Medtronic has introduced a new oblique lateral interbody spinal fusion procedure to treat patients with various degenerative and deformity spinal conditions.
The minimally invasive procedure, which incorporates the company’s comprehensive surgical platform of access, interbody, neuromonitoring, navigation, fixation and biologic options, is designed for psoas preserving access to the L2-L5 levels of spine.
In addition, the procedure allows for easier access around the iliac crest at L4-L5 and lateral access to the L5-S1 disc space.
The procedure can also be used with the company’s surgical navigation and imaging systems, which allows for decreased exposure to radiation for hospital staff and physicians, and provides intraoperative assessment of the approach and device placement.
The B.A.C.K. Center spine surgeon Richard Hynes said the OLIF25 procedure combines the advantages of the historical open retroperitoneal approach to the anterior spine with the minimally invasive access benefits from more recent lateral techniques.
"By utilizing an oblique lateral approach to the spine, this procedure enables placement of a large interbody graft into the disc space for anterior column support and segmental sagittal alignment while minimizing the nerve, muscle, and bone obstacles associated with traditional direct lateral approaches," Hynes added.