K2M Introduces Retractor System at SRS

K2M, Inc., has launched a retractor system that company President and CEO Eric Major says, addresses complex pathologies within a less invasive environment.

The company introduced the Serengeti Complex Spine Minimally Invasive Retractor System at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) in Chicago on September 5, 2012.

The company announcement states that the system brings K2M’s focus on complex spine and minimally invasive together into one system.

The system, according to the company, features “next generation instrumentation to perform complex reduction, controlled manipulation, and above-skin compression and distraction without compromising the option for direct visualization. The system provides the ability to attach and remove the minimally invasive reduction tunnels intraoperatively, combining the benefits of a traditional rigid system with the revolutionary benefits of the flexible, polymer Serengeti Retractor.”

Steven DeLuca, D.O., M.S., an orthopedic surgeon with the Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania, said that spinal surgery is dynamic and can change mid-course. He said the system, “allows for on-the-spot decision making, providing surgeons the option to attach or remove the reduction tunnels in-situ.”

The system features a screw-based method of retraction, allowing for a fixed position to the anatomy. “This simplified design allows for one-step, percutaneous placement of the screw and retractor, providing improved access for rod introduction, ” stated the company announcement.

Major stated, “This important advancement of our already well received [Serengeti system] serves as the intersection of our innovation efforts by combining our core competency in deformity with our award-winning minimally invasive technology…resulting in more options for surgeons.”