For the first time in the United States, titanium bone-anchored implants were used to repair large annular defects during diskectomies. These surgeries were initially performed in May 2019 at New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center following US Food and Drug Administration premarket approval of the Barricaid device (developed and manufactured by Intrinsic Therapeutics) in February 2019.
This device, which includes an occlusion component made of woven polyester, and a titanium bone anchor for its tethering to the vertebral body, was designed to prevent the reoccurrence of disk herniation through the blocking of large defects in the annulus fibrosus. The device also allows for greater disk preservation.
“We are excited to be the first in the United States to perform diskectomy with implantation of the Barricaid, addressing what has been a long unmet need in the field of spine surgery,” declared Jonathan R. Stieber, MD, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU Langone’s Spine Center, who performed the initial surgery. “While the current standard of care — diskectomy alone — is safe and effective to surgically remove the herniated disk material, we have not yet had a reliable way to avoid reherniation in a certain high-risk population.”
To learn more about diskectomy with implantation of the Barricaid, click here.