January 27, 2026 – SC MEDICA today announced a world first: the successful fully percutaneous, tubeless facet cage arthrodesis. SC MEDICA’s FFX® Facet FiXation system was used to treat facetogenic low back pain.
Low back pain is the most common pain syndrome and an enormous burden for society. Spinal facet joints are responsible for up to 45% of chronic low back pain cases (Perolat et al., 2018). Facet arthrodesis, which mechanically fuses these joints by implanting an intrafacet device called a facet cage, can block the pain generator in patients with facetogenic low back pain.
The procedure took place at the Hôpitaux Civils de Colmar (France), in collaboration between the Neurosurgery department, led by Dr. R. Srour, and the Neuroradiology department, led by Dr. P.A. Lebedinsky. Conducted by Dr. F. Bolognini and Dr. R. Srour, this procedure represents a major advancement in truly minimally invasive spine surgery.
Contrary to traditional minimally invasive surgeries using tubes (MIS), a fully percutaneous, tubeless approach reduces the size of the incision to the absolute minimum required for device insertion, while minimizing muscle dissection and soft-tissue damage.
Dr. Robin Srour, head of the Neurosurgery department and co-inventor of the FFX® system, declared: “With advances in imaging technologies, we can now treat facetogenic patients who do not require concomitant decompression in the least invasive way. Advanced imaging guidance replaces direct visual control and secures device placement. It also paves the way for enabling percutaneous posterior supplemental facet stabilization in anterior interbody procedures (ALIF).”
This achievement fully reflects SC MEDICA’s MiNVI concept – treating patients with the Minimum Necessary Volume of Instrumentation. With more than 14,000 implantations worldwide to date, FFX® stabilizes the posterior column through bilateral facet joint immobilization, simplifying the surgical workflow, reducing operative time, and lowering surgical morbidity compared with conventional fixation systems*.
About SC MEDICA
SC MEDICA, founded in 2015, is the leading facet arthrodesis company dedicated to providing innovative solutions for back-pain control and spinal fusion.
With a commitment to excellence and innovation, SC MEDICA aims to raise awareness of the role of facet joints in a large number of spinal conditions and to establish FFX® facet arthrodesis as a new gold standard in posterior stabilization.
* For more information about SC MEDICA’s FFX® device, visit www.sc-medica.com