4Web Medical Continues to Lead in 3D Printed Implant Industry, Lateral Spine Truss System Receives FDA Clearance

While the discussion of medical devices, hardware, implants, and trusses may not sound all that glamourous, what they have to offer in the long run is quite so. Offering medical professionals and patients a host of alternatives today, spinal implants can be the difference between a patient lying in bed all day suffering from chronic pain and an individual up and out, walking around, able to exercise and enjoy life. And with the advent of numerous 3D printed spinal implants, we’ve had the pleasure of reporting on some pretty miraculous stories–from patients having their mobility restored after battling surgeries and incapacitation to a patient in Germany with a degenerative cervical spine issue being restored to health thanks to progressive spinal fusion surgery and a 3D printed titanium fusion implant.

The 3D printed spinal implant industry continues to grow, with companies such as 4WEB Medical leading the way. We’ve been following the Frisco, Texas-headquartered company for quite some time now, marking enormous progress from the launch of their 3D printed foot and ankle osteotomy implants to milestones in 3D printing thousands of spinal implants to projects in Australia, as well as more recently, patents for truss implant technology.

Now, 4WEB has received 510(K) FDA clearance for a lateral interbody fusion device. To be marketed under the trade name Lateral Spine Truss System, this represents a comprehensive offering in medical devices.

“The Lateral Spine Truss System represents a significant advancement in treatment options for lateral spine surgery,” said Frank Cammisa, MD, Professor and Chief Emeritus of the Spine Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “As evidenced in recent porous metal product launches, many companies have failed to recognize the full design potential of what 3D printing brings to the orthopedic arena. 4WEB’s proprietary truss implant technology leverages fundamental engineering principles in structural mechanics to address important clinical issues such as implant subsidence after lateral access surgery.”

This launch offers medical professionals and patients both new benefits as there is now a complete system offering a range of different sizes and options, along with integrated instrumentation. Smart single-sterile packaging also offers the following benefits:

• Ensured sterility
• Improved efficiency in the operating room
• Access to global markets where sterile packaging is a requirement

“4WEB has achieved a significant milestone that allows us to address the majority of fusion procedures and approaches performed today. We now offer Truss Implant Technology for every mainstream surgical technique used in spine surgery,” said Jim Bruty, Sr. Vice President, Sales and Marketing of 4WEB. “4WEB will continue to be on the cutting edge with meaningful innovation in spine surgery by pioneering implant function through structural design.”

Founded in 2008, the Texas company is known for their architecture in spinal implants, namely from the complex geometry of their 4WEB design. With that particular innovation, they have had a foundation to work with in terms of creating numerous other structures. 4WEB currently offers the following systems:

• Cervical Spine Truss System
• ALIF Spine Truss System
• Posterior Spine Truss System
• Lateral Spine Truss System
• Osteotomy Truss System

Research and development marches on further too as 4WEB continues to work on new designs for implants in the knee, hip, and more. Their portfolio offers solutions for surgeons in fields such as neurosurgery, spinal orthopedics, and that of both the foot and ankle. Discuss this new clearance further over in the 4WEB Medical Lateral Spine Truss System forum at 3DPB.com.