3D-Printed Interbody Devices Mimic Natural Bone

Novel 3D-printed porous titanium implants have been meticulously engineered, down to the cellular unit level, to emulate human bone.

The Centinel Spine (West Chester, PA, USA) FLX technology platform interbody implants show an equivalent subsidence performance to that of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), contain a proprietary, interconnected FUSE-THRU titanium lattice with a structure and modulus of elasticity that are similar to natural bone, and provide an optimized mechanical, visual, and osteophillic environment that reduces stress shielding, enables fusion assessment, and supports bony in-growth, on-growth, and thru-growth.


The radiolucent FUSE-THRU sections are designed to reduce to imaging artifacts and improve visibility as compared to solid titanium implants, thus enhancing intra-operative visualization and enabling superior post-operative fusion assessment. FLX is available as an option with Centinel Spine's ACTILIF and STALIF interbody portfolios. The STALIF implants provide compressive fixation at the fusion site, pulling the vertebral bodies onto the implant and graft material to enhance opportunities for fusion, in line with Wolff's Law of Bone Healing.

“FLX has the preferred combination of porosity, micro, and nano-structural characteristics, while maintaining strength and integrity through intentional design,” said Steve Murray, CEO of Centinel Spine. “The technology is backed by science; a cellular study conducted at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York demonstrates that FLX is collaborative with its environment and truly enhances bone integration.”

Interbody devices are designed to replace the intervertebral disc of the spine, enhancing stability in the region while the spine fuses. Over time, the packed bone graft material is gradually replaced by natural bone forming a solid piece. Fusion procedures typically use a posterior fixation device to the associated level, since the surgeons will implant interbody devices from an anterior approach and flip the patient over to implant a posterior pedicle screw device. This combination increases fusion success.

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