SINTEA BIOTECH PLS MULTI-AXIAL SCREWS, MODEL PLS.XX.T5.X
K060513 · Sintea Biotech, Inc. · KWP · Mar 10, 2006 · Orthopedic
Device Facts
Record ID
K060513
Device Name
SINTEA BIOTECH PLS MULTI-AXIAL SCREWS, MODEL PLS.XX.T5.X
Applicant
Sintea Biotech, Inc.
Product Code
KWP · Orthopedic
Decision Date
Mar 10, 2006
Decision
SESE
Submission Type
Special
Regulation
21 CFR 888.3050
Device Class
Class 2
Attributes
Therapeutic
Indications for Use
The Sintea Posterior Lumbar System is a posterior, nonpedicle screw system of the noncervical spine indicated for degenerative disc disease (defined as back pain of discogenic origin with degeneration of the disc confirmed by history and radiographic studies), spondylolisthesis, fracture, tumor, pseudoarthrosis, and failed previous fusion. The Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System is a pedicle screw system intended to provide immobilization and stabilization of spinal segments in skeletally mature patients as an adjunct to fusion in the treatment of the following acute and chronic instabilities or deformities of the thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spine: degenerative spondylolisthesis with objective evidence of neurological impairment, fracture, dislocation, scoliosis, kyphosis, spinal tumor, and failed previous fusion (pseudarthrosis). The Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System is a pedicle screw system indicated for the treatment of severe spondylolisthesis (Grades 3 and 4) of the L5-SI vertebra in skeletally mature patients receiving fusion by autogenous bone graft having implants attached to the lumbar and sacral spine (L3 to sacrum) with removal of the implants after the attainment of a solid fusion.
Device Story
The Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System Sunflower II is a multi-axial pedicle screw system used by spinal surgeons in clinical settings to provide spinal stabilization and immobilization. The device consists of screws and rods designed to facilitate fusion in the non-cervical spine. The Sunflower II modification allows the screw head to accommodate both 5mm and 5.5mm diameter rods, providing up to 25 degrees of angulation in any direction to accommodate patient anatomy. The system is implanted during surgery to stabilize spinal segments; it is intended for removal after a solid fusion mass develops. The device provides mechanical support to the spine, helping to correct deformities or stabilize fractures, thereby potentially reducing pain and improving patient outcomes in cases of severe instability.
Clinical Evidence
No clinical data provided. Substantial equivalence is supported by biomechanical studies demonstrating the device is safe and effective for its intended use as a spinal fixation system.
Technological Characteristics
Multi-axial pedicle screw system; materials identical to predicate (implant alloy); allows 25 degrees of angulation; accommodates 5mm and 5.5mm rods; locking mechanism modified by removing external ring; mechanical fixation via screw-rod construct.
Indications for Use
Indicated for skeletally mature patients requiring spinal immobilization/stabilization as an adjunct to fusion for thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spine conditions including degenerative spondylolisthesis with neurological impairment, fracture, dislocation, scoliosis, kyphosis, spinal tumor, pseudarthrosis, failed previous fusion, and severe (Grade 3-4) L5-S1 spondylolisthesis. Also indicated for non-pedicle use in degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, and spinal deformities.
Regulatory Classification
Identification
A spinal interlaminal fixation orthosis is a device intended to be implanted made of an alloy, such as stainless steel, that consists of various hooks and a posteriorly placed compression or distraction rod. The device is implanted, usually across three adjacent vertebrae, to straighten and immobilize the spine to allow bone grafts to unite and fuse the vertebrae together. The device is used primarily in the treatment of scoliosis (a lateral curvature of the spine), but it also may be used in the treatment of fracture or dislocation of the spine, grades 3 and 4 of spondylolisthesis (a dislocation of the spinal column), and lower back syndrome.
