At this year’s EUROSPINE congress, DePuy Synthes, part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies, unveiled the VIPER PRIME™ System [1], an innovative Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) pedicle screw designed to simplify MIS spinal fusion surgery.
VIPER PRIME reduces the number of instruments needed, the number of instrument passes and the number of steps required to insert a percutaneous screw utilising a minimally invasive technique.
Minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery is gaining popularity thanks to evidence that it may help improve outcomes when performing surgery through a smaller skin incision, which leads to less trauma to surrounding soft tissue, reduced blood loss during operation, and potentially a faster recovery for patients [3,4]. However, as MIS fusion becomes more common, there is a need to simplify these procedures and overcome clinical challenges associated with the current technology.
By combining all the pedicle preparation instruments into one single tool, the VIPER PRIME System eliminates the need for guidewires, Jamshidi needles and additional pedicle preparation instruments. In one bench study, the VIPER PRIME System demonstrated a 33 per cent reduction in the time required to insert a pedicle screw compared to traditional MIS techniques [2].
“I find the VIPER PRIME System easy and straightforward and I look forward to using it again for my future spinal fusion cases,” said Dr Kavakebi, an early user of the system from University Hospital Innsbruck, Austria.
The VIPER PRIME System requires only two instrument trays, which may result in a more organised back table with fewer instruments, enhancing surgical workflow. The streamlined instrument set means a smaller procedural footprint that can also help reduce waste and processing costs.
References:
- VIPER PRIMETM System Overview – DSEM/SPN/0617/0698
- Internal data on file: ADAPTIV test report 103327910. Note: Bench tests results may not necessarily be indicative of clinical performance.
- Jhala, Amit, et al. Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. Indian Journal of Orthopaedics 48(6) (2014 Nov-Dec); 562-567
- Peng, Chan Weam Benedict, et al. Clinical and Radiological Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Versus Open Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion. SPINE Vol. 34, Number 13 (2009); 1385-1389
