Medtronic gained Food and Drug Administration clearance for the SHILLA Growth Guidance System for patients with severe early-onset spinal deformities.
Medtronic also launched the system designed for skeletally immature pediatric patients with severe, progressive, life-threatening early-onset spinal deformities. The growth-sparing technology allows for deformity correction while minimizing periodic lengthening procedures — current distraction-based systems require lengthening every six to nine months.
The system includes a non-locking set screw at the proximal and distal portion of the construct's rods, which allows the rod to slide through the screw heads as the patient's spine grows. At the same time, the system provides deformity correction.
They system has already been used in 17 countries and received the CE mark in 2012.
Medtronic has made several big announcements over the past few days, acquiring two major companies in addition to the much-reported Covidien acquisition earlier this year. CEO Omar Ishrak continued to reiterate the company's plan to support new research and development over the next several years, even while moving the company's headquarters overseas, in its recent financial report.
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