Stryker Corporation is an American multinational medical technologies corporation based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Stryker's products include implants used in joint replacement and trauma surgeries; surgical equipment and surgical navigation systems; endoscopic and communications systems; patient handling and emergency medical equipment; neurosurgical, neurovascular and spinal devices; as well as other medical device products used in a variety of medical specialties.
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors, and congenital disorders.
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a medical condition typically brought on by the normal aging process in which there are anatomic changes and possibly a loss of function of one or more intervertebral discs of the spine. DDD can take place with or without symptoms, but is typically identified once symptoms arise. The root cause is thought to be loss of soluble proteins within the fluid contained in the disc with resultant reduction of the oncotic pressure, which in turn causes loss of fluid volume. Normal downward forces cause the affected disc to lose height, and the distance between vertebrae is reduced. The anulus fibrosus, the tough outer layers of a disc, also weakens. This loss of height causes laxity of the longitudinal ligaments, which may allow anterior, posterior, or lateral shifting of the vertebral bodies, causing facet joint malalignment and arthritis; scoliosis; cervical hyperlordosis; thoracic hyperkyphosis; lumbar hyperlordosis; narrowing of the space available for the spinal tract within the vertebra ; or narrowing of the space through which a spinal nerve exits with resultant inflammation and impingement of a spinal nerve, causing a radiculopathy.
Spinal fusion, also called spondylodesis or spondylosyndesis, is a surgery performed by orthopaedic surgeons or neurosurgeons that joins two or more vertebrae. This procedure can be performed at any level in the spine and prevents any movement between the fused vertebrae. There are many types of spinal fusion and each technique involves using bone grafting—either from the patient (autograft), donor (allograft), or artificial bone substitutes—to help the bones heal together. Additional hardware is often used to hold the bones in place while the graft fuses the two vertebrae together. The placement of hardware can be guided by fluoroscopy, navigation systems, or robotics.
An artificial facet replacement is a joint prosthesis intended to replace the natural facets and other posterior elements of the spine, restoring normal motion while providing stabilization of spinal segments. It is typically used as an adjunct to laminectomy, laminotomy, neural decompression, and facetectomy, in lieu of standard lumbar fusion. The prosthesis is indicated for back and leg pain caused by central or lateral spinal stenosis, degenerative disease of the facets with instability, and grade 1 degenerative spondylolisthesis with objective evidence of neurological impairment.
A laminotomy is an orthopaedic neurosurgical procedure that removes part of the lamina of a vertebral arch in order to relieve pressure in the vertebral canal. A laminotomy is less invasive than conventional vertebral column surgery techniques, such as laminectomy because it leaves more ligaments and muscles attached to the spinous process intact and it requires removing less bone from the vertebra. As a result, laminotomies typically have a faster recovery time and result in fewer postoperative complications. Nevertheless, possible risks can occur during or after the procedure like infection, hematomas, and dural tears. Laminotomies are commonly performed as treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis and herniated disks. MRI and CT scans are often used pre- and post surgery to determine if the procedure was successful.
Artificial disc replacement (ADR), or total disc replacement (TDR), is a type of arthroplasty. It is a surgical procedure in which degenerated intervertebral discs in the spinal column are replaced with artificial disc implants in the lumbar (lower) or cervical (upper) spine. The procedure is used to treat chronic, severe low back pain and cervical pain resulting from degenerative disc disease. Disc replacement is also an alternative intervention for symptomatic disc herniation with associated arm and hand, or leg symptoms.
Henry Arnold Klyce, Jr. is an American serial entrepreneur who has founded, or co-founded, four successful medical device companies.
Vertos Medical is a privately held medical device manufacturer that develops, manufactures, and sells surgical instruments to perform minimally invasive procedures intended to treat lumbar spinal stenosis. Founded by Dr. Dave Solsberg and Dr. Don Schomer in 2005, the company is currently headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California.
An interbody fusion cage is a prosthesis used in spinal fusion procedures to maintain foraminal height and decompression. They are cylindrical or square-shaped devices, and usually threaded. There are several varieties: the Harms cage, Ray cage, Pyramesh cage, InterFix cage, and lordotic LT cage, all of which are made from titanium; the Brantigan cage, made from carbon fibre; and the Cortical Bone Dowel, which is cut from allograft femur. The cages can be packed with autologous bone material in order to promote arthrodesis. Such implants are inserted when the space between the spinal discs is distracted, such that the implant, when threaded, is compressed like a screw. Unthreaded implants, such as the Harms and Pyramesh cages have teeth along both surfaces that bite into the end plates.
Scott Spann is an American orthopaedic surgeon, medical device inventor, former world-class swimmer and recovered quadriplegic.
The TESSYS method is a minimally-invasive, endoscopic spinal procedure for the treatment of a herniated disc. It was a further development of the YESS method by the Dutch Dr Thomas Hoogland in the Alpha Klinik in Munich in 1989 and was first called THESSYS. The procedure involves performing a small foramenotomy and removal of soft tissue compressing the nerve root.
Minimally invasive spine surgery, also known as MISS, has no specific meaning or definition. It implies a lack of severe surgical invasion. The older style of open-spine surgery for a relatively small disc problem used to require a 5-6 inch incision and a month in the hospital. MISS techniques utilize more modern technology, advanced imaging techniques and special medical equipment to reduce tissue trauma, bleeding, radiation exposure, infection risk, and decreased hospital stays by minimizing the size of the incision. Modern endoscopic procedures can be done through a 2 to 5 mm skin opening. By contrast, procedures done with a microscope require skin openings of approximately one inch, or more.
The Bumin Hospital Group is the leading general hospital group specializing in orthopedic treatment of spine and joint disorders in Korea. The group operates four hospitals of 1000 beds in Seoul and Busan. Bumin was designated as a “Joint Specialized Hospital” by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and it is the largest joint specialty hospital in Korea. Bumin Hospital was also accredited as the “Official Orthopedic Teaching Hospital” and “Certified Medical Institution for Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality” by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea.
Mazor Robotics was an Israeli medical device company and manufacturer of a robotic guidance system for spine surgery that was acquired by Medtronic in December 2018. Surgeons that utilized Mazor Robotics Renaissance generally specialize in orthopedic surgery or neurosurgery.
Globus Medical, Inc. is a publicly traded medical device company headquartered in Audubon, Pennsylvania, United States. Globus is focused on the design, development, and commercialization of products that enable surgeons to promote healing in patients with musculoskeletal disorders.
Ralph Kayser is a medical specialist in orthopedics and trauma surgery with a particular focus on spinal orthopedics. Furthermore, he is an associate professor at the medical department of the Greifswald Medical School. His particular scientific interest lies in the experimental ultrasound diagnostic and the special spinal surgery, especially in the conservative and minimal-invasive spinal indications.
G-arm medical imaging systems are based on fluoroscopic X-ray and are used for a variety of diagnostic imaging and minimally invasive surgical procedures. The name is derived from the G-shaped arm used to connect two X-ray generators and two X-ray detectors, image intensifiers or digital flat panel detectors, to one another. The main advantage of the G-arm, compared to a conventional C-arm system, is that it combines a pair of X-ray chains facilitating simultaneous views in two perpendicular planes, also called G-arm imaging.
Xenco Medical is an American medical technology company headquartered in San Diego, California that designs, develops, and distributes composite polymer medical devices.
Hamid Reza Abbasi is an Iranian-American board-certified neurosurgeon known for his work in advanced minimally invasive spine surgery, notably the Trans-Kambin OLLIF procedure. He also serves as the Chief Medical Officer and founder of Inspired Spine.
