New Posterior Fixation System From DePuy Spine (Walter Eisner @ Depuy Spine)
DePuy Spine, Inc. has a new transfacet pedicular fixation system designed to provide stability and fixation during degenerative lumbar spine fusion procedures.
The company launched the new screw and polyaxial ring system at the 80th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons in Miami, Florida. The system is called the Viper F2 Transfacet Pedicular System.
Richard Fessler, M.D., Ph.D., said, “We have a simple, elegant, minimally invasive solution for posterior fixation.” Fessler is Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
According to the company announcement on April 17, biomechanical testing showed no significant differences in fixation or stability between the Viper and conventional pedicle screws when used to augment lateral interbody fusion. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), about 300,000 Americans have spinal fusion surgery each year.
The Viper system consists of large diameter lag screws and fully functional polyaxial rings that, claims the company, help spine surgeons achieve rigid fixation and compression of facet joints, the joints that link vertebrae together and give the spine its flexibility. The screws are inserted bilaterally through the superior side of the facet, across the facet joint and into the inferior pedicle. Polyaxial rings are available to increase the load bearing area of the screw that is in contact with the bone. The system may be used in either traditional or minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery.
“DePuy Spine is committed to delivering data-driven, innovative and intuitive devices that help streamline procedures and foster procedural efficiency,” said Namal Nawana, worldwide president, DePuy Spine. He said the Viper is the latest example of this commitment to surgeons, patients and the health care system.