Technologies

Invention Summary

Pediatric occipitocervical instability can be caused by a wide variety of traumatic, congenital, or developmental problems. Not infrequently, an occipitocervical fusion is required for treatment of instability. While rigid occipitocervical instrumentation for craniovertebral instability has gained acceptance for use in pediatric patients; most of the instrumentation has been modified from adult-sized hardware. Surgeons at the University of Utah Department of Neurosurgery have developed a one-piece occipital-cervical plate, the Wasatch loop system, as a novel internal fixation device, designed specifically for use in children who have posttraumatic or congenital occipitocervical instability.

Value Proposition

• Configured specifically for use in pediatric patients

• Less need for augmentation with external devices (i.e., halo orthosis) following surgery

• Demonstrated to be safe and effective for managing occipitocerviacl instability in the pediatric population

Market Opportunity

The device has broad application for occipital-cervical fixation, with 500 surgical cases being performed per year in pediatric patients alone.