflects a broader push to give conservative spine care the kind of objective evidence base more often associated with surgical or drug therapies. - USF Health’s model is unusual because it ties together patient care, academic research and device use inside one neurosurgery department. - That structure gives the university a way to generate clinical data while also showcasing a multidisciplinary approach that other academic medical centers may study. - Saleem Musallam said meaningful innovation comes when clinicians, researchers, engineers and industry work together on important clinical questions.

What's next: - USF Health said the research program will continue evaluating non-surgical spinal decompression through ongoing trials and multi-agency projects. - The department expects continued interest from other academic medical centers in studying and adapting parts of its collaborative model. - As demand grows for evidence-informed conservative treatment options, USF Health plans to keep combining clinical care with scientific investigation.

The bottom line: - USF Health is positioning non-surgical spinal decompression as a serious academic research area, not just a clinic-level treatment option.