Surgeons Breathed

Life always confronts us with tests and unpleasant surprises. In a moment, a flood can change everything. In fact, there are many factors that can make life unbearable. A virus can lock us in our home. One wrong decision can cause us to lose all our money. The death of a loved one can drag us into an emotional void. An accident can change our quality of life drastically.

Whatever changes our lives, there is always a solution or a consolation. Technology and our loved ones, or the right combination of both, can always be the solution or offer us a solution. Health is of course paramount. If there is no health, nothing will happen. First life, then life, it must not be a word that was said in vain.

In the health sector, researches that can protect the quality of our lives or solve our health problems have been done for centuries and continue to be done. Today, researchers and scientists are of course much luckier. You ask why? Because, as you can imagine, technology and plastics can offer very different solutions and developments.

The new Creed cannula Screw System for Carbon22 foot and ankle surgery with Zeniva polyetheretherketone (PEEK) resin makes surgeons smile. This advanced new screw system has recently received 510(k) approval from the FDA. To create the new system's ortholucent, plastic-metal hybrid composite, Solvay's implant-grade radiolucent Zeniva PEEK resin is molded onto a titanium core prior to finishing. This high-performance material solution allows the screw to be visualized by x-ray or computed tomography (CT) scanning, allowing the surgeon to accurately assess anatomical details near and behind the implant site without visual distortion or artifact. The new Creed Cannulated screws are manufactured using Carbon22's unique manufacturing technology.

This breakthrough process helps control costs by reducing material waste compared to traditional titanium screws, which generate significant and expensive scrap during machining. In addition, the Carbon22 hybrid provides a more aggressive cutting tip that cannot be achieved with purely PEEK screw designs. “We have worked closely with Carbon22 to provide a strong adhesion to titanium, which is not an inherent property of PEEK,” said Anna Maria Bertasa, Healthcare Global Marketing Manager for Solvay Specialty Polymers. Although full titanium screws are opaque to X-rays and the imaging of all PEEK screws is affected by their diameter, Creed hybrid composite screws allow X-ray penetration into bone. These new screws form an outline that greatly improves the visualization of bony structures. Surgeons can use this feature to confirm screw placement during surgical procedures, check post-operative position, and determine the state of recovery at follow-up appointments. The ability to view screw placement gives surgeons more confidence and can help achieve better patient outcomes.

Opening a new era in the health sector, plastic screws allow both patients and doctors to take a deep breath.