Predicate Devices
Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System Multi-axial Screw and Recovery Screw with Ring (K043355)
Submission Summary (Full Text)
{0}------------------------------------------------
# MAR 1 0 2006
# 510(k) SUMMARY
# Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System Sunflower II Multi-axial Screw
Prepared February 13, 2006
Trade Name: Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System Multi-axial Screw Common Name: Spinal Interlaminal Fixation Orthosis Classification Name(s): Spinal Interlaminal Fixation Orthosis; Spondylolisthesis Spinal Fixation Device System Class II; and Pedicle Screw Spinal System Class II. Classification(s): § 888.3050 - Spinal Interlaminal Fixation Orthosis; 888.3070 -Spondylolisthesis Spinal Fixation Device System class II; and 888.3070 - Pedicle Screw Spinal System class II. Device Class: Class II for all requested indications Classification Panel: Orthopedic Device Panel Product Code(s): KWP, MNH, MNI
Applicant Name & Address: Sintea Biotech, Inc. 407 Lincoln Road Suite 10L Miami Beach, FL 33139 (305) 673-6226 FAX (305) 673-3312
Company Contact: Mr. Gustavo A. Rios Sintea Biotech Inc. 407 Lincoln Road Miami Beach, FL 33139 (305) 673-6226 FAX (305) 673-3312
Predicate Device:
As a special 510(k) submission, the predicate device to which we are claiming equivalence is our own product, Sintea Biotech's Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System Multi-axial Screw and Recovery Screw with Ring. This special 510(k) submission represents a modification to the predicate, in that the Sunflower Multi-axial screw has been modified to be a multi-axial screw which holds both 5mm and 5.5mm rods, both rods are within the already FDA cleared range.
{1}------------------------------------------------
ـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ
ੀ ﺎ
## Description of Device Modification:
This submission is intended to address a line extension to the Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System. The extension consists of the addition of a multi-axial screw (Sunflower II) which holds 5mm and 5.5mm diameter rods. Both rod diameters are within the already FDA cleared range.
## Intended Use and Indications for Use:
The Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System is intended for use in the non-cervical spine.
· As a posterior pedicle screw system: degenerative spondylolisthesis, fracture, dislocation, scoliosis, kyphosis, spinal tumor, pseudarthrosis, severe spondylolisthesis of L5-S1, autogenous bone graft, lumbar/sacral attachment, removal after solid fusion mass develops.
· As a posterior non-pedicle screw system: degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, spinal deformities (scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis), fracture, pseudarthrosis, tumors, unsuccessful previous attempts at spinal fusion.
#### Device Description:
The PLS Sunflower II screws are available with the same material, shape, fillet, diameters and length of PLS Sunflower screws (K043355). They have the same characteristics as PLS Sunflower Multi-axial screws with the exception that the Sunflower II holds both 5mm and 5.5mm diameter rods instead of only 5mm rods, both sizes fall under an already FDA cleared range.
The locking mechanism of the PLS Sunflower II is the same as the PLS Sunflower Multiaxial screw (K043355) with the exception of the external ring in the locking cap. The external ring in the SUNFLOWER locking cap did not contribute to the mechanical stability of the system, therefore, its absence in the Sunflower II Screw will make the system easier to use intraoperatively.
The PLS Multi-axial Sunflower II screws are made of the same material as the PLS Multi-axial Sunflower screws. The somatic thread is the same as the thread of the PLS standard screws. The lengths and diameters of the multi-axial screws are the same as the lengths and diameters of the PLS standard screws. The design of this screw allows for up to 25 degrees of angulation in any direction to accommodate different anatomic conditions.
Please refer to the body of this submission for an extensive description of the Sunflower II multi-axial screw.
## Statement of Technological Comparison:
The subject components share the same materials of construction, intended use and basic design characteristics as the predicate device.
{2}------------------------------------------------
## Summary Basis for Equivalence and Comparison Table:
Biomechanical studies conducted on the Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System Sunflower II multi-axial screw implant construct demonstrate that the device system is safe, effective, and suitable for use as a spinal fixation device system. Based on the available information concerning the referenced comparison devices (the Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System), these devices are similar in that:
- The devices have the same intended use and indications for use; .
