August 27, 018, Texas medical device company Osseus Fusion Systems' 3D printed spinal implant Aries has recently received FDA approval.
The implant is mainly used to help surgeons relieve back pain and shorten spine recovery time.
Osseus Fusion Systems was founded in 2012 by Eric Hansen and Robert Pace to develop advanced medical products for spine-related injuries. One of Osseus's main goals is to use emerging technologies such as additive manufacturing to improve product quality and performance.
The Aries intervertebral fusion device is printed in titanium and is optimized for bone fusion and biological fixation. They are 3D printed using Osseus' proprietary 3D printing technology PL3XUS, which uses powder bed fusion technology to make titanium parts.
Aries has a porosity of 80%, allowing spinal tissue to grow through the implant. In addition, the device is equipped with a mesh to better fix and diffuse bone cells, thereby speeding up healing, improving bone growth, and enhancing X-ray visibility.
Each Aries implant is available in a variety of heights and lordosis (curved inward spine) angles for a variety of patient anatomy.
"The clinical advantages of 3D printed titanium implants are self-evident, and Osseus is expected to occupy market share in an unprecedented exponentially growing industry," said Eric Hansen, co-founder and CEO of Osseus.
Spinal implants remain one of the most common cases of FDA-approved 3D printed medical devices. Earlier this year, Zimmer Biomet received FDA approval for the company's first 3D printed titanium alloy spinal implant.
Emerging Implant Technologies also recently received an FDA-approved 3D printed multilayer cervical cage that can treat multiple injuries in the middle and top of the spine.
Similarly, spinal device development company Centinel Spine has received FDA approval for its 3D printed spinal implants, called FLX devices. The FLX device is a titanium fusion implant used to stabilize the vertebrae in the front of the spine to increase the patient's healing process.
"As a surgeon, participating in the device development process is very exciting and can bring your ideas to life so quickly," said Dr. Sam Joseph, who works with the Osseus engineering team. "Using 3D printing, we are able to move from design, prototype to finished product faster than traditional manufacturing, which means patients can also get more advanced treatments faster.