Health & Medical
Restoration hardware
How James Kuras and the AxioMed team are developing new solutions for degenerative spine diseases
By Kaitlin Laubscher
Smart Business Cleveland | September 2007
While the city of Cleveland has attracted plenty of national recognition as the poorest city in America, it has also garnered media
attention for its world-renowned physicians and medical facilities,
such as the Cleveland Clinic. And AxioMed Spine Corp., a developer of spinal technology products, hopes to enhance the city’s
outstanding medical reputation.
In his efforts to do just that, James Kuras, COO and founder of
AxioMed, is working to develop new solutions for restoring native
function to patients with degenerative spine conditions.
In the past, spinal fusion was the only answer to such diseases.
While this process handled the issue of pain, mobility and range of
motion were sacrificed. In its stead, an artificial disk was developed in an attempt to save some of the body’s normal spinal function. Initial designs mirrored the structure of technology used in
hip replacements, with a ball-and-socket structure that allows the
maintenance of motion but prevents the shock-absorbing qualities
of a natural human spine.
Kuras and his team at AxioMed recognized these shortcomings and designed a new artificial disk structure. The new
model, called the Freedom Lumbar Disc, allows a natural
range of spinal motion and minimizes pain for the patient. This
design goes above and beyond the ball-and-socket design as it
restores viscoelastic properties found in the natural disk.
AxioMed sets its technology apart further with patented
materials used in manufacturing the disk. The patented polymer substance is viscoelastic itself, giving the disk the same
properties. The polymer is able to bear many years of wear, giving young patients the opportunity for prolonged motion.
Subcontractors in Berkley, Calif., manufacture the material, but
Kuras is currently working to move production to Cleveland. In
preparation of this move, AxioMed moved into a larger facility
in April 2006 and has worked to secure a loan for future equipment purchases.
Further expansion of the AxioMed Freedom technology is
expected to follow the success of the Freedom Lumbar Disc as
the company is already developing a Freedom Cervical Disc
system, and Kuras predicts an even larger demand for the new
technology.
HOW TO REACH: AxioMed Spine Corp., (216) 587-5566 or www.axiomed.com
