Spinal Elements® Announces Initial Procedures With Katana™ MIS Lateral System

Spinal Elements, a spine technology company, announced that the first procedures with its minimally invasive (MIS) Katana Lateral System were successfully completed.

The Katana Lateral System is a muscle-splitting system that is designed to overcome some of the inherent challenges in MIS lateral surgery. Traditionally, spine surgery has been performed from the back (posterior) or the front (anterior). Recent MIS advancements allow for accessing the spine from the side (lateral). Currently-marketed systems can intrap tissue as the access is created. Furthermore, the nature of how these systems create the surgical corridor can compress neural structures near the spine.

The Katana System was designed to address both of these challenges. Surgical access with Katana is gently created in the plane of the muscle, preventing the muscle intrapment that can plague earlier technology based system. The posterior-forward design philosophy of the Katana system further helps prevent the nerve compression problems that other systems can create. Both of these design enhancements are proprietary to Spinal Elements’ next generation system.

The implants used with the Katana Lateral System take advanatage of Spinal Elements’ Ti-Bond® titanium surface technology. The application of Ti-Bond allows the spinal implants to maintain their radioulucent properties that permit intraoperative montoring of implant position while allowing postoperative assessment of fusion progress. These implants also maintain their load-sharing strength profile that has been clinically proven important to the bone healing process. These properties are further enhanced by the additional stability of Ti-Bond’s roughened surface and longer-term benefits of its hydrophilic titanium structure.

Burak Ozgur, MD, a leading MIS spine surgeon based in Newport Beach, California, had this to say about his experience with the Katana System: “The system far exceeded my expectations. The Katana System’s design allows for efficient access to the spine without the drawbacks of the other systems available. The lack of muscle intrapment and encroachment into my surgical corridor allows for a more fluid procedure. I believe this could be a game changing technology that surgeons could easily adopt into their practice.”