Medical device company Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said its specially-designed spinal orthopedic surgical instrument, the ReDux Plier, this week made its European debut following CE Mark approval. The device is a 1st, allowing physicians more control when performing surgeries to correct a severe form of spinal curvature, according to a press release.
Originally invented by Dr. Le Huec, chief of the spine unit at the Bordeaux University Hospital, France, the plier was picked up by Medtronic’s European Product Development Office based in Tolochenaz, Switzerland.
The Plier is used during a surgical procedure to correct extreme spinal curvature, called pedicle substraction osteotomy (PSO). During this procedure, the plier is used to protect the front of the vertebrae from collapsing as a triangular piece of bone is removed from the middle of the spine, according to a company statement.
"The PSO procedure is an extremely powerful option for people with severe spinal curvatures, but the potential for complications has historically been very high," Le Huec said according to a press statement. "The instruments currently available were often too crude for the complex procedure, so working with Medtronic we have been able to produce specially-designed instruments which give surgeons greater control than ever before."
The medtech giant also recently announced a win in Europe for its latest thrombus removal system, the Export Advance aspiration catheter and for the latest in the company’s portfolio of peripheral artery disease treatment devices, the Pacific Plus PTA catheter.