Life Spine announced that it won FDA 510(k) clearance for its Longbow titanium lateral expendable spacer system.
The Longbow system is the first interbody on the market that expands laterally in-situ, specifically for a direct lateral approach, according to Life Spine’s website.
Longbow is designed to minimize tissue retraction and potential nerve damage associated with the lateral access approach. It can decrease the amount of retraction by as much as 45% when compared to current systems, simplifies the insertion of bone graft after expansion and improves intraoperative visualization with radiopaque tantalum markers.
The Longbow system is available in lengths that range between 45mm and 60mm, heights between 9mm and 15mm, 0° and 7° lordotic options and widths that expand from 15mm to 27mm anterior to posterior. The system can be post-packed after expansion and is supported by Life Spine’s portfolio of lateral solutions.
“We are thrilled to be releasing a titanium version of the first to market Longbow expandable lateral spacer system which was designed to accomplish previously unmet surgical goals,” Life Spine COO Rich Mueller said in a news release. “The spacer is able to achieve up to 12mm of anterior to posterior expansion allowing for a contracted insertion size of 15mm, but once expanded can boast a footprint closer to that of an ALIF spacer as opposed to a traditional lateral spacer.”
