Medtronic has launched its T2 Altitude expandable corpectomy device for spinal stabilisation and correction worldwide.

The expandable vertebral body replacement cage features a self-locking mechanism that removes the need for placing a set screw during surgery, using bone graft to create contact to encourage fusion with the device.

Doug King, Senior Vice President and President of Medtronic Spinal, said that the new product demonstrates the company’s “long-term commitment to therapies for complex spine disorders for spinal tumour, trauma and deformity patients”.

Cancer patients can also benefit from the product. If the cancer has spread to the spine, the surgeon may replace the affected vertebrae with the T2 Altitude device.

More than 150,000 spinal fractures occur in North America every year, of which approximately 11,000 are spinal cord injuries.

Based in Memphis, Medtronic Spinal provides advanced treatment through the collaboration with surgeons and researchers to offer affordable, minimally-invasive products and medical technologies for neurological, orthopaedic and spinal conditions.

US-based orthobiologics company ISTO Technologies has received CE Mark Approval to market its InQu product line, a bone graft substitute and extender, in the EU.

The product is designed for use in non-structural areas of bone, such as small voids from benign tumour excisions.

Dr Mitchell Seyedin, President and CEO of ISTO, said: “The product has proven to be an innovative and cost-effective bone grafting alternative for spinal fusion and other orthopaedic surgeries in the United States and we believe that distribution in Europe will augment our domestic revenue growth.”

InQu is a differentiated biomaterial scaffold of synthetic and biologic polymers used mainly in spinal fusion applications.

Dr Seyedin said that the approval will “offer a great alternative for patients in need of bone grafting”.

Based in Missouri, ISTO is an orthobiologics company that develops proprietary products for spinal therapies and sport medicine applications. The company’s products are intended for the repair and regeneration of damaged or injured cartilage and bone.