zLOCK
What is Spinal Fusion?
Disorders of the spine such as degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis (slipped vertebra), and narrowing of the spinal canal (stenosis) may result in severe back and leg pain.
Depending on the severity, spinal fusion surgery may be recommended. The standard fusion procedure typically involves placing pedicle screws and a short rod in the treated segment for spinal stability.
The purpose of these pedicle screws is to form a solid bridge between adjacent vertebrae as a form of stabilization. Placing pedicle screw constructs require at least 4-6 bilateral incisions and may have associated complications due to incorrect positioning. Although the pedicle screw construct is a 30-year-old technology, it still leads the posterior fusion instrumentation market.
We re-imagined
ZygoFix has assessed the current know-how to re-think spinal stability.
Why create an external artificial bridge, when our natural anatomy provides the best bridge?
All we need is to lock the motion in the joint.
The zLOCK unique design embeds the required "bend-ability" to penetrate any joint, adhere to its geometry and provide natural stabilization.
The Technology
with pedicle screws
with zLOCK implants
The zLOCK system is based on a miniature implant that provides uncompromised stability to achieve spinal fusion. The zLOCK implant is inserted inside the joint and anchors into both bones to immobilize motion.
zLOCK’s unique construct, made from rigid titanium, adjusts its shape during implantation to accommodate the challenging synovial joint anatomy and maintains its strength to resist the joint’s applied load.
With zLOCK, the surgeon utilizes the natural construction of the vertebrae to provide spinal stability, and thereby eliminate the need to insert pedicle screws.
Due to its unique design and placement, zLOCK provides numerous advantages:
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No construct - Reducing procedural complexity and simplifying the surgery
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Less incisions - 2 incisions vs. 6 = less trauma
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Non-protruding - The implant does not protrude from the joint, eliminating/reducing tissue agitation
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Porous texture – Enabling efficient bone growth and fusion
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Flexible design – Adjusts to the patients natural anatomy
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MIS - Minimally invasive and suitable for outpatient setting
zLOCK SI
15-25%[1] of lower back pain (LBP) originates from SI dysfunction.
The anatomy of the SI joint is known to change dramatically during our lifetime and there is great variability in its geometry.
zLOCK SI unique design enables to treat SI dysfunction by stabilizing the joint from within, without requiring pre-drilling preparations.
The procedure is simple, quick and eliminates the risk of sacral nerve root injury as encountered with other fusion techniques as well as reduces the risk of entry into the retroperitoneal space.
[1] Sembrano JN, Polly DW. How often is low back pain not coming from the back? Spine. 2009 Jan 1;34(1):E27–32
Intuitive
placement
Simple
procedure
zLOCK Lumbar
Lumbar facet fusion has been utilized in the past for spinal stenosis and facet arthritis (using external facet screw fixation). Its success rate has been reviewed in the literature and demonstrated a high rate in obtaining fusion six months post-op[2].
Lumbar facets endure anatomical changes throughout our life due to joint degeneration, with great variation in shape. This challenging environment makes rigid implants non-relevant for internal joint stabilization. zLOCK's bend-ability provides the only internal joint fixation option.
With great interim clinical results from our ongoing multi-site clinical study, zLOCK lumbar fixation offers a new minimal invasive stabilization option!
[2] S. Rajasekaran, at el.; Translaminar Facetal screw (Magerl’s) fixation; Neurology India 2005 (Vol 53) 523
Lumbar facet fusion has been utilized in the past for spinal stenosis and facet arthritis (using external facet screw fixation). Its success rate has been reviewed in the literature and demonstrated a high rate in obtaining fusion six months post-op[2].
Lumbar facets endure anatomical changes throughout our life due to joint degeneration, with great variation in shape. This challenging environment makes rigid implants non-relevant for internal joint stabilization. zLOCK's bend-ability provides the only internal joint fixation option.
With great interim clinical results from our ongoing multi-site clinical study, zLOCK lumbar fixation offers a new minimal invasive stabilization option!
zLOCK 1 year
post-op. CT
zLOCK Cervical
Posterior cervical fusion is the least invasive and safest method to stabilize and treat spinal stenosis.
Inner cervical facet fixation and fusion is already the surgical method of choice for many surgeons.
zLOCK Cervical enables the use of the same system and simple implantation method and provides the best results.
zLOCK Clinical Experience
The zLOCK system has been in clinical use for lumbar facet fusion since April 2018.
Interim results show a dramatic continuous reduction in back and leg pain.