CTL Amedica Announces First Implantation of Minimally Invasive Flex Tower


CTL Amedica’s Minimally Invasive Flex Tower is the first of many innovations the company has slated for launch this year.

For this case, I utilized the flex tower at the lower lumbar levels because it provided greater flexibility.

Dalip Pelinkovic, MD, recently inserted a Minimally Invasive Flex Tower during lumbar (lower) back surgery in Iowa. This insertion marks the product’s first official use in a surgical patient, following rigorous testing and approvals.

The detachable, Minimally Invasive Flex Tower is designed and manufactured by CTL Amedica Corporation, a leader in medical device technology and biomaterials. The flex tower, which is currently in beta launch, accompanies CTL’s Posterior Lumbar MIS Fixation Platforms. The tower is designed with a proprietary, mid-tower, accordion hinge that allows the tower to bend and contour in crowded surgical sites, mitigating tab interference while still maintaining construct integrity throughout the procedure. This flexibility enables the surgeon to navigate MIS lumbar procedures more freely.

“For this case, I utilized the flex tower at the lower lumbar levels because it provided greater flexibility. Uniquely, it accommodates the trajectory of pedicle screws in challenging anatomy without interference. It’s compatible with the easy-to-load screw bodies, has better functionality with MIS retractors, and gives surgeons the option to attach tabs pre-op or in situ,” noted Dr. Pelinkovic.

Inspired by surgeon-driven feedback and a continued commitment to product enhancement, the flexible tower is the first of many innovations CTL Amedica has slated for launch in 2021. The company’s PICASSO II Minimally Invasive Pedicle Fixation Platform acted as the baseline for the new design, which boasts many of the same features – an aggressive dual lead screw body, poly-axial function, a stability ring that prevents tower splay during implantation, 25mm of internal threads to aid in rod reduction, solid titanium construction and scored housing for easier tab removal. The flex towers are intended to support the PICASSO II MIS Platform and will be compatible with all future MIS systems.

Board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Pelinkovic is an orthopaedic surgeon with Great River Medical Center in West Burlington, Iowa. He holds unrestricted medical licenses in Iowa and Illinois and is an engaging presenter and the author of a number of professional articles and abstracts. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Michigan Orthopaedic Society, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Unfallchirurgie (DGU), and German-Austrian-Swiss Society for Orthopaedic Traumatologic Sports Medicine (GOTS).

CTL Amedica is a forward-thinking medical device design, development and manufacturing company. CTL Amedica maintains a Texas-based headquarters and in-house manufacturing facility, along with a Pennsylvania-based R&D Center of Excellence. A leader in the medical device technology and biomaterials space, CTL Amedica provides a full line of cervical, thoracic and lumbar fusion and fixation products. In addition, it is the world’s exclusive provider of silicon nitride spine products. Silicon nitride demonstrates unique bacteriostatic properties, provides superior imaging across all modalities and promotes an enhanced osteogenic response. For more information, visit https://www.ctlamedica.com/.

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