Medtronic debuts new spinal device to alleviate pain

The Memphis-based spinal division of Medtronic, Inc. is initiating the global launch of an innovative spinal interbody fusion device that will be used to treat patients experiencing pain caused by compression of the spinal cord or nerve roots by helping to restore normal disc height.
 
"Our PTC [Pure Titanium Coating] platform of interbody spacers is the result of our relentless effort to add value to our products and respond to surgeon needs by offering the advantages of combined materials in a single implant," says Doug King, President of the Spine business and Senior Vice President at Medtronic. "We will continue to leverage our innovation to produce more advanced and differentiated products for surgeons to use to treat their patients."
 
The PEEK PTC interbody fusion device used in the U.S. is made of a combination of the two materials most commonly used in interbody fusion procedures: titanium and polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Interbody spacers have traditionally only been made of titanium, but PEEK materials have become more preferred over the past decade due to its elasticity, which is similar to human cortical bone, and the fact that it does not show up on X-rays.
 
Roughly one-tenth of a millimeter of titanium is used on the top and bottom of the PEEK implant, increasing its surface area and providing a greater coefficient of friction. However, the titanium layer is thin enough that it does not change the radiolucency or mechanical properties of the underlying PEEK implant. 
 
The device received its FDA clearance in September. Similar devices launched in Western Europe in September and will launch in Japan in the next few months.