Stryker Introduces Mandibulo-Maxillary Fixation System

Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Stryker Corporation has released the Universal Smartlock hybrid MMF (mandibulo-maxillary fixation) system worldwide. The device has been granted 510(k) clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and also is available in international markets where it has been cleared for sale.

Inventor Jeffrey R. Marcus, M.D., associate vice chair of surgery at Duke University, in collaboration with Stryker, designed the system to combine the strength and rigidity of arch bars with the safety and efficiency of MMF screws.

“The Universal Smartlock hybrid MMF system is easy to apply, comfortable for the patients, and can impressively increase a surgeon’s efficiency,” said Michael D. Turner, M.D., associate director of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Beth Israel and Jacobi Medical Center in New York, N.Y.

According to the company, the Smartlock system’s nine potential points of fixation along the plate offers better posterior fixation and vector control. The screws have self-drilling, locking technology, designed to allow purchase into both the bone and the plate for additional stability, and to eliminate the need for interdental wiring typically required with arch bars.

“The Universal Smartlock hybrid MMF system is an effective and technically simple process that may change the surgical management of maxillary and mandibular fixation for all surgical specialties,” said Jairo Bastidas, D.M.D., deputy director of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Montefiore Medical Center, New York, N.Y. “Closed reduction of the jaws can be accomplished with less exposure risk to the surgeon, decreased operative time and excellent skeletal stability. The Universal Smartlock hybrid MMF system is an innovation for the management of facial trauma.”

Stryker produces a range of medical devices in segments including surgical, neurotechnology, orthopedic and spine.