- The devices are made of the same implant alloy; and .
- The devices have similar form, function, components, instruments, . dimensions, geometry and features.
#### Performance Standards:
Food and Drug Administration mandated Performance Standards for Spinal Interlaminal Fixation Orthosis, Spondylolisthesis Spinal Fixation Device System Class II, and Pedicle Screw Spinal System Class II devices are not in effect. Sintea Biotech, Inc. intends to comply with all voluntary Performance Standards applicable to the Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System. At the present time, various performance standards such as ASTM, ISO, QSR/GMP and in-house SOP standards are used. Sintea Biotech, Inc. also complies with the general controls authorized under Sections 501, 502, 510, 516, 518, 519 and 520 of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. In addition, Sintea Biotech, Srl., which is the location of the manufacturing facility for this device, has earned the CE Mark (number 0546) using the ISO 9001 quality system model, and is in good standing with IQNet, their international certification body.
## Special Controls:
Posterior Lumbar Systems must comply with the following special controls:
- (i) Compliance with material standards,
- Compliance with mechanical testing standard, (ii)
- Compliance with biocompatibility standard, and (iii)
- Labeling which contains the following statements in addition to other appropriate (iv) labeling information:
#### Labeling:
The Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System discussed in this premarket notification will be manufactured by Sintea Biotech, Inc. and labeled as such. The system will be marketed exclusively to healthcare facilities and physicians. In addition, FDA requirements stipulate that the following additional labeling warnings be provided:
#### Warnings:
· When used as a pedicle screw system, this device system is intended only for grade 3 or 4 spondylolisthesis at the fifth lumbar-first sacral vertebral (L5-S1) vertebral joint.
{3}------------------------------------------------
પ
P: 45
પ
· The screws of this device system are not intended for insertion into the pedicles to facilitate spinal fusions above the L5-S1 joint.
· Benefit of spinal fusions utilizing any pedicle screw fixation system has not been adequately established in patients with stable spines.
· Potential risks identified with the use of this device system, which may require additional surgery, include: device component fracture, loss of fixation, non-union, fracture of the vertebra, neurological injury, and vascular or visceral injury.
· The safety and effectiveness of pedicle screw spinal systems have been established only for spinal conditions with significant mechanical instability or deformity requiring fusion with instrumentation. These conditions are significant mechanical instability or deformity of the thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spine secondary to degenerative spondylolisthesis with objective evidence of neurological impairment, fracture, dislocation, scoliosis, kyphosis, spinal tumor, and failed previous fusion (pseudarthrosis). The safety and effectiveness of these devices for any other conditions are unknown.
· Precaution: The implantation of pedicle screw spinal systems should be performed only by experienced spinal surgeons with specific training in the use of this pedicle screw spinal system because this is a technically demanding procedure presenting a risk of serious injury to the patient.
See Warnings and Precautions, and Other Potential Adverse Effects section of the package insert for a complete list of potential risks.
# CAUTION: Federal law (USA) restricts these devices to sale by or on the order of a physician.
## Surgical Technique:
The surgical approach of the Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System is enclosed in the body of this submission.
CAUTION: Mixing of dissimilar metals can accelerate the corrosion process. The components of this system must NOT be used with implants of other material in building a construct. Components of the Sintea Biotech Posterior Cervical Plates System should NOT be used with components from any other system or manufacturer.
{4}------------------------------------------------
Image /page/4/Picture/1 description: The image shows the seal of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The seal features a stylized eagle with three lines representing its wings and head. The text "DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - USA" is arranged in a circular pattern around the eagle.
