NASS News: Stryker Unveils Niagara Lateral Access System

Stryker Corp. announced the expansion of its lateral spine portfolio with the full launch of the Niagara Lateral Access System following the completion of 600 surgeries. With the addition of Niagara, Stryker offers an integrated portfolio of minimally invasive lateral solutions for treating spinal deformities in skeletally mature patients. The company showcased its lateral portfolio this week during the virtual North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting.
 
The Niagara Lateral Access System is designed to allow surgeons control through precision, visibility, and flexibility. The broad array of instruments is designed for all types of lateral lumbar fusion surgery. From straightforward to complex procedures, total blade precision allows for direct device deployment and thorough disc preparation to streamline workflow and potentially help reduce operative time with lumbar fusion procedures, anterior to psoas approaches, corpectomies and complex cases, including multi-level and deformity correction.
 
“As someone who routinely performs lateral spine surgery, Niagara has given me unprecedented precision and versatility for a tubular retractor,” said John Williams, M.D., SpineONE, a division of Ortho NorthEast. “The ability to independently move all three blades and drop the intradiscal shim with dilators still intact gives me the necessary control to achieve placement accuracy and mitigate my need for repositioning mid-procedure.”
 
The Niagara Lateral Access System’s PEEK-infused carbon fiber features integrated illumination to further enhance visibility intraoperatively, which can reduce the need for intraoperative, image-driven adjustments. This material formulation was specifically engineered to give surgeons the visibility of carbon fiber with the strength and firmness of steel, and even demonstrated equivalence to metal-based retractors in a benchtop test.¹
 
“Niagara offers visibility that clearly distinguishes this system from other retractors currently on the market,” said Justin Bundy, M.D., Augusta Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Specialists. “Design aspects like the PEEK-infused carbon fiber material can help decrease the number of X-rays I need to confirm implant location and placement.”
 
The Niagara Lateral Access System complements Stryker’s existing lateral portfolio, including the Cascadia Lateral 3D Interbody System featuring Lamellar 3D Titanium Technology, the Aleutian Lateral Interbody System, the Cayman United Plate System and the Ravine Lateral Access System.
 
“Niagara reiterates our mission—together with our customers, we are driven to make healthcare better—which has held strong throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Eric Major, president of Stryker’s Spine division. “Designed in collaboration with leading surgeons specializing in lateral lumbar interbody fusion, Niagara represents a key addition to our minimally invasive lateral portfolio to help ensure that surgeons have the most advanced tools they need to meet a wide variety of operative needs.”
 
Reference
¹ Test Report TR 2020