The first implantations of Spine Innovation’s expandable transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion device have taken place.
The first surgery was performed by James Bruffey and Robert Eastlack at the Scripps Healthcare System in La Jolla, USA. Bruffey comments, “The implant provides up to 15 degrees of lordosis, to accommodate the lower lumbar levels and leaves a large volume free for bone graft.” Eastlack adds, “The volume of graft one can place outside and inside the cage is dramatically larger than typical expandables.”
Additional surgeries have been completed across the USA. S Babak Kalantar, chief of Orthopedic Spine Surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, USA, has also implanted the device.
The implant is inserted on its side in order to minimise the risk of neural injury during insertion. It is rotated 90° to restore disc height up to 16mm and lordosis up to 15 degrees. The implant is then expanded 10mm laterally to create an implant width of up to 22mm with a large, 10x26mm graft area that is directly accessible by the surgeon for placement of bone graft in the device. The device is designed to increase the implant profile in height, lordotic angle and footprint in situ.
