NuVasive’s Minimally Invasive Spine Procedure to be Introduced Globally

San Diego, Calif.-based NuVasive Inc. has launched its maximum access surgery posterior lumbar interbody fusion procedure, MAS PLIF, worldwide. The procedure already has been in limited use around the United States. Now it will be available in Australia, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Lumbar interbody fusion is a surgical technique that attempts to eliminate instability in the back. Instability can result from degenerated discs or facet joints that cause unnatural motion and pain, loss of height of the disc space between the vertebrae that causes pinching of the spinal nerves exiting the spinal canal (foraminal stenosis), slippage of one vertebra over another (listhesis), or a change in the normal curvature of the spine (scoliosis, hyper- or hypo-lordosis). Fusion is accomplished by creating a bridge of bone between two vertebral bodies to reduce their motion. In preparation for spinal fusion, the intervertebral disc is removed and a spacer device is placed between the vertebrae to restore spinal alignment and disc height. Bone-forming cells (autograft) are inserted to promote new bone growth. The fusion then occurs between the endplates of the vertebrae. The MAS PLIF procedure is designed to minimize that space created during the autograft insertion.


According to NuVasive, surgeons who played a key role in the development of this surgical procedure also have been heavily involved in training other surgeons on how to use it.

“MAS PLIF is a unique procedure that offers truly reproducible results that embrace traditional surgical principles,” said Nitin Khanna, M.D. “The beauty is in the simplicity of the system, which all surgeons can implement in their practice.”

“The integration effort is undeniable in the final output of the system,” said Gurvinder Deol, M.D. “Every nuance, from the unique retractor blades, the laterally placed interbody cages, the modular screw option, and the insulated pedicle prep instruments make for a seamless, safe, and reproducible procedure.”

MAS PLIF is designed to eliminate the need to retract muscles laterally as wide as a traditional, or “open,” PLIF, therefore requiring a smaller incision. By minimizing the amount of muscle disruption, the procedure is intended to help reduce postoperative approach-related muscle pain and to enable a faster recovery for the patient. There is also less blood loss and scarring.

NuVasive is a spine device company with a specific focus on minimally invasive technology.