Solvay polymer picked for joint fusion technology

Solvay Specialty Polymers has announced that Vertera Spine has chosen the company’s Zeniva polyetheretherketone (PEEK) polymer to develop PEEK Scoria, a novel porous surface technology for stable, cost-effective intervertebral joint fusion

The porous character of Vertera Spine’s biomaterial facilitates integration of bone tissue with the company’s Cohere cervical interbody fusion device. According to Solvay it offers excellent biocompatibility, toughness and fatigue resistance, as well as characteristics very similar to bone and has proved to be a key enabler for this medical device.

Backed by extensive research at Duke University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, Vertera Spine’s PEEK Scoria represents a significant leap forward in how surface treatments are applied to intervertebral joint fusion devices, claims Solvay. Where conventional approaches coat the fusion device, this surface treatment is grown directly from the bulk PEEK material of Vertera Spine’s Cohere system. Solvay’s Zeniva PEEK comprises both the porous surface technology and the device on which it is grown.

“Given the fast-changing economics of healthcare, we developed PEEK Scoria to address growing clinical demand for fusion devices that integrate more effectively with bone at a cost-competitive price point,” said Chris Lee, co-founder and CEO of Vertera Spine. “The superior toughness of Solvay’s Zeniva PEEK was critical to our success. The seamless interface it enabled between the porous and bulk materials is more durable than metal coatings and yet two times stronger in shear than trabecular bone. Solvay’s material and industry expertise helped our Cohere device to become the first fusion system made out of porous PEEK to receive 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration.”