Orthofix Showcases Spacer System at NASS

During this year’s 27th annual meeting of the North American Spine Society in Dallas, Texas, Orthofix International, based just down the road in Lewisville, introduced its Forza Spinal Spacer System. The device is a next-generation, bulleted spacer for posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) that, according to the company, includes several unique features, including chamfered edges that offer the surgeon the ability to rotate the implant as needed.

PLIF and TLIF are two types of spinal fusion procedures that use a back area incision approach to fuse the lumbar spine bones together (using an interbody fusion technique). Interbody fusion means the intervertebral disc is removed and replaced with a bone spacer (metal or plastic may also be used), in this case using a posterior approach. The posterior technique is often favored when one or two spinal levels are being fused in conjunction with a posterior decompression (laminectomy) and instrumentation (use of metal screws/rods).

The traditional PLIF procedure involves placing two small bone graft spacers, with gentle retraction of the spinal nerves and neurologic structures, one graft on each side of the interbody space (right and left). TLIF involves placing only one bone graft spacer in the middle of the interbody space, without retraction of the spinal nerves.

PLIF and TLIF procedures are commonly performed for a variety of painful spinal conditions, such as spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease, among others.

“The launch of Forza represents our revitalized commitment to introducing new products in our strategic markets,” said Robert Vaters, president and CEO. “With a return to investing in research and development, we believe our improving product offering of Repair Implants along with our regenerative biologics and stimulation solutions provide a value proposition that is unmatched in the industry.”

The system features instruments designed to improve surgical efficiency during a PLIF or TLIF technique. The modular inserter allows the surgeon to choose their preference of either holding it 90 degrees, 45 degrees, or straight.