SAN DIEGO, March 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CareFusion , a leading, global medical device company, today announced the launch of the AVAmax(R) Vertebral Balloon, a minimally invasive device for use during kyphoplasty, a procedure for treating spinal compression fractures.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100315/MM67162 )
CareFusion will offer the new AVAmax Vertebral Balloon as part of a system that includes needles, bone cement and delivery instruments for both kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty, giving doctors the choice and flexibility to perform either procedure at the time of patient care.
The AVAmax Vertebral Balloon and the components needed to perform the procedure will be very competitively priced, making the procedure even more accessible for clinicians and their patients. In addition, the AVAmax(R) PLUS vertebral augmentation system, used with the AVAmax Vertebral Balloon to deliver cement, has features that allow the radiologist’s hands to be out of the radiation field, making the procedure safer for the clinician.
Spinal compression fractures are often caused by osteoporosis, a disease of low bone strength that affects an estimated 10 million Americans, resulting in an estimated 700,000 spinal fractures cases that can cause disabling pain, height loss, balance difficulties and a decreased quality of life. In the U.S., approximately 50 percent of women and 25 percent of men over the age of 50 will experience an osteoporosis fracture in their lifetime.
During a kyphoplasty, a small balloon is used to create a cavity in the vertebral body and ultimately deliver bone cement in that cavity. A vertebroplasty does not include the use of a surgical balloon to deliver the bone cement.
CONTACT: Media: Suzanne Hatcher, +1-858-617-2226,
suzanne.hatcher@carefusion.com; Investors: Carol Cox, +1-858-617-2020,
carol.cox@carefusion.com, both of CareFusion Corporation