Food and Drug Administration 9200 Corporate Boulevard Rockville MD 20850
MAR 1 0 2006
Sintea Biotech, Inc. c/o Mr. Gustavo A. Rios Product Specialist 407 Lincoln Road, Suite 10L Miami Beach, Florida 33139
Re: K060513
Trade/Device Name: Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System with Multi-axial Screw Regulation Number: 21 CFR 888.3050 Regulation Name: Spinal interlaminal fixation orthosis Regulatory Class: II Product Code: KWP, MNH, MNI Dated: February 13, 2006 Received: February 27, 2006
Dear Mr. Rios:
We have reviewed your Section 510(k) premarket notification of intent to market the device referenced above and have determined the device is substantially equivalent (for the indications for use stated in the enclosure) to legally marketed predicate devices marketed in interstate commerce prior to May 28, 1976, the enactment date of the Medical Device Amendments, or to devices that have been reclassified in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Act) that do not require approval of a premarket approval application (PMA). You may, therefore, market the device, subject to the general controls provisions of the Act. The general controls provisions of the Act include requirements for annual registration, listing of devices, good manufacturing practice, labeling, and prohibitions against misbranding and adulteration.
If your device is classified (see above) into either class II (Special Controls) or class III (PMA), it may be subject to such additional controls. Existing major regulations affecting your device can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Parts 800 to 898. In addition, FDA may publish further announcements concerning your device in the Federal Register.
Please be advised that FDA's issuance of a substantial equivalence determination does not mean that FDA has made a determination that your device complies with other requirements of the Act or any Federal statutes and regulations administered by other Federal agencies. You must comply with all the Act's requirements, including, but not limited to: registration and listing (21 CFR Part 807); labeling (21 CFR Part 801); good manufacturing practice requirements as set
{5}------------------------------------------------
# Page 2 - Mr. Gustavo A. Rios
forth in the quality systems (QS) regulation (21 CFR Part 820); and if applicable, the electronic product radiation control provisions (Sections 531-542 of the Act); 21 CFR 1000-1050. This letter will allow you to begin marketing your device as described in your Section 510(k) premarket notification. The FDA finding of substantial equivalence of your device to a legally marketed predicate device results in a classification for your device and thus, permits your device to proceed to the market.
If you desire specific advice for your device on our labeling regulation (21 CFR Part 801), please contact the Office of Compliance at (240) 276-0120. Also, please note the regulation entitled, "Misbranding by reference to premarket notification" (21CFR Part 807.97). You may obtain other general information on your responsibilities under the Act from the Division of Small Manufacturers, International and Consumer Assistance at its toll-free number (800) 638-2041 or (301) 443-6597 or at its Internet address http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/dsma/dsmamain.html
Sincerely yours.
Hubert Lenoir
Mark N. Melkerson Acting Director Division of General, Restorative and Neurological Devices Office of Device Evaluation Center for Devices and Radiological Health
Enclosure
{6}------------------------------------------------
Indications for Use
510(k) Number (if known):
Device Name: Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System with Multi-axial Screw.
Indications for Use:
The Sintea Posterior Lumbar System is a posterior, nonpedicle screw system of the noncervical spine indicated for degenerative disc disease (defined as back pain of discogenic origin with degeneration of the disc confirmed by history and radiographic studies), spondylolisthesis, fracture, tumor, pseudoarthrosis, and failed previous fusion.
The Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System is a pedicle screw system intended to provide immobilization and stabilization of spinal segments in skeletally mature patients as an adjunct to fusion in the treatment of the following acute and chronic instabilities or deformities of the thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spine: degenerative spondylolisthesis with objective evidence of neurological impairment, fracture, dislocation, scoliosis, kyphosis, spinal tumor, and failed previous fusion (pseudarthrosis).
The Sintea Biotech Posterior Lumbar System is a pedicle screw system indicated for the treatment of severe spondylolisthesis (Grades 3 and 4) of the L5-SI vertebra in skeletally mature patients receiving fusion by autogenous bone graft having implants attached to the lumbar and sacral spine (L3 to sacrum) with removal of the implants after the attainment of a solid fusion.
