Spinal Elements(R), Inc. Announces First Surgery with Axxion(TM) Minimally Invasive Retractor System

CARLSBAD, Calif., April 7, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Spinal Elements(R) announced today the first surgery with its new Axxion(TM) Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) Retractor System for lumbar spine surgery. The surgeon who performed the procedure is Zak Ibrahim, MD of South Denver Spine in Parker, Colorado. The Axxion system features a unique blade configuration which slides directly into a 2 cm incision without the need for sequential tissue dilation. The system then expands to facilitate excellent surgical exposure with minimal tissue disruption.

According to Dr. Ibrahim, “The Axxion MIS Retractor System has several unique benefits over other systems currently on the market. The system has the advantage of ‘one step’ deployment which allows the surgeon to dock the retractor directly over the area to be exposed without the requirement of multiple dilators. The Axxion system also has the advantage of allowing the surgeon to uniquely configure the retractor blades independently to conform to the patient’s anatomy rather than placing the same type of tubular retractor in patients with differing anatomy in a ‘cookie cutter’ fashion.”

Jason Blain, Chief Technology Officer of Spinal Elements, commented: “This first procedure is an important milestone in Spinal Elements’ move into the minimally invasive spine surgery market. MIS continues to be a growing segment of the spine surgery market as surgeons and patients seek solutions that enable a less traumatic surgery and faster recovery. Spinal Elements intends to become a technological leader in this segment.”

The Axxion MIS Retractor System is not currently available for general release. However, the company is working toward a staged release of the system along with a full complement of MIS surgical instrumentation and implantable hardware.

Additional information is available by calling Spinal Elements or on the company website at www.spinalelements.com. Spinal Elements, headquartered in Carlsbad, CA, is an innovative spine products company focused on the development of progressive spinal treatment options for today and tomorrow. The company markets a complete portfolio of unique spinal implant technologies throughout the U.S.