A surgeon completed the first viscoelastic Freedom cervical case in Australia.
Here are five things to know:
1. Malden, Mass.-based AxioMed's viscoelastic disc is intended to restore disc height, lordosis, spinal stability and motion.
2. Dr. Richard Laherty, of Queensland Neurosurgery & Spine Surgery, performed the procedure on Nov. 28, 2016, at the Princess Alexandria Hospital in Brisbane.
3. The patient had degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy.
4. The Therapeutic Goods Administration approved the viscoelastic cervical and lumbar Freedom total disc replacements in September 2016.
5. KICVentures acquired AxioMed in 2014, but AxioMed still owns an exclusive viscoelastic material license on its Freedom Disc technology.