The growing interest in PEEK-OPTIMA™ spinal implants in China received further impetus at the 11th Congress of the Chinese Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons held in partnership with the North American Spine Society (NASS) earlier this year.
The Uplifter is the first domestic expandable hybrid cage, whose constituent materials are Invibio’s PEEK-OPTIMA™ Natural polymer and titanium. Indications for use of the Uplifter comprise Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of L2-L5, nerve root-canal stenosis, and lumbar spondylolisthesis.
During a live demonstration at the event on a cadaver using the Uplifter, Dr Patrick Hsieh, from the USC Spine Center in Los Angeles, demonstrated the Direct-Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion (DLIF) procedure and device specifics. He siad: “The benefits of using PEEK [1] for spinal implants include radiolucency that assists in accurate fusion assessment as well as having a track record of excellent long-term clinical results and radiographic fusion rates.
“Invibio PEEK-OPTIMA polymer combined with the features of Fule’s expandable cage allows 3-5mm of expansion, supporting the restoration of disc height and lordosis with more optimal foraminal height.”
With China’s accelerating interest in innovative materials such as PEEK-OPTIMA from Invibio for spinal implants, it is expected that more and more patients can potentially benefit from implants using the high performance polymer. Today, more than 140 devices in China have been approved by the CFDA [China Food and Drug Administration] with over 10 years of accumulated clinical history in China.[2]
References
- PEEK” is the abbreviation for polyetheretherketone, a high-performance polymer from the PAEK (polyaryletherketone) family.
- Data on file at Invibio Biomaterial Solutions.
