ARTiC-L is the first implant from Medtronic to be manufactured using the TiONIC Technology 3D printing technique. The implant is made of titanium and designed for surgeons to use in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) spine surgery. The implant’s 3D printed honeycomb design acts as an osteoconductive scaffold for bony growth into the implant and provides improved mechanical load distribution across the implant.
Aside from utilizing TiONIC Technology, ARTiC-L enables a streamlined surgical workflow that requires only one instrument for implant insertion and positioning. The ARTiC-L system is designed to facilitate sagittal alignment of the spine by offering various lordotic angles up to 20 degrees.
TiONIC Technology is a 3D printed technique that creates enhanced surface textures by utilizing a differentiated laser method. Compared with smooth materials, surface texture has been shown to increase osteoconductivity and promote bone response1,2. And unlike traditional manufacturing techniques, the 3D printing process allows for more intricate implant designs such as the honeycomb shape on Medtronic’s recently launched ARTiC-L(TM) Spinal System.
“Surface advancements, like TiONIC Technology, have emerged as a paradigm shift in interbody fusion implants,” said Dr. Colin C. Buchanan, neurosurgeon at the Colorado Brain and Spine Institute, in Aurora, Colo. “Implants utilizing newer surface technology can help stimulate a cellular response and give me greater confidence that the patient will have a successful fusion.”
About Medtronic
Medtronic plc (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is among the world’s largest medical technology, services and solutions companies – alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world. Medtronic employs more than 84,000 people worldwide, serving physicians, hospitals and patients in approximately 160 countries. The company is focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take healthcare Further, Together.
1 Wennerberg, A. and Albrektsson, T. (2009), Effects of titanium surface topography on bone integration: a systematic review. Clinical Oral Implants Research, 20: 172-184.
2 Animal testing is not necessarily indicative of human clinical outcomes.