
Orthopedic implant company 4WEB Medical has added a Stand-Alone Anterior Spine Truss System (ASTS-SA) to its 3D printed spine implant portfolio.
4WEB Medical’s latest additive surgical device features an enhanced dual-step locking system, which prevents spinal screws from backing out, and provides surgeons with greater confidence during procedures. What’s more, as the ASTS-SA has been created with the firm’s own Truss Implant Technology, it displays the same enhanced healing characteristics as the rest of its transplant range.
According to James Lynch, the neurosurgeon, and CEO of Spine Nevada who performed the first operation with the device, its integrated structure provides numerous time and cost benefits to its end-user. “The addition of integrated screws to the implant allows for an ALIF procedure that eliminates the need for supplemental fixation or plating,” said Dr. Lynch.
“This, coupled with all of the advantages provided by 4WEB’s proprietary Truss Technology, results in not only cost savings, but also a quicker and more minimally-invasive procedure that improves patient safety, and enhances clinical outcomes,” he added.
The ‘4WEB geometry’ and Truss Implant Technology
Founded in 2008, 4WEB Medical manufactures surgical implants utilizing a novel geometry it discovered a few years ago, which it refers to as the ‘4WEB.’ The 4WEB forms the basis of the company’s design process, and the geometry can reportedly be used as a ‘building block’ to create a variety of high-strength, lightweight web structures.
After unearthing the 4WEB geometry, the company combined it with modern 3D printing to form its proprietary Truss implant platform, on which all of its products are currently based. Within its manufacturing process, 4WEB Medical’s Truss technology is used to create a hierarchical surface roughness, which carves out features that range from the macro to a nano-scale.
By Paul Hanaphy | 3D Printing Industry
Image Credit: 4WEB Medical
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