Medtronic granted CE Mark for procedure to correct spinal deformities

Medtronic has been rewarded with a CE Mark for a new non-surgical procedure it has devised that is suitable for young children suffering from life-threatening curvature of the spine.

It provides a new option for patients with spinal deformities and is being launched across the European economic area, delivering growth-guided instrumentation to mimimise the number of operations children require.

Employing the SHILLA Growth Guidance System, the procedure can correct and maintain curvature in cases of early-onset scoliosis to permit natural growth of patients' bodies.

The firm made the announcement during the Spine Week Congress in Amsterdam, explaining that the procedure maintains a correction over time and can be used to alleviate the risk of requiring fusion or lengthening surgeries as skeletons reach maturity.

"It is a genuine advance, which means these severely ill children now have a new surgical option which can minimise the amount of secondary surgeries required which have the risk of pain, complications and more anesthesia," stated Medtronic vice-president of spinal and biologics for western Europe and Canada Steve Swinson.

Medtronic's Resolute drug-eluting stent was approved earlier this year by the US Food and Drug Administration and has been shown in clinical trials to yield strong performance in coronary artery disease patients both with and without diabetes.