PORTAGE, Mich. – Stryker, a medical technologies company, has announced that its OptaBlate basivertebral nerve ablation system (OptaBlate BVN) received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. OptaBlate BVNA is used in a targeted minimally invasive procedure providing vertebrogenic pain relief. The addition of the OptaBlate BVN to Stryker’s pain portfolio expands its advanced pain therapy solutions for patients and is an intersection of its two core competencies: radiofrequency ablation technology and vertebral access.
"We often see patients with chronic low back pain who have tried multiple treatments—physical therapy, injections, medications—without lasting relief," said Dr. Jad Khalil, Spine Surgeon at Michigan Orthopaedic Surgeons. "BVNA is a minimally invasive and innovative procedure that targets a key source of this pain, particularly in patients with specific MRI findings. Before BVNA, options for lasting relief were limited. For many, it offers meaningful improvement and can help avoid more aggressive treatments like surgery."
Key features of the system include:
- Achieves at least a 1 cm lesion in 7 minutes.
- Steerable, dynamic curved introducer for targeted performance.
- Microinfusion technology, which keeps the zone hydrated, reducing impedance errors and preventing charring.
- 10-gauge access tools.
