Company
Based in Bordeaux, France, BACKBONE designs, develops, manufactures and markets Implantable medical devices for spine surgery. At BACKBONE, we are devoted to creating surgeon-centric innovative & effective motion preservation solutions to treat the root cause of spinal pathologies. Our solutions systematically consider the needs of all stakeholders (Patients, Surgeons, Hospital staff & Payors) for less invasive surgery:
- Smaller incisions
- No or little muscle cutting
- Smooth, easy & fast surgery
- Less blood loss
- Reduced infection risk
- Reduced postoperative pain risk
- Less rehabilitation
- Faster recovery
Backbone is ISO 13485-2016 certified
BACKBONE has a team of spine experts and experimented entrepreneurs
with more than 20 years of experience in this field.
The team has contributed significantly to this industry with the launch of many effective
and successful devices that have become gold standards.
The Scientific Advisory Board at BACKBONE is comprised of internationally renowned French surgeons.
There is certainly a French specificity in spinal surgery and medical devices. Historically, France has been a fertile ground for innovation by virtue of numerous eminent orthopedic surgeons. They have pioneered the research and development of innovative solutions to treat spinal pathologies in late 20th century.
The first head of the orthopedic department of the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, Professor Raymond ROY CAMILLLE, was a pioneer in spinal surgery, with the development and the use of the first pedicle screw in the spine in 19701.
First used in 1983, the “CD instrumentation” (for Cotrel-Dubousset), was developed with orthopedic surgeons Jean Dubousset & Yves Cotrel for treatment of Spinal Scoliosis2. According to the Cotrel Foundation, there has been more than two million patients implanted with CD to date worldwide3.
1 Roy-Camille R, Roy-Camille M, Demeulenaere C. Osteosynthesis of dorsal, lumbar, and lumbosacral spine with metallic plates screwed into vertebral pedicles and articular apophyses. Presse Med. 1970 Jun;78(32):1447–1448.
2 Dubousset J, Cotrel Y. CD-instrumentation in the treatment of spinal deformities.Orthopade. 1989 Apr;18(2):118-27. German.
Father of Dynamic Stabilization, Professor Jacques Sénégas developed and first implanted in 1986 a lumbar motion preservation device with no bony purchase (as provided by pedicle screws) due to the incompatibility of bone fixation and segment mobility1. The device included a titanium interspinous spacer that limited extension while maintaining lumbar lordosis, and a woven polyester artificial ligament to control flexion.
The contribution of these distinguished French surgeons and many others spearheaded the creation of Spinal industry in 1980’s and has established a culture of innovation within the spinal scientific community for generations to come. Although the Spinal medical device industry leaders are mostly Americans, the inventors of some of the most effective devices continue to be French surgeons.
