SonicWeld Rx® is a revolutionary technique for use in craniomaxillofacial osteosynthesis. It combines highly advanced ultrasound technology with resorbable implants to provide extremely stable fixation and completely eliminate the need for a second operation.
The procedure is simple: resorbable meshes, plates or membranes are heated up, shaped to fit the application site and then fixed in place with SonicPins Rx® inserted into predrilled holes. This is done with a sonotrode that liquefies the pins, thus causing them to bond with the meshes, plates or membranes and penetrate into the bone cavities to anchor themselves securely.
This procedure is not only clinically proven and validated, but also impresses with its patient-friendliness. The implants are hydrolytically degraded in a controlled manner. SonicWeld Rx® is primarily stable, easy and practical to use, fast and safe. It is ideally suited for anchorage in the cranial region and represents the ideal indication for pediatric trauma patients and cancellous bone structures.
The Resorb x implant system by Gebrüder Martin is intended for surgical procedures which require internal fixation by absorbable implants for aligning, reconstructing and stabilizing bone tissue. For example:
Our resorbable polymers PDLLA and PLLA-PGA, have been well-established in craniomaxillofacial surgery.
Both resorbables maintain the majority of their strength for 8-10 weeks, allowing complete fracture healing and bone regeneration.
The core of the degradation process: The complex polymer chains absorb the water contents (H2O molecules) of surrounding body fluids through a process called “hydrolysis”. The stored water initiates the degradation process by continuously breaking down the long polymer chains into ever shorter structures or simpler molecules. Metabolic pathways subsequently transform the molecules into carbon dioxide and water; both of these compounds are discharged naturally.
Each of our resorbable implants is manufactured under clean room conditions and only packaged after 100% visual inspection. This is how we ensure the highest patient safety.
Before delivery, all resorbable implants are gamma-sterilized, which is why they are always ready for immediate use intraoperatively.
The materials (Resorb x and Resorb xG) are compatible and can therefore be freely combined as desired. This allows you to offer each patient the best possible and individually tailored treatment.
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Possible augmentation techniques
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The Xcelsior water bath is used to warm resorbable implants (plates, meshes and membranes; e.g. Resorb x) or other thermoplastic materials from the KLS Martin Group in sterile surgical operations. This warming process allows the materials to be shaped to each patient’s specific anatomy.
The battery-powered BOS drill provides a comprehensive flexible and universally applicable drilling system. Drilling is performed within seconds (torque up to approx. 0.7 Nm). Time-consuming recharging or maintenance of the batteries is eliminated with the single-use sterile battery pack, which is clicked into place immediately prior to intraoperative use, ensuring consistent and lasting performance in any OR.
Single-use aluminum templates allow the user to manually define the contour of the bone surface which can later be applied to the implant. This way, the use of implants that do not fit and frequent remodeling can be avoided.
"As a long-time practitioner in the field of craniofacial surgery, I have been using the SonicWeld Rx® system since 2010 – primarily for the surgical correction of children with craniosynostosis. Over more than a decade of continuous use, this ultrasound-assisted, resorbable osteosynthesis technology has proven to be exceptionally effective in my clinical practice.
Its technical simplicity, minimal thermal load, the fact that implant removal is unnecessary, and its excellent primary stability make SonicWeld Rx® an especially suitable method for pediatric craniofacial surgery. Young patients in particular benefit from an osteosynthetic system that fully resorbs while optimally supporting postoperative healing.
We have also been able to substantiate our positive experiences scientifically in recent years. Several clinical studies – which we have successfully published – have impressively confirmed the reliability, safety, and effectiveness of this method.
Based on these results, I am convinced that SonicWeld Rx® currently represents the gold standard in the surgical treatment of craniosynostosis – both functionally and aesthetically. It combines modern material technology with a minimally invasive approach that is especially well suited to the needs of craniofacial procedures in children.
My heartfelt congratulations on the 50th anniversary of KLS Martin in oral and maxillofacial surgery!"
During “welding” there is a maximum rise in temperature of circa 11 °C (51.8 °F). This “heat” is only developed in seconds and therefore leaves no long-term harm to the bone structures due to necrosis.
No, as the pin “melts” into a bone hole and becomes a union with the plate a removal of the pin is not possible. In cases of wrongly positioned pins resulting in unstable plate fixation it is possible to drill another hole over the initial position of the pin and insert an extra pin. Both SonicPins Rx® pins will resorb eventually.
Yes. SonicPins Rx® are available in 1.6 mm and 2.1 mm diameter and are compatible with all Resorb x and xG plates, meshes and membranes independent of their sizes and plate profiles. They can be combined freely.
We recommend a heating for 15-30 seconds in a temperature between 70–90 °C (158–194 °F). This can be repeated three times per plate.
No. Our material cannot be seen in X-Rays. It is "translucent". Therefore, a missing implant in the scans is no proof for an absorbed implant.
Yes. Our resorbable implants Resorb x and Resorb xG are all made out of non-magnetic polymers. Therefore, a magnetic reaction in the MRI is not expected. We are not aware of any problematic cases.