Ortho Kinematics, Inc. closed on more than $2 million in new Series B financing, according to a news release on December 18.
Ortho Kinematics Raises Dough to Improve Imaging for Spine
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The privately held company in Austin, Texas, focuses on spine imaging informatics by leveraging spine biomechanical data to, hopefully, improve the diagnosis and treatment of back pain.
The funds will support the continued commercialization of the company’s VMA (Vertebral Motion Analysis) technology. The company is currently in the process of a limited scale beta launch with strategic partners. The funds will also assist the company in completing and expanding its enterprise platform to allow for assessments of the neck (cervical spine) in addition to its current lower back (lumbar) assessments ability.
The VMA is a proprietary technology platform that is designed to be used in conjunction with standard fluoroscopes, which are commonly available in hospitals and clinics. The fluoroscopes capture video x-ray-type images of the spine, while patients are assisted through a series of flexion, extension, and lateral bending movements. Proprietary image recognition software then tracks these video images to produce information about the movement at each vertebral level. The VMA has patented intellectual property and received clearance from the U.S. FDA earlier this year.
Company CEO Paul Gunnoe said the funding will allow the company to develop the technology into “the new gold standard for spine motion assessments.”
The company’s medical board includes well-known surgeons and inventors, Kevin Foley, M.D., Reginald Davis, M.D., and Antonio Castellvi, M.D.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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