Medtronic has introduced a new surgical procedure, designed for increasing volumetric area of the exiting nerve root and stabilizing the cervical spine in the US.
Indirectly decompressing the neural foramen, the CERVICAL FACETLIFT ID/S surgical technique places structured allograft spacers into the posterior cervical (neck) facet joints.
The allograft spacers, CORNERSTONE Facet MicroGrafts, comprises a small set of surgical instruments which help in preparing facet joints for the placement of the grafts into the joints.
In addition, the technique reduces the bending direction of the cervical spine which may assist in fusion, when followed by supplemental fixation using VERTEX SELECT reconstruction system while treating degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, fracture, dislocation, failed previous fusion and/or tumors.
The results using the new procedure for cervical fusion were shown in biomechanical studies, and may vary in human clinical outcomes, claims the company.