Originating in 2005 with a single interbody device, Stryker's ALIF Portfolio now features the LITe Anterior Retractor, the Reliance AL Instrumentation System, the AVS AL and ALign PEEK Spacer Systems, the LITe Plate System, the Anchor-L Anterior Lumbar Cage System, and most recently, the Aero-AL Anterior Lumbar Interbody and Fixation System. 

The newly launched platform allows customers to combine the Lite anterior retractor with the Aero-AL anterior lumbar interbody and fixation system, the Allendale, N.J.-based company said. The combination of the two devices supports a less invasive exposure with minimized retraction, Stryker executives added.

"Our growing platform of ALIF products is the result of our strategic focus to add value to our procedural solutions," said John Mayor, vice president of Marketing for Stryker Spine. "The launch of the LITe ALIF Procedural Solution validates our continued commitment to this evolving segment. We will continue to leverage our innovative approach to develop differentiated products within the ALIF space for surgeons and their patients."

Last month, Stryker bigwigs told analysts that mergers and acquisitions are a top priority for the $2.59 billion in cash it is sitting on. During a cocktail hour to kick off its analyst day in Kalamazoo, Mich., the orthopedics giant’s executives said M&A “is the company’s first cash use priority and the company remains actively engaged in seeking out deals,” according to Leerink Partners analyst Richard Newitter. Although CEO Kevin Lobo does “not feel in a rush” to close deals because its businesses are in “solid competitive positions,” Newitter wrote, Stryker is ready to be “opportunistic when the ‘right’ deal presents itself.”

Watch Lobo discuss robotics, European opportunity and currency headwinds with Breaking News Networks' The Street: