New Navigation-Guided System Enhances Precision in SI Joint Fusion

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is a frequent contributor to low back pain and can markedly limit mobility and daily function. Precise implant placement is critical in minimally invasive sacroiliac fusion because of complex pelvic anatomy and proximity to neurovascular structures. Surgical navigation is increasingly adopted to support accuracy and consistency during these procedures. A new system now offers navigation-guided instrumentation for sacroiliac joint fusion following U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance.

SurGenTec’s TiLink Navigation Instruments, used with the TiLink SI Joint Fusion System, have received U.S.FDA 510(k) clearance for sacroiliac joint procedures. The cleared instrument set is designed for compatibility with Medtronic’s StealthStation navigation platform. The addition expands the company’s sacroiliac portfolio.

The navigation-compatible instruments are built to help surgeons accurately locate, access, and prepare the sacroiliac joint for fusion. When paired with the StealthStation platform, the workflow enables real-time navigation during implantation of the TiLink SI Joint Fusion System. The TiLink implant incorporates Nanotex nano-surface technology and a compression-based design intended to support bone integration and joint stabilization.

Key potential benefits of navigated TiLink SI joint fusion include enhanced precision in implant placement and joint compression to support stable fixation, improved visualization of complex pelvic anatomy and surrounding critical structures, and potential reductions in operative time, radiation exposure, and procedural complications.

Regulatory clearance covers use of the TiLink Navigation Instruments with the TiLink SI Joint Fusion System in sacroiliac joint procedures. The compatibility with a widely used navigation platform is intended to facilitate minimally invasive techniques while maintaining controlled implant placement. 

Pre-clinical ovine studies cited for the TiLink implant’s Nanotex surface demonstrated promotion of both bone on-growth and in-growth at the implant interface. These findings support the implant’s design intent for stability and fusion potential when used in conjunction with the newly cleared navigation workflow.

“The TiLink Navigation Instruments introduces a new level of efficiency and control in sacroiliac joint fusion. When used with Navigation, it enables highly accurate, minimally invasive implant placement, which may help reduce operative time while enhancing procedural safety and outcomes for patients with SI joint dysfunction who have not responded to conservative treatment,” stated Dr. Joshua Abrams, an orthopedic spine surgeon at the Desert Institute for Spine Care (DISC) in Phoenix, Arizona.

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