Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure performed for addressing spinal instability in degenerative conditions. Pathologies such as, ruptured disc, a slipped vertebra, or spondylolisthesis, can lead to such instability. There are over a million such procedures performed annually, a fairly common procedure.
Today, the standard way of stabilizing a spinal segment for its fusion is by placement of a pedicle screw construct. This involves placing 4 screws, 2 into each of the vertebra, then connecting them by a rigid rod, creating a sort of an artificial bridge in the segment.
This method has been used for the last 30 years. Although advances were made in pedicle screw systems, it is still invasive, complex to place and can cause severe complications when the screws are misplaced.
Placement of these artificial bridges apply various forces on the vertebrae and surrounding tissues that may result in adverse events and even require a painful revision surgery. These procedures cause patients a huge distress, and tremendous economic cost to the healthcare systems.
ZygoFix's zLOCK eliminate the need for screws and rods by utilizing the spine's natural bridge. The zLOCK implant is inserted to the posterior joint of the spinal segment (called the Facet joint) and locks it's motion from within. Its unique characteristics enable it to conform to the specific joint anatomy during insertion, provide a solution aligned with our anatomy, and a simple insertion procedure.
With the EIC Accelerator project, ZygoFix aims to complete the necessary upgrades and validation activities to accelerate the time-to market of zLOCK. zLOCK will be the first spinal fusion implant technology, capable of insertion and internal fixation of the facet joint, thereby simplifying and reducing the risks of pedicle screw spinal fusion.
