Intramedullary Implant System Stabilizes Fractures

The PBSS implant is shaped only once it is inside the intramedullary space and has conformed to bone anatomy. The implant’s dimensions are determined by the bone canal itself, and the polymer never touches the bone and does not require any kind of direct bonding. The system is comprised of three items; a single use disposable procedure pack, a reusable light source, and procedure specific surgical instruments.

The procedure is performed through a minimal percutaneous surgical approach, through which the surgeon introduces the balloon catheter into the medullary canal transiting the fracture site. Once the fracture is aligned, the surgeon inflates the balloon with the liquid polymer and then exposes the liquid to the light. After light is applied to the liquid monomer in the balloon, it takes only minutes for it to completely harden and provide stabilization inside the bone. The PBSS is a product of IlluminOss Medical (East Providence, RI, USA), and has received the European Community marking of approval.

“We look forward to expanding access to this technology, which can significantly enhance how orthopedic fractures are treated,” said Dirk Kuyper, president and CEO of IlluminOss. “We are now commercially available in eight countries, providing patients and surgeons with an innovative and unprecedented fracture repair system.”

“With the IlluminOss system, I was able to stabilize the fibula using a small incision without disturbing the ankle joint or the skin surrounding the fracture. I was able to treat the patient in less than forty minutes and am totally satisfied with the result,” said Thomas Gausepohl, MD, a trauma surgeon in Germany who performed the first implant. “The patient did not need an external plaster cast to walk after the procedure. My continued and expanded use of the technology reinforces my belief that this is the beginning of a new era in fracture repair and fixation. Customized, minimally invasively formed implants will be the future of orthopedics.”

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