New Spinal Fixation Technology Introduced

Dayton, OH - X-spine Systems, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of spinal implant products, will introduce a new implantable screw system for the fusion of the spine during the North American Spine Society Meeting in Philadelphia on September 28, 2005.

The system, called Gyrus, is the product of an extensive development effort to optimize and reduce the number of parts compared to traditional screw systems. The Gyrus screw system allows for vertical rods to lock into multi-axial bone screws without a separate locking cap. The screw design incorporates a proprietary helical locking receiver which locks the rod in place.

"Elimination of the locking cap is the first major advance in multi-axial screw technology in over fifteen years," states David Kirschman, M.D., president of X-spine. "This allows for faster surgeries, without the possibility of cap loosening, cap loss, or cross threading which is endemic to traditional screw systems. It also means fewer parts to stock and inventory, which results in cost-savings."

Extensive biomechanical testing has been performed on the Gyrus screw system demonstrating equivalent or superior performance compared to established screw systems. X-spine expects FDA approval for U.S. distribution in Q4 2005.

X-spine also has plans to use its helical locking technology as a platform for multiple forthcoming products, including cervical spine, dynamic rod, and minimally-invasive systems.

SOURCE: X-spine Systems, Inc.