How can BlackArmor® optimize each step of your treatment journey?
It enables your surgeon to optimally manage your perioperative recovery
Your surgeon can better evaluate the surgical outcome, your care providers benefit from simplified postoperative management, and the need for aggressive surgical options decreases as radiation oncology effectively addresses the tumor.
It improves your radiation therapy after surgery
Therapy becomes more targeted and effective with precise dose application to tumor tissue, minimizing exposure of organs at risk, reducing toxicity, and preserving a low risk of radiation myelopathy, while offering safer options like SBRT and proton therapy, and potentially requiring fewer visits.
It improves your follow-up care
Early detection of local tumor recurrence enables more treatment options and reduces emergency situations, while improved MRI quality minimizes the need for invasive examinations like CT myelograms and supports more confident, definitive decision-making.
Surgery
Surgical intervention may be part of your treatment plan. The goal of surgery is often to remove part or all of the tumor, relieve pain, and improve mobility to enhance your quality of life. Up to 10% of patients with symptomatic spinal metastases may benefit from surgery. In many cases, stabilization of the spine is necessary using implants such as medical screws, rods, or vertebral body replacements.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy may be recommended before or after surgery as part of your treatment journey. This therapy uses high-energy radiation beams targeted at the tumor to destroy cancerous tissue and prevent further growth. Precision is critical to minimize damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Systemic Therapy
Systemic therapy, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy, is designed to treat cancer cells not just in the spine but throughout the entire body. This approach is often used when tumors have spread or when local therapies alone are insufficient.
Follow-Up Care
Follow-up care is essential to monitor the success of your treatment. Regular imaging, such as MRI and CT scans, is the most common method used to check for tumor recurrence and assess overall spine health. Early detection of any changes allows for timely intervention.
FAQ BlackArmor®
A spinal implant is a medical device used to stabilize the spine, relieve pain, and improve function.
BlackArmor® is a unique composite material made with carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is currently being used in many different facets—such as aerospace, racing cars, sports, and medical implants. It is exceptionally durable and completely radiolucent, meaning X-rays can freely pass through it.
Implants made of BlackArmor® Carbon/PEEK have over 20 years of clinical evidence and are widely used in the orthopedic and neurosurgical field to treat different pathologies of the spine.
The human body recognizes BlackArmor® as a nonforeign material. It is exceptionally strong and durable, like its metallic counterparts, but is also completely radiolucent.
See clearly, treat confidently
Conventional implants are made of metal, typically titanium. These implants cause interferences on medical imaging. This inhibits your care team from visualizing what they need and also does not allow your treatment providers to efficiently treat your tumor. This is where BlackArmor® can help! Unlike titanium, BlackArmor® is radiolucent, allowing X-rays to pass through it, and reduces artifacts on medical imaging, making it the ideal material for optimized tumor therapy.
Titanium vs. BlackArmor®
The treatment with BlackArmor® Carbon/PEEK is available at different hospitals. Find a Treatment Center
The specific procedure depends on the type of implant and the condition being treated. Generally, the surgery involves making an incision in the back, removing damaged tissue, and inserting the implant.
Recovery time varies depending on the type of surgery and the individual patient. It can take several weeks or months to fully recover.
It enables your surgeon to optimally manage your perioperative recovery
Your surgeon can better evaluate the surgical outcome, your care providers benefit from simplified postoperative management, and the need for aggressive surgical options decreases as radiation oncology effectively addresses the tumor.
It improves your radiation therapy after surgery
Therapy becomes more targeted and effective with precise dose application to tumor tissue, minimizing exposure of organs at risk, reducing toxicity, and preserving a low risk of radiation myelopathy, while offering safer options like SBRT and proton therapy, and potentially requiring fewer visits.
It improves your follow-up care
Early detection of local tumor recurrence enables more treatment options and reduces emergency situations, while improved MRI quality minimizes the need for invasive examinations like CT myelograms and supports more confident, definitive decision-making.
Find a Surgeon Who Specializes in The
Treatment of Spinal Tumors
If you are looking for a surgeon nearby, please contact us directly. We will be happy to assist you.