A Medical Device Daily

At the 23rd annual meeting of the North American Spine Society (NASS; Burr Ridge, Illinois) which took place in Toronto and ended on Saturday, DePuy Spine (Raynham, Massachusetts) reported the launch of its the Bengal stackable cage system and the X-Mesh expandable cage system, vertebral body replacement (VBR) systems that offer surgeons multiple implant options for multi-level corpectomies.

The company said the Bengal system is the first VBR system to include both monolithic (single-piece) and stackable implants and the X-Mesh system is the first VBR system to come in three approach-specific shapes for the anterolateral, direct anterior and posterior approaches.

DePuy is a Johnson & Johnson (New Brunswick, New Jersey) subsidiary.

In other news from the NASS meeting:

• Simulution (Burnsville, Minnesota), a provider of medical training solutions using virtual reality and other advanced technologies, reported the debut at NASS of a haptically-enabled orthopedic surgery simulator that uses haptic (touch-enabled) devices and software toolkit from SensAble Technologies (Woburn, Massachusetts). The system helps doctors train and develop expertise on a specific spinal implant technology in a realistic computer-based environment without exposing doctors to prolonged radiation — a downside to current cadaver-based training — and with zero risk to the patient.

"Spinal surgeries are growing at a phenomenal rate as our population ages and new technologies improve results," said Bruce Anderson, PhD, and principal at Simulution. "However, these are still high-risk surgeries and training continues to represent a major challenge for neuro- and orthopedic surgeons. With this new spinal implant procedure training system, surgeons can acquire these skills using virtual imagery and artificial touch' in a very realistic environment."

Simulution developed the application using the Melerit TraumaVision platform, a medical virtual reality simulator designed for orthopedic surgeries using fluoroscopy. During surgery, pedals are used to activate radiation and a fluoroscopy image is presented on a screen in the same way as in real operations. Surgeons in training hold a SensAble Phantom haptic device in place of the instruments used in surgery, such as the canulation tool and screwdriver, used to tighten the pedicle screw.

• DFine (San Jose, California), a developer of minimally invasive solutions for treating vertebral compression fractures (VCFs), reported the launch of its StabiliT vertebral augmentation system and StabiliT ER bone cement

The company said the StabiliT system allows for on-demand controlled delivery of a cohesive ultra-high viscosity cement in vertebral augmentation procedures (also known as vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty).

The company said the DFine technology allows physicians to control the viscosity of the StabiliT ER bone cement, a proprietary energy responsive polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) formulated cement, through the application of radio frequency energy. The physician can change the bone cement viscosity on demand, delivering an ultra-high viscosity, yet flowable, cement that forms an internal cast for stabilizing the fracture. The process can yield height elevation of the collapsed vertebrae while minimizing leakage of bone cement.

"The use of radio frequency energy to give physicians the ability to control the viscosity of cement is novel and beneficial to both the physician and the patient," said Kieran Murphy, MD, director of interventional neuroradiology at John Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore). "The ability to minimize the leakage of bone cement is a large safety benefit I can present to my patients, providing them peace of mind in combination with much needed pain relief and improved quality of life."