Invibio Biomaterial Solutions' partnership with Beijing-based Fule Science & Technology Development developed a new hybrid PEEK-titanium expandable cage.
The two companies unveiled the Uplifter Expandable Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion Device at the 11th Congress of the Chinese Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting in Shanghai.
Uplifter is comprised of two materials: Invibio's PEEK-Optima natural polymer and titanium. It is designed to treat degenerative disc disease of L2-L5, nerve root-canal stenosis and lumbar spondylolisthesis.
Patrick Hsieh, MD, from the University of Southern California Spine Center in Los Angeles, demonstrated the Uplifter during a direct-lateral lumbar interbody fusion procedure on a cadaver at the conference. Invibio and Fule also designed the expandable cage for oblique lateral interbody fusion procedures.
By using the PEEK-Optima polymer with Fule's technology, Uplift allows for three to five millimeters of expansion to support restoration of disc height and lordosis. Globally, Invibio's PEEK-Optima technology continues to expand. In various studies, the polymer has been shown to improve bone apposition at four- and 12-weeks post cervical spine fusion.
"The benefits of using PEEK for spinal implants include radiolucency that assists in accurate fusion assessment as well as having a track record of excellent long-term clinical results and radiographic fusion rates," Dr. Hsieh said.