Increasing concerns over the cost and efficacy of spinal procedures have chilled VC interest in spine companies, once the hot growth area in orthopedics. So, if spine is not the answer, where will VCs find investment opportunities in orthopedics, which remains one of the largest device sectors?

Patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures now have another alternative to vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty. The SpineAlign system from SpineAlign Medical Inc. uses a combination of cement and a permanent implant to elevate the vertebral endplates in parallel. In addition, the expandable metal device is composed of nitinol threaded at the end, so that a pedicle screw can be attached and locked into the system for a sturdy construct.

Spine specialists who perform vertebral augmentation procedures using bone cement can encounter leakage of the cement once it is injected into the fractured vertebral body. But a new technique using radiofrequency energy to activate proprietary bone cement so that it becomes highly viscous during delivery allows for more precise placement of the cement into the affected area. The StabiliT vertebral augmentation system from DFine is a minimally invasive solution for treating vertebral compression fractures. It is designed to provide physicians with the peace of mind that the cement will remain exactly where it is injected, thus optimizing patients' postoperative outcomes. Furthermore, the product may provide height elevation of the collapsed vertebrae.