AO, icotec Join Forces on New Spinal Stabilization System

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Mar 03, 2020, 05:28 ET

DAVOS, Switzerland, March 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The AO Foundation and icotec ag announce the successful agreement and kick-off for the joint development of a new spinal stabilization system based on icotec's proprietary BlackArmor® Carbon/PEEK composite implant material.

Treatment of a Plasmocytoma in L2 with BlackArmor® Carbon/PEEK screws (PRNewsfoto/AO Foundation)

"The AO is delighted to partner with icotec ag, and to leverage its game changing technology platform based on its unique BlackArmor® material," Dr. Maarten Spruit, Chair of the AO Technical Commission Spine explained. "Patients, surgeons, and radio-oncologists depend on artefact-free imaging, accurate radiation therapy, and reliable post-operative follow-up for the optimal treatment of spinal tumors and metastases. These interventions are often compromised by metal implants."

Image artefacts of metal implants in different imaging modalities such as x-ray, CT, and MRI are a well-known obstacle in patient follow-up. When using non-metallic BlackArmor® Carbon/PEEK implants, patients suffering from spinal tumors can be considered for a larger variety of treatment options with improved therapy planning, radiation dose delivery, and follow-up evaluation after separation surgery and stabilization.

Roger Stadler, CEO of icotec ag, stresses the significant and lasting value of this partnership for its key projects: "Innovation translation at the AO is rooted in the AO's Technical Commissions, which harness the profound expert knowledge of globally leading spine surgeons. They offer unparalleled knowhow to guide technologies from the concept stage throughout the entire lifecycle."

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The AO Foundation is a medically-guided, not-for-profit organization, a global network of surgeons, and the premier education, innovation, and research organization for the surgical treatment of trauma and musculoskeletal disorders. For more information, visit the AO website at https://www.aofoundation.org or contact us at [email protected].

icotec AG is a family-owned SME in Altstaetten, Switzerland established in 1999. icotec designs and manufactures nonmetallic spinal implants made from BlackArmor® (Carbon/PEEK). icotec's proprietary BlackArmor® material consists of continuous carbon fibers combined with PEEK (polyetheretherketone), and is produced using icotec's injection molding CFM (Composite Flow Molding) manufacturing technology.

For more information, visit icotec's website at www.icotec-medical.com or contact [email protected].

SOURCE AO Foundation