Globus Medical Launches Cement Augmented Pedicle Screw System

Globus Medical Inc., a musculoskeletal solutions company, announced the launch of the CREO Fenestrated Screw System used in the treatment of patients with advanced stage tumors of the thoracolumbar spine. CREO fenestrated screws, when augmented with the company’s FORTRESS radiopaque bone cement, are designed to restore the structural integrity of the spine at vertebral levels affected by metastatic bone disease.
 
The spine is one of the most common locations for skeletal metastases, accounting for approximately 10 percent of new cancer diagnoses annually. Advanced stage spinal tumors can result in compression of the spinal cord, pain, fracture, mechanical instability, and neurological deficit. Surgical treatments involving pedicle screw fixation are challenging due to the compromised bone in this patient population. 
 
“Patients with advanced stage tumors may require cement reinforcement due to compromised bone quality,” said Dr. Edwin Ramos, neurosurgeon at The University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Sciences. “The CREO system allows for cement augmentation after screw placement which integrates seamlessly with a traditional MIS or open pedicle screw technique. This affords a controlled cement delivery and increased stability to help prevent screw loosening that can occur in tumor patients.”
 
The CREO Fenestrated Screw System is available with threaded, non-threaded, and MIS screw head options to accommodate surgeon preferences for complex tumor procedures. The screws are cannulated with a series of fenestrations along the shank for targeted cement dispersion, and rigidly attach to specialized instruments for controlled cement delivery.