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Corporate Background

Ortho Kinematics, Inc. was founded in 2006 to provide new technology that could potentially enable clinicians to better diagnose back and neck pain. The company’s seasoned entrepreneurs understand the current difficulties in evaluating spine function and how these shortcomings stem from the outdated technology being used. The solution is found in the KineGraph VMA, an automated functional diagnostic system that uses fluoroscopic imaging to create an objective, patient-specific graph of spinal motion to help discern normal from abnormal spinal function and possible determine the source of back pain.

The Problem

Back pain is one of the most prevalent medical issues today. It is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor in the U.S. and affects about 60-80% of adults over their lifetime.1,2 However, it is notoriously difficult to diagnose the anatomic source of the pain. When evaluating back and neck pain patients, clinicians consider the spine’s bony structures, soft tissue, and range of motion to make a diagnosis. Back and neck pain patients are currently diagnosed using a combination of MRI, neutral x-rays, and x-rays taken at the end-range of trunk bending—the latter to evaluate spine motion. By comparing the two films taken at the extremes of bending, the relative change in position between two vertebrae is manually measured. Despite known problems with the end-range x-ray method, it has remained the standard of care for over 60 years.

A major problem with this method is that the human spine is a complex, dynamic system, and its motion cannot be properly analyzed using static x-ray images. Also, the resulting measurements are highly variable, making the results unreliable. In fact, the end-range x-ray method gives inconclusive results in about 85% of cases, cannot discern normal* and abnormal motion, and can only identify the grossest of instabilities.3-8

The Opportunity

The vast numbers of back pain sufferers who are currently inadequately diagnosed, and therefore often inappropriately treated, creates the opportunity for new diagnostic tools. Based solely on the most identifiable costs, Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back problems. Half of the American working population experiences back pain which leads to absenteeism in the workplace and results in a financial loss to our economy.

For other complex systems in the body, doctors use functional diagnostic tests that enable them to visualize performance. For instance, since the 1970’s fluoro has been used to assess cardiac performance—providing a real time view of the heart as it functions. It would be highly unorthodox to diagnose a heart condition using mere snap shots of the organ. Using such sparse data would produce inconclusive results a majority of the time, as is currently seen in today’s approach to identifying dysfunctional spine motion. Thus, there is a need for an improved functional diagnostic test for the spine that fully illustrates spine motion, while at the same time providing more reliable measurement and enabling clinicians to make conclusive results.

The Technology

Ortho Kinematics has developed the KineGraph VMA™--a new functional diagnostic test for the spine that uses fluoroscopy to capture the spine in motion. This technology for measuring motion between the vertebrae outperforms the current end-range x-ray method by standardizing and automating each of its basic steps: patient bending, image acquisition, and image analysis. A key patented innovation of the KineGraph VMA™ is the Motion Normalizer™ device, which provides powered passive trunk bending in either a standing or lying down configuration. As the Motion Normalizer™ bends the trunk through a set range of motion, about 300 fluoro images of the spine are captured at standardized trunk bending angles. Image recognition software locates the vertebrae on each frame, and an algorithm is used to analyze the relative motion of the vertebrae from one frame to the next. The output is the KineGraph™, a plot of the intervertebral motion as a function of degree of trunk bending. The KineGraph™ VMA provides doctors with the first clear view of both the quantity and quality of spine motion available clinically.

The KineGraph VMA™ combines technological upgrades to each step of the standard of care process to provide revolutionary advancements in diagnostic capabilities. By controlling patient bending, capturing images at standardized bending angles, and using automated image analysis software, the KineGraph VMA™ addresses the sources of variability that make the currently-used method unreliable.9-13 Moreover, fluoroscopic imaging of the spine in motion provides a clear view of spine function.

Pilot studies reveal that the KineGraph VMA™ delivers valuable diagnostic capabilities that have been impossible up until now. These include the providing clinicians with the potential to detect currently undetectable conditions and identify normal* motion, thus avoiding missed treatment opportunities and unnecessary surgeries.14,15 Additionally, the KineGraph VMA™ could prove game-changing for device design. There are currently over 70 motion-preserving spine devices, but it is impossible to distinguish among their kinematics in vivo. The rich set of kinematic data from KineGraph VMA™ gives a more complete view of device performance and the effects on adjacent levels, which could lead to more biomechanically appropriate designs. The KineGraph VMA™ provides a view of in vivo spine motion that has been impossible until now, with more reliable measurement giving clinicians the potential to better diagnose and select patients that may improve clinical outcomes for back and neck pain sufferers.

Key Benefits:
  • Reliable measurement and true functional test—a major upgrade to end-range x-rays
  • Fast and non-invasive test, with little or no patient discomfort
  • Delivers valuable new diagnostic capabilities
  • Provides new insights for implant device design
  • Potential for clinicians to improve spine diagnostics and clinical outcomes

The Company

Ortho Kinematics, Inc. is a company of seasoned entrepreneurs dedicated to improving the quality of spine diagnostics testing. Led by founder and CEO Adam Deitz, the leadership of Ortho Kinematics has over 50 years of experience in medical device technology. The team has been involved in the development, marketing, and financial aspects of introducing a new medical technology. This team is determined to bring about a new era in spine diagnostics to give those who suffer from back and neck pain a better chance at finding the problem and coming up with a solution. Ortho Kinematics has established relationships with several investors who share the goal of revolutionizing how doctors diagnose and treat back and neck pain. These investors include PTV Sciences, a venture capital firm focused on supporting healthcare entrepreneurs; GateBridge Investments, a private investment firm seeking to advise and invest in technology companies; and the Emerging Technology Fund of Texas, which was founded by Texas Governor Rick Perry to create jobs and develop the Texas economy by assisting small to mid-sized startup companies. The ultimate goal of Ortho Kinematics and its investors is to replace the current outdated methods of diagnosing back and neck pain with the KineGraph VMA as the premiere spine diagnostic device. With the help of its experienced leadership and its passionate investors, Ortho Kinematics is poised to change the face of spine diagnostics and improve the quality of life of millions of back pain sufferers.

*Normal as used here refers to the statistical norm among a cohort of asymptomatic subjects.


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  14. Breen AC, Muggleton JM, Mellor FE. An Objective Spinal Motion Image Assessment (OSMIA): reliability, accuracy, and exposure data. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2006; 7:1-10
  15. Pilot data on file with Ortho Kinematics, Inc.

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CAUTION: Investigational device, limited by federal (United States) law to investigational use.

Pilot studies suggest this device has the potential to detect an array of spine motion dysfunctions, assess kinematics, and track adjacent level disease; Ortho Kinematics, Inc. is currently conducting a multi-center clinical trial to evaluate and further assess these potential capabilities.