Here are five things to know about the new European Design Group:
1. The spine surgeon appointees are:
• Prof. JC. Le Huec, head of the ortho-spine department at Bordeaux University Hospital in France and former president of the European Spine Society and International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery
• Dr. K. Schnake, head of the spine surgery center at the Nuremberg Schoen Klinik in German as well as head of the DGOU Spine Section’s “Osteoporotic Study Group” and past executive officer of the Young Spine Surgeons Forum of the German Spine Society
• Dr. J. Franke, director of the spine center at Klinikum Dortmund in German and chairman of the EuroSpine Education Committee as well as board member of the German Spine Society
2. The surgeons will participate in minimally invasive spine solutions development for Expanding Orthopedics. “I am excited to continue the advancement of MIS spinal surgery and may improve patients’ outcomes,” said Dr. Franke in a company news release.
3. Prof Le Huec has been lecturing for the past decade on the importance of sagittal balance in spine procedures. He will add leadership to the team and has recognized “the importance of having an expandable cage with lordosis correction is crucial for reaching an optimal sagittal balance.”
4. Expanding Orthopedics’ FLXfit will soon be released, which is the first device vetted through the Group. The device is a three-dimensional expandable cage. “There is a great market interest with the FLXfit before its official release; we have a line-up of surgeons and distributors that are ready to use it in their respective areas,” said Ofer Bokobza, CEO of Expanding Orthopedics, in the news release.
5. The FLXfit was presented at the ISASS annual meeting in April where Dr. Schnake discussed the device passing all relevant international biomechanical testing with equivalent or superior results compared to alternative devices.
“Initial biomechanical and cadaveric testing shows that the FLXfit is a unique three-dimensional expanding articulated TLIF cage that meets the requirements of strength, stability, anatomic benefits and user-friendliness,” said Prof. Le Huec. “It combines the benefits of minimally invasive access, optimal footprint, large bone graft chamber, press fit insertion and adaptability to the patients’ anatomy while allowing an optimal lordosis restoration.
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