Prescription Use X (Part 21 CFR 801 Subpart D)
Page _ l_ of _ l
(Posted February 13th, 2006)
AND/OR
Over-The-Counter Use (21 CFR 801 Subpart C)
(PLEASE DO NOT WRITE BELOW THIS LINE-CONTINUE ON ANOTHER PAGE OF NEEDED)
Concurrence of CDRH, Office of Device Evaluation (ODE)
DE)
ision Sign Off
Division of General, Restorative, ୍ତା Neurological Devices
510(k) Number K060513
Predicate graph will load when search results are available.
Embedding visualization will load when search results are available.
PDF viewer will load when search results are available.
Loading panels...
Select an item from Submissions
Click any panel, subpart, regulation, product code, or device to see details here.
Section Matches
Results will appear here.
Product Code Matches
Results will appear here.
Special Control Matches
Results will appear here.
Loading collections...
Loading
My Alerts
You will receive email notifications based on the filters and frequency you set for each alert.
Sort by:
Create Alert
Search Filters
Agent Token
Create a read-only bearer token for Claude, ChatGPT, or other agents that can call HTTP APIs.
Copy this now. It will not be shown again.
Connected apps
Apps you authorized through browser sign-in. Disconnecting revokes their access immediately.
Learn the FDA Browser
Two short videos show you everything — or skip straight to the written tutorial if you'd rather read. You can reopen this any time from the Tutorial button in the top bar.
Part 1 — Search, results, and everyday workflows 16 min
Part 2 — Embeddings: the galaxy map 3 min
1. Search: exact and fuzzy
Type a phrase like "coronary artery calcification" into the search box. You get two kinds of results. Exact results match the literal phrase — prefix searches work ("coronary artery calcificati") but suffix searches do not. Fuzzy results match on the meaning and intent of your phrase rather than the exact words, and are sorted by relevance score. Hover over the Exact or Fuzzy badge on any row to see exactly why it matched.
Use the checkboxes above the results to narrow: SaMD keeps only software-only devices, AI / ML keeps only devices with AI.
Exact vs. fuzzy search: what's the difference?
Exact matches on the literal phrase (prefix search works, suffix does not). Fuzzy matches on the meaning and intent of the phrase rather than the exact words. Hover over the badge on any row to see why it matched.
You search "coronary artery calcification" and want only software devices with AI. What two filters do you apply?
Narrow by SaMD (software-only devices), then narrow by AI/ML (devices with AI).
2. The results table
Scroll right in the results table. The intended use is extracted for you — no need to open the PDF. The device story gives a high-level snapshot of what the device does and how it's used. The AI Performance sub-table shows each output name, acceptance criteria, observed values, and development/test dataset descriptions — the same format Innolitics uses for regulatory strategy outputs, and the fastest high-level fingerprint of an AI device. It is AI-generated but has been very reliable in practice.
Where do you find a device's intended use without opening the PDF?
Scroll right in the search results table. The intended use column is extracted for you; no need to dig into the 510(k) summary PDF.
What does the AI Performance sub-table show, and why is it useful?
Output name, acceptance criteria, observed values, development dataset description, and test dataset description. It's the same format we use for regulatory strategy output and Fast 510(k) input, and the fastest high-level fingerprint of an AI device. AI-generated but reliable in practice.
3. Judging fuzzy relevance
Fuzzy results trail off in relevance as you scroll. Use three signals to decide how far down to go: the fuzzy badge explanations, the intended use column, and whether your target output (e.g., Cobb angle) still appears in the AI Performance sub-table. Once it stops appearing, you're past the relevant zone. A top hit with a low score (~0.4) and a stretched explanation is a hint the closest predicates are far away — the project may be headed for De Novo. Note the fuzzy search is a pattern match: it doesn't handle negation ("not") well, and hardware devices can appear — filter by SaMD/AI ML to cut them.
How do you judge how far down fuzzy search results to go?
Use the relevancy signals: the fuzzy badge explanations, the intended use column, and whether the target output (e.g., Cobb angle) still appears in the AI Performance sub-table. Once it stops appearing, results are trailing off in relevancy.
