Amber Implants BV reported no device-related adverse events were seen in any of the patients fitted with its Vcfix spinal system, which treats vertebral compression fractures, at one-year. Data from the first-in-human trial of the device also showed patients experienced a significant reduction in their pain levels.

With millions of people suffering from chronic back pain, Discure Technologies Ltd. is hoping that its bioelectronic therapy, the Discure system, will soon bring relief.

The widespread need for cartilage repair may have bred optimism on the part of Spinalcyte LLC when it filed a related patent in 2014, but the Patent Trial and Appeal Board has affirmed a rejection of the patent due to lack of enablement, an object lesson regarding the need for clarity in patent applications.