Hatch Medical, a medical device incubator and technology brokerage firm, has received two U.S. patents for a unique and interesting percutaneous spinal stabilization system. The firm had entered into a joint venture with physician inventor J. Kevin McGraw, M.D., to develop and market his “microinvasive” spinal stabilization technology to spine surgeons everywhere.
Hatch Medical Issued Two Patents

McGraw’s invention is a new, minimally invasive way to stabilize adjacent vertebrae while also preserving patient mobility. The system relies on an image-guided, 10 gauge percutaneous placement of a series of curved stabilization rods which cross-link the adjacent vertebrae.
“We believe our percutaneous system will provide an effective alternative to treat discogenic back pain, ” said McGraw. “Our system permits a fast, efficacious and cost effective option to stabilize and support the targeted region.”
According to company officials, percutaneous, minimally invasive spinal procedures help physicians to significantly improve patient outcomes and cost by reducing recovery time and postoperative pain. “The issuance of these patents is a supportive step in the evolution of next generation spinal stabilization devices, ” said Steven Hvozda, of Hatch Medical. “We’re excited to move aggressively forward with the implementation of our market strategy, ” he said.
The physician founded company was started 13 years ago as an incubator and broker of medical device technologies to help clients sell, license or distribute their medical device assets.

Discussion
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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