4. Device detail page: chat and citations
Click a device name to open its detail page: device facts on the left, a chat window on the right. Ask something like "Describe the training data". The answer carries little citation bubbles — click one to jump to the highlighted passage in the source PDF, so you can verify every AI answer against the document. There's also a Download PDF button for sharing.
How do you verify an AI chat answer on the device detail page?
Click the citation bubbles to jump to the relevant highlight in the source document.
Reading rule for every project: how many summaries do you read in full?
At least the three most relevant 510(k) or De Novo summaries, in full. After that, use targeted chat questions to confirm your memory quickly. The tool supports this professional habit — it doesn't replace it.
5. Side-by-side comparison
Select multiple rows in the results table (aim for under ~10), then open the PDF Viewer tab. Ask one question — it goes to all selected devices in parallel, each with citations. This is the fastest way to compare and contrast devices: training data, PCCP scope, how they handled adding new scanners, and so on.
What does the side-by-side PDF viewer mode do?
Select multiple devices, open the PDF viewer tab, and ask one question (e.g., "Describe the training data"). It queries all selected devices simultaneously with citations, so you can compare and contrast quickly.
6. Collections
With rows selected, go to the Collections tab and create a labeled collection (e.g., "Cobb Angle Project"). Reload that selection any time — before a client call, pull up the collection and ask questions across all of its devices at once.
How do you save a set of selected devices for later use?
Select the rows, go to the Collections tab, and create a labeled collection (e.g., "Cobb Angle Project"). You can reload the selection anytime and carry it into the PDF viewer and other tabs that support selections.
7. Product codes and the regulations tree
Click a product code in the results to jump to it in the regulations tree — identification text, sibling product codes, and devices you can open in a PDF viewer on the right. Click a regulation number to see its identification, special controls, and related product codes. You can also search by product code or regulation number at the top of the tree. Always read the special controls if any exist for your device — it broadens your search and sharpens pre-kickoff research.
What can you do from the regulations tree view?
Browse product codes and regulation numbers, read the identification text and special controls, browse sibling product codes, open device PDFs on the right, and search by product code or regulation number at the top of the tree.
8. Chart view
Click Show Chart and segment by regulation number (or product code) to see which regulations dominate your result set. Clicking a regulation takes you into the regulations tree. Great for spotting that most matches are, say, hardware laparoscopic devices — a cue to go back and filter.
How do you see which regulations dominate a search result set?
Click "Show Chart" and segment by Regulation Number. Clicking a regulation takes you to the regulations tree.
9. The predicate graph
Open the Predicates tab for a family-tree view of predicate relationships. Click a node to trace its parents and children; selections from search carry over pre-selected. Commonly predicated devices are worth reading — a lot of people predicated them for a reason. The visual lineage is also handy on client calls, e.g. to show how a predicate family evolved and justify why your predicate still holds.
In the predicate graph, why are commonly predicated devices worth reading?
A lot of people predicated them for a reason. Clicking a node traces parents and children, and selections from search carry over pre-selected.
10. Embeddings: the galaxy map
The Embeddings tab plots every matching document in a 2-D "galaxy map" where semantically similar devices cluster together. Hover or click clusters to explore, and let AI label the clusters for you. Embeddings beat product codes for grouping: two devices can carry different product codes (LLZ vs. QIH) yet do the same thing — the embedding captures the meaning of the intended use and device story. This is also exactly how retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) works under the hood, and it makes a great visual on client calls.
Try it yourself
Head to the search page and work through a few of these AI/ML fuzzy searches to build intuition: perivascular fat on CT · aortic valve calcification opportunistic screening on noncontrast CT · breast cancer prediction on digital pathology slides · autism detection · gestational age prediction · a hearing aid that can also detect a pulse · foundation model based analysis of ECG · large language models · penetration test. Watch how the relevance scores, intended use, and AI Performance tables tell you when results stop being meaningful.