Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics is the First in Indiana to Use New Technology for Spine Surgery

Dr. Stephen Ritter utilizes Stryker’s Q Guidance System with Spine Guidance Software for safer, faster, less invasive spine care

CARMEL, Ind. – Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, a Carmel-based, physician-owned practice recognized as one of the region’s most respected orthopedic groups, is using innovative technology and advanced surgical techniques to provide more precise, minimally invasive treatment options for patients with spine conditions. Dr. Stephen Ritter, a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon at Forté, is the first surgeon in the state to use Stryker’s Q Guidance System with Spine Guidance Software for navigation and guidance in surgery.

Back pain is one of the most prevalent health issues in the United States and worldwide. According to a Mayo Clinic Proceedings Study, it’s the third leading cause of doctor visits. Treatment for back pain varies based on the diagnosis. While it’s often treated non-surgically, there are times when surgery is the only viable option.

Ritter, a leading expert in modern back surgery approaches that prioritize improving health outcomes with less pain and collateral damage, adopted Stryker’s system for its advanced surgical planning and navigation capabilities. The system’s state-of-the-art camera and enhanced software can produce real-time, 3-D models of a patient’s spine, enabling surgeons such as Ritter to guide their tools and perform critical tasks more precisely and efficiently than ever before.

“Spinal surgeries performed using Stryker’s technology have the potential to be safer, faster and less invasive than other procedures,” said Ritter. “Our patients can recover more quickly with fewer complications and less prolonged pain, reducing the need for pain medication and shortening hospital stays. In my experience, patients are up and walking quickly after surgery and often discharged to home within 24 hours of surgery.”

Ritter is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon focusing on surgical and non-surgical care of spine conditions. Outside the clinic, he helps educate orthopedic fellows and industry professionals about spine surgery. Ritter has served as a spine surgery consultant for the Indianapolis Colts and the NFL Combine for over a decade.

To learn more about spine care at Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, including surgical and non-surgical treatment options, visit forteortho.com.

More information about Stryker’s Q Guidance System is available at stryker.com.

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About Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics

Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, previously known as Methodist Sports Medicine, is an independent, physician-owned orthopedic practice recognized as one of the region’s most respected orthopedic groups. Founded in 1983 as one of the country’s original sports medicine practices, Forté’s physicians and staff provide comprehensive, specialized sports medicine and orthopedic care to patients of all ages.

Clinical evaluations performed by highly skilled fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons, combined with advanced surgical techniques and comprehensive non-surgical treatment options, provide patients with exceptional treatment outcomes and a return to active living. Forté provides patients with expert orthopedic care in several sub-specialties, including hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder; foot and ankle; hip and knee; joint replacement and revision; spine care and sports medicine. Forté has been trusted by the Indianapolis Colts as their team physicians since 1983 and serves as the orthopedic provider for Purdue University, Butler University, Indiana State University, and numerous high schools and public safety departments throughout central Indiana.

Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics also innovates daily through a separate 501(c)(3), Forté Orthopedic Research Institute, that improves the lives of patients everywhere through advanced clinical research and education.