strykerStryker Interventional Spine reports that it has launched and gained the clearance of 501(k) for the Venom RF Cannula and Venom Electrode combination, and the 11g iVAS Balloon System. The Venom RF Cannula and Venom Electrode are designed to provide effective and minimally invasive treatment for facet joint pain. The company adds that the launch of its 11g iVAS Balloon System, reportedly one of the less invasive augmentation options available on the market, addresses the surgical trend of shifting toward less invasive treatment options. The Venom cannula and electrode features a “v” shaped active tip, engineered to increase the lesion volume and provide enhanced configuration in order to target lesion zones. Aaron Calodney, MD, Texas Spine and Joint, notes that it is not the target for radiofrequency lesioning that is key, it is the volume. “It’s important to produce a lesion that fills the target zone,” Calodney explains. Stryker states that on average, the 20-gauge Venom electrode and cannula combination generated a lesion of 92% greater volume than the 20-gauge standard RF cannula, and the 18-gauge Venom cannula generated a lesion of 76% greater volume than the 18-gauge standard RF cannula. The 11g iVAS Balloon System features a 20% smaller cross-sectional area than a traditional 10g system and a 47% smaller cross-sectional area than the original 8g vertebral augmentation equipment. For more information visit www.StrykerIVS.com Source: Stryker