Five things to know:
1. Traditional surgical treatment for scoliosis involves large incisions, soft tissue disruption and restriction of spinal motion with metal rods.
2. The Tether offers patients an option to achieve a straighter spine without having to undergo spinal fusion.
3. The solution uses a sturdy, flexible cord to pull the outside of a scoliosis curve to straighten the spine, leaving the inside of the curve to grow.
4. The Tether is placed in a minimally invasive endoscopic approach through small incisions between the ribs.
5. The FDA and Zimmer Biomet cooperated for over five years on The Tether and now it is available through the FDA’s humanitarian device exemption pathway.
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