Single-Use Instruments Aid Posterior Cervical Fusion

A novel out-of-the-box surgical set provides all essential instruments for bone access, bone preparation, and decortication during posterior cervical fusion (PCF) procedures.

The Providence Medical Technology (Pleasanton, CA, USA) DTRAX Spinal System is a set of surgical instruments indicated for posterior cervical fusion in patients with cervical degenerative disc disease. The system consists of a range of specialized single-use instruments that allow surgeons to access the posterior cervical spine by decorticating the bony surfaces of the posterior lateral mass and articular surfaces of the facet joints, and subsequently enable the application of autograft or allograft bone. The diameter of the largest instrument is less than one centimeter.


The instruments include an access chisel with a wedge-shaped tip to provide access to a target area of the spine; a decortication trephine to promote bone growth and fusion; a fork mallet that is used for light tapping and controlled separation of the instruments; and a guide tube with a tapered end that serves to keep the joint distracted while instruments are passed through its bore for decortication, implant placement, and injection of bone graft. Other instruments include a decortication rasp and a decortication burr for abrading the interior surface of a joint to promote spinal fusion, and a bone graft tamp that serves as a simple plunger within the guide tube.

"The DTRAX Spinal System has greatly increased my procedural efficiency during posterior cervical fusion surgeries,” said orthopedic spine surgeon Kris Siemionow, MD, PhD, of the University of Illinois (Chicago, USA). “The instruments allow me to perform all the steps of a cervical fusion in a controlled fashion with an intuitive workflow.”

PCF is a technique to surgically fuse two (or more) cervical discs using a posterior incision. PCF may be performed in conjunction with or without a posterior decompression (laminectomy), and with or without stabilizing screws, plates, and rods). PCF is most commonly performed for patients with cervical fractures or instability, but is also performed for a variety of other spinal conditions, such as tumors, infections, and deformity. PCF may also be performed in conjunction with anterior cervical surgery, especially when multiple levels are involved.

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