AUSTIN, Texas — AbbottSpine (Austin) has developed what it is calling a “universal approach” for treating spine spinal deformities caused by scoliosis.

The company introduced its Universal Clamp during the 22nd annual expo of the North American Spine Society (NASS; Burr Ridge, Illinois) here this week.

Abbott touts the device as enabling surgeons to greatly reduce the number of tools needed for spinal correction and that it works using most spinal correction rods.

The device foregoes traditional spine correction clamps, which use hooks and cable wires. It instead uses a polyester band with small titanium screws that attach to the bands.

“The idea is to have an instrument which corrects and fixes the deformities of the spine,” Xavier Ranz, an Abbott engineer told Medical Device Daily. “We wanted something different — without using cables or wires. It’s very easy to use.”

The device band is made of polyester, which doesn’t scrape or run the risk of cutting into the bone like cables or wires often do. Abbott says that because polyester is more agreeable to the physiology, the result is a spinal correction system that puts minimal stress on the bone.

The Universal Clamp received the CE mark about two years ago, and more recently FDA clearance. It was developed in 2002 by Spinex (Bordeux, France), which was purchased by Abbott and renamed Abbott International in 2004.

Using a phantom-type model, Abbott demonstrated how a spine impacted by scoliosis would look, then treated with the Universal Clamp.

Tightening of the device — a procedure so simple that the company’s exhibitors quipped that a “caveman” could do it — straightened a model spine curved at a nearly 90-degree angle.

“As you tension the device, you’ll pull it to the spinal rod, and it will begin to straighten,” Natalie Hunter, another Abbott engineer, told MDD.

To date, scoliotic deformities greater than 10 deggrees affect 2%-3% of the people in the U.S., and deformities greater than 20 degrees affect about one in 2,500.

Deformity curves convex to the right are more common than those to the left, and single or ‘C’ curves are slightly more common than double or ‘S’ curve patterns. Males are more likely to have infantile or juvenile scoliosis, but there is a high female predominance of adolescent scoliosis. Young males are seven times more likely than young females to develop a significant, progressive curvature.

For now the company is saying that the device can only be used to for scoliosis but it hopes to receive applications for other spinal diseases.

— Omar Ford, MDD