PainTEQ Launches TRAQ Next-Gen Approach to SI Joint Fusion

PainTEQ has launched its TRAQ SI (sacroiliac) joint fusion, the first posterior SI joint implant designed to engage both the sacral and iliac cortices for bi-cortical fixation through a tissue-sparing, one-inch incision.

TRAQ’s triangular piercing barbs were engineered to engage both the sacral and iliac cortices, transfixing the joint at the two anatomic surfaces where mechanical purchase is the strongest. A prefilled graft window is positioned at the fusion interface, where it can most effectively support bony incorporation.

“TRAQ’s triangular piercing barbs were an intentional design choice. They engage both the sacral and iliac cortices, which is what this joint needs to stabilize,” said Dwayne Polzer, VP of R&D at PainTEQ.

The company has begun the TRAQTION prospective, multicenter, post-market study assessing TRAQ’s real-world safety and efficacy. The study has earned central IRB approval from WCG IRB and is anticipated to enroll up to 100 subjects at 10 U.S. sites with 24-month follow-up.

“The launch of TRAQ represents the next evolution of our posterior SI joint fusion platform,” said Shanth Thiyagalingam, CEO of PainTEQ. “PainTEQ helped pioneer posterior SI joint fusion with LINQ, and TRAQ builds on that foundation with a new implant designed to further expand physician treatment options while we continue generating high-quality clinical evidence.”

Timothy R. Deer, M.D., CEO of The Spine and Nerve Center of the Virginias and founder of the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience, performed the first TRAQ procedure.

“What stood out to me about TRAQ was its ability to stabilize and fixate the SI joint through a posterior approach while minimizing procedural anatomic disruption for the patient,” Dr. Deer said. “That combination represents an important evolution in posterior SI joint fusion.”