The most important news of the previous week including a new era of spine surgery with endoscopically assisted minimally invasive surgery, new sacroiliac joint fixation, new coating technology of implants, and new material for cervical plates.
We are at the last week of the first month of the new year. Here is the most important news of the previous week:
In the first days of the week, breaking news announced the next level of spinal surgery with endoscopically assisted minimally invasive surgery. This new era begins with a tiny camera that the surgeon inserts through a patient's spine anatomy. Dr. Kern Singh of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush is one of the surgeons who use this method to perform endoscopic minimally invasive spinal surgery.
This method's advantage is that patients are awake during surgery and can walk after the procedure.
Dr. Singh believes that the new generation of spine surgery begins from there. He explains that:
"I've been performing minimally invasive spine surgery for 13 years, and now with the endoscopic procedure, my patients are out of the surgery center in usually half the time."
Compared to the regular minimally invasive surgery, this method has no bleeding, and it has a faster recovery. This life-changing new method doesn't need any narcotics after the surgery or any anesthesia during it.
This tiny camera is like a pencil and inserted into the targeted area by an incision of about seven millimeters or less.
Sacrix, as the innovator company in the field of sacroiliac fixation technologies, announced the third iteration of the SacroFuse threaded compression device for immediate stabilization of the sacroiliac joint for pain relief ultimately fusion.
This self-drilling and self-tapping screw and cage hybrid have three different thread combinations.
The Senior Engineer and Product Manager of SacroFuse, Oscar Herrera, announced that:
"This new hybrid implant is designed to ease insertion and maximize osteointegration. Improvements to instrumentation supporting the efficient technique and a "letter sized" footprint system case punctuate the release. These updates will enhance the user experience while offering a safe, effective and simple solution to Sacroiliac Joint dysfunction."
Also, Dr. Kingsley R.Chin, an Orthopedic Spine Surgeon, believes that:
"I think that having an Orthopedic spine surgeon develop this device and technique resulted in a strong device for reliable fixation, but then having pain management and interventional physicians to give feedback pushed us to revolutionize the technique to make it the ultimate percutaneous less invasive technique with the aid of fluoroscopy."
On 14th July of 2021, the N2 Biomedical company announced the first Peek interbody fusion device coated with a thin, ion-assisted titanium coating technology, successfully implanted in a patient's body. This device has the 510 (k) clearance from the FDA.
This new coating, made of thin titanium, has a thickness of less than a micrometer. By using an advanced vacuum coating technology, it can be deposited. This advanced technology is called Ion Beam Assisted Deposition or IBAD.
Many studies have shown that using a titanium coating on the peek can enhance the result of the bone attachment and its growth.
The CEO of N2 Biomedical, while being excited for the first use of titanium coating in a clinical application, said: "This is the culmination of a significant effort made by numerous individuals both at N2 and the device manufacturer. PEEK spinal interbody devices are an ideal application for this coating, and its clinical utilization supports N2's core mission of enhancing the performance of our customers' devices with advanced technology. Our coatings have a wide array of uses in orthopedic and spinal devices, and we look forward to further expanding application of these coatings in a range of surgical procedures."
After getting its 510 (K) market clearance from the FDA, Icotec ag, the leading medical device manufacturer of BlakArmor, announced the world's first nonmetallic (plate and screws) anterior cervical plate system.
This 100% nonmetallic and radiolucent anterior cervical plate system is made of Carbon/PEEK. It is also available in the U.S. for now, and surgeons can use it in their surgeries.
The CEO of Icotec ag, Roger Stadler, said: "The icotec Anterior Cervical Plate System is the latest addition to our portfolio of implants made out of BlackArmor® Carbon/PEEK. The icotec Anterior Cervical Plate System ideally complements the previously introduced KONG®-C VBR M Vertebral Body Replacement System made of BlackArmor® material and allows, for the first time, the integrity of the cervical spine in patients requiring surgery for advanced-stage tumors, be restored completely with 100% nonmetallic implants, which offers potentially significant additional treatment options for tumor patients,"
This new material eliminates shielding and scattering of radiation. It also improves the local control and has a lower rate of toxicity. BlackArmor makes it easier to detect recurrences due to the minimal artifacts.
Patients with an advanced stage of spinal tumors can benefit from the icotec anterior cervical plate system, which can restore the spinal column's integrity.
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