Casey Davidson, MD, performed the Southeast region's first surgery with NuVasive's Modulus ALIF 3D-printed titanium implant.
The device is porous and mimics the density and hardness of bone, allowing for procedures to be done without placing screws in a patient's back, Dr. Davidson said in an Aug. 19 news release. It can be used in anterior lumbar interbody fusions and can treat spondylosis.
"What was once a three-to-four hour procedure can now be completed in half the time," said Dr. Davidson, of Franklin-based Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee.