Integra Expands Portfolio with New Spinal Implants

Integra LifeSciences is rolling out yet another product from its seemingly chock-full pipeline this year. The company is introducing the Vu aPOD Prime intervertebral body fusion device (IBD), a standalone device for use in anterior lumbar fusion (ALIF) procedures, for a full market release. The device already has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

IBDs are small, hollow spinal implants that work by being inserted between vertebrae to provide stability for spinal fusion after a diseased lumbar disc has been removed. They restore physiological disc height and allow fusion between vertebral bodies while relieving pressure on the nerves. The graft window in the device is packed with autogenous bone (bone that has been grafted from the patient receiving the implant), making it possible for natural bone to grow, enabling fusion.

Because the device is zero-profile, surgeons will not have to use supplemental fixation to hold the IBD in place. Instead, the device uses two screws to stay in place, also reducing the number of steps and implants required to perform an ALIF procedure. Consequently, the Vu aPOD is a less invasive implant than the traditional anterior supplemental fixation implants with interbody construct, company officials claim.

The Vu aPOD has gone through a controlled market release, and was well received,” said design surgeon James Bruffey, M.D., from Scripps Clinic in San Diego, Calif. “The … device’s more rounded edge appears to reduce post-operative implant settling into the vertebral endplates.”

Based in Plainsboro, N.J., Integra LifeSciences develops medical devices for orthopedics, neurosurgery, spine, reconstruction, and general surgery.