RTI Surgical enrolled the first patient in a clinical evaluation of its Fortilink Interbody Fusion 3D-printed implants for degenerative disc disease treatment, 3D Printing Industry reports.
Three insights:
1. With RTI Surgical's TETRAfuse 3D technology, the Fortilink implants offer 3D-printed nano-rough surfaces.
2. The devices are designed to improve protein absorption, bioactivity, cell adhesion and tissue growth for fusion in cervical and lumbar surgeries.
3. The clinical study will evaluate the performance of Fortilink-C, -TS and -L IBF implants, comparing their cages to other cage materials. Over a 3.5-year period, researchers will study the implants' effectiveness in 150 patients from 20 U.S. healthcare facilities.