Alphatec Spine Inc., a global provider of spinal fusion technologies, has launched its new Arsenal Deformity Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) System and has successfully completed initial patient cases. The limited release further expands the company’s Arsenal Spinal Fixation System and targets the $650 million U.S. deformity spine market.
 
The Arsenal AIS System gives surgeons a complete solution to address complex deformity pathologies, including unique uniplanar screws, which enable easier screw positioning and rod placement through a tulip that has 360 degrees of rotation, while restricting motion in the medial/lateral plane for derotation correction. Additionally, the AIS system includes a wide variety of low-profile implants providing a better anatomical fit and increased ability to address patient pathologies, ergonomically designed instrumentation to improve surgical efficiency and comfort during complex surgeries, and proven biomechanical strength necessary to achieve a solid fusion.
 
“With the launch of our differentiated AIS Deformity System we are able to compete directly with the market leaders in complex spine and it opens up a new segment for us in pediatric procedures.  This system extends our Arsenal platform and provides surgeons with easy-to-use, differentiated surgical tools for corrective maneuvers to better treat adolescent patients who are diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis," said Terry Rich, Alphatec Spine’s CEO. "These successful initial patient cases demonstrate ATEC’s commitment to developing solutions that are targeted at improving overall patient outcomes and surgeon experience. The Arsenal AIS system gives us the opportunity to gain greater share in the deformity market and to benefit a vast number patients who are suffering today.”
 
Dr. Sheldon St. Clair, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, and Dr. John Birknes, a pediatric neurosurgeon—co-directors of the Spine Program at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Virginia—have partnered to treat pediatric spine deformities and performed the first deformity correction using the Arsenal AIS system. The patient was a skeletally immature 13-year-old with a hypokyphotic 49-degree thoracic scoliosis. St. Clair and Birknes performed the surgery using the Arsenal uniplanar implants and cobalt-chromium alloy rods on a long construct across nine levels from thoracic vertebrae T3 to T12. Post-surgery, the patient’s thoracic curve has been eliminated, appropriate kyphosis has been restored, and the patient’s rib hump is no longer present.
 
“The entire Arsenal Deformity AIS set is fantastic, but the shining star is the ability to spin the uniplanar bodies independent of the screw shank, which allows surgeons to achieve optimal fixation and placement of the pedicle screws,” said St. Clair. “This feature enables the tulips to be placed at the perfect height and orientation to accept the rod and correct the deformity. The slotted reduction towers are used both to reduce the rod into the tulips as well as to perform vertebral column manipulation to correct the spine in three planes of deformity. The reduction towers and transverse links are designed to be attached and removed with ease. The Arsenal AIS system provides strong, reliable implants, and two choices of cobalt chrome rods, enabling the surgeon to obtain excellent spinal deformity correction, which improves quality of life for the patient both now and for the future.”
 
Alphatec Spine, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphatec Holdings Inc., designs, develops, manufactures, and markets spinal fusion technology products and solutions for the treatment of spinal disorders associated with disease and degeneration, congenital deformities and trauma. The company is based in Carlsbad, Calif.