San José del Cabo, Mexico – Dr. Richard Guyer, co-founder of the Texas Back Institute (TBI, Plano TX) delivered a cutting-edge presentation on a novel approach to anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) surgery, introducing the modular ‘wedge within a wedge’ ALIF cage developed by Axis Spine Technologies.
Dr. Guyer began with an overview of lumbar interbody fusion surgery, highlighting a persistent clinical challenge: the loss of lumbar spine lordosis over time due to implant subsidence. This subsidence often results from intraoperative endplate trauma caused by inserting a large, one-piece cage into a collapsed disc space.
To address this, Dr. Guyer introduced the innovative concept of modular cage technology. Unlike traditional implants, the modular ‘wedge within a wedge’ ALIF cage can be inserted in smaller pieces and then adjusted in-situ. This design aims to prevent trauma to the vertebral endplates during surgery, potentially reducing the risk of subsidence and improving long-term outcomes.
Dr. Guyer’s conclusions emphasized that maintaining adequate spinal alignment remains an unmet clinical need in lumbar fusion surgery. He asserted that the modular Axis-ALIF cage offers a promising solution by enabling a more delicate, endplate-preserving insertion process, which may lead to better patient outcomes.
