Expandable Corpectomy Cage Stabilizes the Spine

An adjustable height vertebral body replacement device provides structural stability in skeletally mature patients following corpectomy or vertebrectomy.

The Zavation (Flowood, MI, USA) Normandy VBR is a cervical and thoracolumbar expandable corpectomy cage system comprised of spacers of various sizes and options designed to fit the anatomical needs of a wide variety of patients. All system components are manufactured from Ti-6AL-4V titanium alloy. Each spacer has an axial hole to allow autograft or allograft to be packed inside, with protrusions on the superior and inferior surfaces that grip the endplates of the adjacent vertebrae to resist expulsion.

The system can be adjusted to the required height after implantation and mechanically immobilized by means of a locking screw. The Normandy VBR system is indicated for use in the cervical spine (C2-C7) and thoracolumbar spine (T1-L5) in skeletally mature patients for partial or total replacement of a diseased, collapsed, damaged, or unstable vertebral body due to tumor, osteomyelitis, trauma, or reconstruction following corpectomy performed to achieve decompression of the spinal cord and neural tissues in degenerative disorders.

The Normandy VBR System can also be used to restore the integrity of the spinal column, even in the absence of fusion, for a limited time period in patients with advanced stage tumors of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, in whom life expectancy is of insufficient duration to permit achievement of fusion, with bone graft used at the surgeon's discretion. When used at more than two levels, posterior fixation with other systems suitable for use in the cervical, thoracic, and/or lumbar spine, such as posterior screw and rod systems and anterior plate systems is recommended.

“Our research and development team has hit a home run with this new expandable corpectomy device,” said Jeffrey Johnson, CEO of Zavation. “Not only is it one of the first expandable corpectomy devices cleared for cervical use; but the ease of insertion, ease of expansion, and large graft area sets a new industry standard.”

Corpectomy involves removing all or part of the vertebral body (corpus vertebrae), usually as a way to decompress the spinal cord and nerves. Corpectomy is often performed in association with some form of discectomy. Once the vertebral body has been removed, vertebral fusion is performed using a block of bone taken from the pelvis or using a manufactured component such as a cage. As the spine heals, the vertebrae grow together and fuse.

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