Medtronic Introduces Cervical Repair Technique

Medtronic Inc.’s Cervical Facetlift ID/S surgical technique has been officially launched in the United States. This latest addition to the company’s cervical surgical technique portfolio is intended to stabilize the cervical (neck) spine after injury.

The Cervical Facetlift procedure works by indirectly decompressing the neural foramen, a section of the canal running through the spine that protects the spinal cord. According to the company, this technique is accomplished by placing structured allograft spacers—Medtronic’s Cornerstone Facet MicroGrafts—into the posterior cervical facet joints (the joints between a vertebra and the smaller connecting bone between vertebra, the articular process). The system is comprised of a small set of surgical instrumentation designed to aid in the preparation of the facet joints and for the placement of the grafts into the joints.

The technique works by increasing the volumetric area of the exiting nerve root that may be compressed causing a neurological deficit. This technique may also reduce the bending direction of the cervical spine, according to an internal test report conducted by Medtronic. This reduction in bending may assist in fusion following supplemental fixation when used to treat DDD (neck pain of discogenic origin with degeneration of the disc confirmed by history and radiographic studies), spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, fracture, dislocation, failed previous fusion, and/or tumors. These results were shown in biomechanical studies and may vary in human clinical outcomes.

Medtronic is based in Minneapolis, Minn., while is spinal business unit is headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., and provides technology for the treatment of spinal, neurological, orthopedic and oral maxillofacial conditions.