Lanx Releases Lateral Fusion Implant for Spine

Broomfield, Colo.-based Lanx Inc., a spine company focused on spine fusion devices, has launched the Timberline MPF lateral modular plate fixation system. The system is a modular anchored interbody device for lateral fusion. The implant is part of the Timberline system platform, which was launched last year.

“We are excited to
bring to market the first modular anchored cage for the lateral
approach, expanding the options available to surgeons to achieve
optimal fit and stability,” said Dan Gladney, CEO of Lanx. “As thought-leaders across the country adopt
our technology, we will continue to introduce new innovations that
support this less-invasive fusion technique and help establish
Timberline as the most advanced system for lateral interbody fusion.”

The Timberline MPF system features a modular peek intervertebral spacer
and a low-profile titanium plate implant with either a two- or
four-screw design. The spacer is available in various widths, heights
and lengths that can be assembled to multiple plate styles and sizes
intraoperatively for customized fit and fixation. The system also
includes instrumentation for assembly and implantation to
accommodate patient anatomy, according to the company.

“The modular plate allows for tailored fixation based on the specific
patient pathology and helps ensure rigid stability at the fusion site
by optimizing purchase in the sub-chondral bone of the vertebral body,” said Andrew
Cappuccino, M.D., orthopedic surgeon with Buffalo Spine Surgery, Lockport,
N.Y. “I like that the system allows me the option of attaching the plate in
situ after the peek interbody spacer has been inserted into the disc
space. These advanced implant options further enhance the clinical
benefits of the Timberline system, with its low-profile, radiolucent
retractor and disc preparation instrumentation.”

“The anchored Timberline cage offers
a new level of flexibility for the lateral approach, and my initial
experiences with the technology have been very positive,” said Hieu Ball, M.D., orthopedic surgeon with California Comprehensive Spine
Institute, Walnut Creek, Calif. “The MPF
implant is easy to assemble and position, with a single-step cover
plate for the prevention of screw back out. The unique design of the
plate screw interface allows for cephalad-caudad screw trajectory
flexibility through a minimally invasive access work portal, while
confining the anterior-posterior trajectory in a safe plane of screw
delivery and placement. This feature is a vast improvement over
competitive lateral plating systems for direct lateral interbody fusion
devices.”

The Timberline portfolio includes
rectangular PEEK (polyetheretherketone) interbody devices, a fiber optic lighting system and a
low-profile, modular and radiolucent retractor system designed to improve visibility and access to the disc space.