The technologies behind our implants
Each technology answers a specific surgical problem. This page explains what each one is, where we use it and why.
Silver antibacterial coating
Implant-related infection remains one of the most difficult complications of spinal instrumentation. SILVER carries a silver coating on the titanium alloy implants of a posterior thoracolumbar system, intended to reduce the risk of infection. The coating is applied by our own patented process. Silver has been on the spine since 2007, with more than 340,000 silver-coated implants used, and SILVER has been studied independently at the IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli in Bologna. The construct is a standard pedicle screw and rod system, so the surgical technique does not change.
Trabecular titanium
Our trabecular cages are built layer by layer from titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V ELI) by selective laser melting. The process allows an open, interconnected lattice modelled on the structure of cancellous bone, which a machined cage cannot have, together with an open central volume for graft material.
PEEK interbody cages with tantalum markers
PEEK is radiolucent, so the fusion bed can be assessed on postoperative imaging without metal artefact. Because PEEK itself is invisible on fluoroscopy, tantalum markers are embedded in the cage to show its position during and after insertion. Serrated surfaces are designed to resist migration.
Titanium plasma and hydroxyapatite coating
Cementless hip components rely on biological fixation to bone. The HECTOR cementless stem carries a titanium plasma spray with a hydroxyapatite layer over the full stem, the coating combination used for press-fit fixation in cementless arthroplasty.
Multi-lead pedicle screw threads
A screw with two or four thread starts advances two or four pitches per turn, so fewer turns are needed to seat it. QUATRO and RAPIDFIX use quad-lead and dual-lead threads with a self-tapping tip, and the polyaxial screws are colour-coded by diameter so the right size is identified on the tray.
Anatomically contoured locking plates
Each PIONEER plate is pre-contoured to the region it is designed for, which reduces intraoperative bending. Locking screws create a fixed-angle construct that does not depend on plate-to-bone compression, intended for metaphyseal and osteoporotic bone; cortical screws remain available where compression is wanted.
Instruments designed with the implant
Every technology above reaches the patient through an instrument set. We design and manufacture our instrument sets alongside the implants, so that a change in one is matched in the other.