The FDA has provided clearance for Orthofix's Construx Mini Ti Spacer System, a 3D-printed device designed for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.
Three notes:
1. Construx is a 3D-printed porous titanium device with macro, micro and nanoscale surface features, which have been shown to increase proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity in human stem cells in vitro, according to an April 5 news release.
2. "The Construx Mini Ti System's optimized porosity and surface allows bone to grow into and through the spacer in order to aid with the patient’s fusion," said Wayne Cheng, MD, a spine surgeon at Loma Linda (Calif.) University Medical Center who performed the first procedure with the device.
3. Construx is designed with Orthofix's Nanovate Technology. When compared to solid PEEK devices, 3D-printed endplates with Nanovate show a significant increase in growth factors involved in osteogenesis and osteoblast maturation, which results in a more favorable osteogenic environment for bone ingrowth, according to the company.