Stryker marketing image of the Q Guidance system for spine surgery
The Q Guidance system [Image courtesy of Stryker]

Stryker (NYSE:SYK) announced today that it has launched its Q Guidance system for spine applications.

The FDA cleared the system earlier this year for use in adults, as well as in pediatric patients 13 and up.

The system combines new optical tracking options provided by a redesigned camera. It also includes the sophisticated algorithms of the newly launched Spine Guidance software. The goal is more surgical planning and navigation capability than ever before, according to Stryker.

“The Q Guidance system offers cutting-edge tracking options with its fourth-generation FP8000 camera, and Spine Guidance Software allows for advanced planning and computer-assisted execution,” said Robbie Robinson, president of Stryker’s Spine division.

“With the addition of the Q Guidance system, customers now have access to a robust solution that includes imaging, guidance, and instruments and is fully integrated and designed to meet complex customer needs. In the years to come, our goal is to use the versatility of this system to help advance our technologies across multiple specialties, including cranial, spine, ENT, and orthopedics.”

Dr. Stephen George is the spine surgery director at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and a paid consultant for Stryker. He said he thinks the system simplifies preoperative planning, navigation, and execution. “From what I have seen, the Q Guidance System is a powerful platform that has provided reliability and performance in a solution that is conveniently scalable to a wide array of surgical procedures, ranging from a single-level fusion to a multi-level deformity correction.”

When used with the Airo TruCT scanner, the Spine Guidance Software can minimize time spent intraoperatively planning through its auto segmentation capability, according to George. Health providers can image the patient in the surgical position.