DEPUY SPINE’S UNIPLATE™ USED IN 1,000 CERVICAL FUSIONS  

PHILADELPHIA, SEPT. 27, 2005 – DePuy Spine, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, today announced that its UNIPLATE™ Anterior Cervical Plate System has been used in 1,000 cervical spinal fusion surgeries since April 2005.  It is the first single screw vertebral body system for one- or two-level cervical fusion procedures. 

The announcement was made at the 20th Annual Meeting of the North American Spine Society (NASS).

“Surgeons see the UNIPLATE System as a simple, effective solution for one- or two-level anterior cervical discectomy fusions and that’s why the product is becoming increasingly popular,” said Marjorie Eskay-Auerbach, MD, medical director, DePuy Spine.  

Approximately 180,000 anterior cervical fusions are performed each year in the U.S.  About 85 percent of these fusions are one- and two-level procedures.

“The UNIPLATE System helps streamline the anterior cervical fusion procedure,” said Carl Lauryssen, MD, Neurosurgical Spine Director, Institute for Advanced Spinal Research in Los Angeles, who uses the UNIPLATE for the majority of his cervical fusion procedures. 

The UNIPLATE System consists of a semi-rigid plate only 10.5mm wide, the narrowest plate on the market, which provides comparable stability to traditional cervical plates.  The single midline design improves graft visualization, is easy to place and requires minimal retraction.

The UNIPLATE System has a thickness of 2.3 mm and includes a patented locking mechanism (Tri-lobe CAM-LOC™) to secure the screws.  The UNIPLATE System screws are 25 percent larger than traditional screws; making one screw as equally strong as two traditional screws.  The System also includes the Universal Guide, an all-in-one tool that acts as a plate holder through which an awl, drill, tap, and screws can be inserted which results in fewer steps.

DePuy Spine’s other anterior cervical plate systems include SLIM-LOC™, EAGLE™ Rigid, and SWIFT™ Dynamic Anterior Cervical Plate Systems.

Anterior cervical fusion is performed to relieve debilitating pain caused by a damaged or degenerated disc.  Through a small incision in the front of the neck, the damaged disc is removed and is replaced with a bone graft that will join or fuse the vertebrae together over time.  Metal plates and screws may be necessary to support the neck while the vertebrae fuse. 

The UNIPLATE System is used to treat, symptomatic cervical spondylosis, trauma, fracture, post-traumatic kyphosis or lordosis, tumor, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, re-operation for failed fusion, or instability following surgery for the above indications. 

About DePuy Spine

DePuy Spine, a Johnson & Johnson company, has worked and partnered with leading clinicians, researchers, and thought leaders to develop products to treat spine disorders for over 20 years.  Today, DePuy Spine stands in the forefront of the worldwide spine market, with a substantial sales organization in the U.S. and an expanding worldwide distribution network.  The company is committed to advancing the knowledge of all health care professionals and their patients in addressing spinal pathologies.