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Fig.1. Zones of access for lumbar interbody fusion surgery [2].
In the U.S., over 400,000 spinal fusion surgeries are performed each year [1].
Orthofix invites surgeons to their offices and conduct trial runs on their new products. This allows them to gauge how these tools will be used in real-world applications as well as gather feedback from users. Visiting surgeons typically perform fusion surgeries in the cervical or lumbar spine. These include [3-7]:
PLIF: Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion
TLIF: Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion
ALIF: Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion
OLIF: Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion
XLIF: Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion
ACDF: Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion)
Our primary objective was to develop a device that secures spine specimens of any size for any type of fusion surgery.
We aimed to create a holder that would accommodate both cervical and lumbar spine specimens, ranging from one functional spinal unit (FSU) to the entire length of the lumbar spine (approximately 7 in. [8]). We also wanted our holder to rotate and reposition the spine to accommodate the wide range of fusion surgery approaches. These goals served to increase the device's functionality and flexibility.
Additionally, we chose materials that were durable and easily sterilized to allow repeated use of the holder. We further optimized our holder to generate minimal artifacts during fluoroscopy, enabling surgeons to use imaging to guide hardware implantation [9].
Ultimately, we established a systematic fixation method that improves user safety by limiting the number of hands in the surgical field.
Fig.2. Weighted distribution for design objectives.
References
Lopez, C.D. (2020). The Spine Journal, 20.
Globus Medical. (2021). Excelsius™ Technology.
Mobbs, R.J. (2015). J Spine Surg, 1.
Xu D.S. (2018). Ann Transl Med, 6.
Salzmann, S.N. (2017). Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, 10.
Joo, P.Y. (2021). The Spine Journal, 22.
Zelenty, W.D. (2022) ACDF Surgery.
IMAIOS. (2025). Lumbar spine.
Harada G.K. (2019). Spine Surg Relat Res, 4.
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