FloSpine Bolsters its Senior Executive Team

FloSpine’s senior management team has expanded by three.

The company recently hired James Spitier as its chief technology officer, Adam Perler as chief marketing officer, and Charles James as chief financial officer (CFO). 

With 35 patents to his name, Spitier has been an active contributor to the patent for FloSpine’s flagship product, KeyLift. Spitier earned a bachelor of science degree in biomedical engineering from Texas A&M and has been involved in numerous product development companies; most notably, he was a co-founder of Innovative Spinal Technologies. His experience also includes venture funding and asset sales, the most recent being Red Point Medical 3D.

Perler, DPM, is a practicing podiatric surgeon based in St. Petersburg, Fla. He holds three patents and is currently working on several innovations (they’re in the design phase). Perler co-founded and subsequently sold Red Point Medical 3D, a leader in patient-specific surgery cut guides. He was actively involved in developing, marketing, and growing the company’s unique patient-specific technology. He has served as a key opinion leader and consultant for several orthopedic device manufacturers, including Biomet, DePuy Synthes, Stryker Corp., MMI, Artelon, Solana Surgical, and FX Devices.

James—best known by his nickname, Skeets—was CFO of Red Point Medical 3D, where he was actively involved in managing its growth and recent sale. He has been the CEO of a software-as-a-service company, chief operating officer of a radiology sales and service company, and CFO of an Ascension Health equipment maintenance division. In several, he led the effort to sell the companies. James retired early after 32 years with General Motors, where he rose to become a senior finance executive. He has degrees from the University of Dayton (MBA) and Ohio State University (bachelor of science in business).

“With the addition of a new product for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis, KeyLift, we are in growth mode and in need of experienced executives who can help handle it,” FloSpine President/CEO Peter Harris said. “These three were colleagues who founded, grew, and sold Red Point Medical 3D, a Winter Garden, Fla., company that was the first patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) based company to market PSI bone cutting guides for use in foot and ankle reconstructive surgeries.”

FloSpine’s KeyLift Expandable Interlaminar Stabilization System is a posterior non-pedicle supplemental fixation device intended for use at a single level in the non-cervical spine (T1-S1). It is designed for plate fixation/attachment to the spinous processes/lamina to achieve supplemental fusion in the following conditions: Lumbar spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease (defined as back pain of discogenic origin with degeneration of the disc confirmed by history and radiographic studies), spondylolisthesis, trauma (i.e., fracture or dislocation), and/or tumor.

In addition to being the only expandable interlaminar implant on the market, KeyLift’s other main attributes are that it allows for precise patient-specific intervention-same day, minimally invasive surgery. KeyLift  is placed and expanded in-situ between the spinal laminar because the bone is thicker in this region. There is also less chance of the bone cracking and subsidence that occurs with devices that are placed in-between the spinal processes. KeyLift can expand and lift to 4mm in height, distracting and relieving nerves while alleviating pain caused by spinal stenosis, and provides fusion to prevent future movement of compromised ligaments and discs. It is available in two different lengths and four different heights.  

KeyLift not only minimizes patient pain, but also significantly shortens recovery times since the surgery is performed in an outpatient surgery center, allowing patients to return to normal activities more quickly, according to FloSpine executives.
 
Founded in March 2011, FloSpine is a privately held company that provides proprietary spine implants and instruments. FloSpine applies new technology and design concepts to solve spinal column problems. The company’s main customer is the physician and the distributor that supports doctors in their local area. Boca Raton, Fla.-based FloSpine is registered as a medical device manufacturer with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.