IRVING, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–USMD Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: USMD), a physician-led integrated healthcare system, announced today that Jacob Rosenstein, M.D., an active staff member of USMD Hospital at Arlington, became the first surgeon in the world to implant an Arena-C® HA with PEEK-OPTIMA® HA Enhanced. This cervical spinal implant is designed to provide mechanical stability and quicker healing for patients who need spine surgery. Dr. Rosenstein completed the surgery on March 11, 2015, at USMD Hospital at Arlington.
The Arena-C HA with PEEK-OPTIMA HA Enhanced, which is manufactured by SpineFrontier®, is a spinal implant device that is produced with a revolutionary new biomaterial to enhance spinal fusion technology. Dr. Rosenstein utilized the implant in an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion procedure to treat a patient who was suffering from spinal cord compression and myelopathy as a result of degenerative disc disease that was producing severe cervical stenosis.
PEEK-OPTIMA HA Enhanced shares all of the properties of PEEK-OPTIMA Natural, which aids in stabilizing the cervical spine, but it has been compounded with hydroxyapatite (HA), a naturally occurring compound in bony structures. HA promotes the formation of a direct interface between the implant and bone, without intervening soft tissue. This is the first implant to be made with HA, and was approved for use by the FDA in October 2014. 
“The Arena-C HA with PEEK-OPTIMA is a potential game changer for spinal fusion procedures,” said Jacob Rosenstein, M.D. “By incorporating HA, a naturally occurring compound in bony structures, into the PEEK Cage, fusion rate will improve, as HA promotes direct attachment of the implant to the bone, thus providing added stability and quicker healing. The device also has a tapered design for easier insertion, a large bone graft pocket to promote bone fusion and aggressive teeth to prevent expulsion. This is a great benefit to patients, who will heal faster and more predictably and return to normal activity sooner.”