A study in the January 2026 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery found that AxioMed’s viscoelastic disc had lower wear rates compared to ball-and-socket artificial discs.
Four things to know:
1. AxioMed’s Freedom lumbar disc underwent 30 million cycles of MTS servohydraulic testing to simulate about 240 years of human life. It didn’t have any mechanical failure, according to a Jan. 30 news release from KIC Ventures.
2. Comparative data was measured for the Charite disc and Prodisc L from the FDA’s Summary of Safety and Effectiveness Data. AxioMed’s disc had a mean wear rate of 1.7 mg/MC compared to 5.7 mg/MC for the prodisc L.
3. The AxioMed disc also produced significantly fewer particles that are biologically “quiet.”
4. The study concluded: “The AxioMed 1-piece VTDR device demonstrated a lower wear rate and larger, less biologically reactive, particles compared with articulating TDRs, suggesting a reduced risk of osteolysis and longer implant lifespan. No mechanical failures were observed, even after each 10-million-cycle interval, which simulates approximately 80 years of lumbar-bending motions. This study focused on particle size; further work is warranted to characterize composition and particle burden.”
