L&K BIOMED CO., LTD. announced on the 28th that medical staff at Spartanburg Medical Center in South Carolina, U.S., successfully performed a complex four-level Chonbang anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) procedure using the “BluEX-C” height-expandable cervical cage.
This surgery marks the first successful case of a complex, multi-level cervical spine reconstruction using BluEX-C. The case was featured in Becker’s Spine, a U.S. media outlet specializing in spinal care, and served as an opportunity to once again highlight the technical distinctiveness and clinical applicability of BluEX-C.
The company analyzed that BluEX-C’s innovative surgical workflow led to the successful outcome. In particular, a four-level ACDF is a highly complex procedure requiring simultaneous treatment of multiple cervical segments, where precise restoration of intervertebral height, maintenance of cervical alignment, and stable implant fixation are of utmost importance.
However, BluEX-C supports precise height adjustment tailored to the patient’s anatomical characteristics and stable surgery for complex multisegmental procedures through its design, which allows for stepwise height expansion after implantation. Consequently, patient-specific height adjustments in decimal increments—such as 6.3 mm and 6.6 mm per segment—were possible. By evaluating and fine-tuning the biomechanical balance of the entire spine in real time, the team achieved optimal sagittal balance across the entire C3–C7 segment prior to final fixation.
The medical team first removed the damaged discs in the patient’s C3–C7 region via ACDF and then inserted four BluEX-C cages in their unexpanded state. Subsequently, they applied a method of sequentially expanding the cage height intraoperatively while verifying the position of each implant.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Christopher Chittum, an American spine specialist with extensive clinical experience in treating cervical and lumbar spine conditions and in the field of minimally invasive surgery, who specializes in treating complex and high-risk spinal conditions. Dr. Chittum stated, stated, “In multilevel cervical fusion, consistent implant performance and precise placement at each segment are critical.” He added, “By inserting each BluEX-C cage to the height required for the patient and then expanding it with precision down to the decimal point, we were able to achieve optimal cervical alignment and stability. Even in complex cases, this approach provided a level of maneuverability and precise control that we had not previously experienced.”
An L&K BIOMED CO., LTD. official remarked, “The fact that U.S. medical professionals are actively adopting BluEX-C for highly complex multisegmental surgeries is a testament to our technological capabilities and product reliability,” adding, “Since multisegmental surgeries involve an increased number of implants per procedure, they represent a high-value-added market where we can simultaneously maximize revenue and profitability per case.”
The spokesperson added, “We plan to continue strengthening our high-value-added product portfolio, centered on BluEX-C, to further enhance our competitiveness in the global market.”
