April 25, 2007 - Mazor Surgical Technologies, developer and manufacturer of image-based surgical positioning systems, introduced a new SpineAssist application to enable precise placement of thoracic spinal implants, designed to address the approximately 20 percent misplacement rate for thoracic screws.
The SpineAssist platform reportedly enables highly accurate pre-operative planning and placement of spinal fusion screws and supports related surgical interventions. It consists of a miniature robot, patented Hover-T Bridge, which allows the robot to glide freely above the patient's spine, and a workstation running advanced surgical planning and guidance software. During spinal procedures, the system guides the surgeon in real time to pinpoint the exact location and trajectory of the implant based on the pre-surgical plan. The platform is optimized for specific interventions with a range of applications fine-tuned for specific areas of the spine. It has demonstrated significantly greater accuracy in implant positioning than freehand placement.
The newly redeveloped solution for the thoracic vertebrae complements the existing SpineAssist lumbar spine application, which is in use at several major hospitals worldwide. Together, the two applications enable highly accurate implant placement for almost the entire length of the spine. The new product is optimized for the smaller vertebrae and narrower surgical approach to the upper thoracic spine and delivers the accurate surgical guidance that has become Mazor's trademark.