Vertos Medical

Vertos Medical is a privately held American medical-device company that develops, manufactures, and sells surgical instruments used in minimally invasive procedures for lumbar spinal stenosis. The company was founded in 2005 by physicians Dr. Dave Solsberg and Dr. Don Schomer and established its headquarters in Aliso Viejo, California. Its principal clinical focus is Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression, commonly known as the MILD procedure. MILD is intended to relieve pressure in the lumbar spine by removing excess tissue that contributes to narrowing of the spinal canal, while using a less invasive approach than conventional open spinal decompression surgery. Vertos Medical’s initial and best-known product platform was designed to enable physicians to perform MILD under image guidance. The procedure received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for lumbar-spine decompression, giving the company a regulatory basis for commercializing its instruments in the United States. Vertos positioned the technology around the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis, a condition that can cause back and leg pain, numbness, and difficulty walking. Its business model centered on supplying procedure-specific instruments and supporting physician adoption through training and commercialization activities. By 2009, the company was preparing for broader commercialization and had announced a new headquarters, a training center, and strategic hires. These steps reflected an effort to build the infrastructure needed to educate clinicians and expand use of its procedure. In March 2017, Vertos Medical’s MILD procedure obtained national coverage in the United States, an important reimbursement and market-access development that increased the procedure’s potential availability to eligible patients. Vertos remained privately held until Stryker Corporation acquired the company on October 1, 2024. The acquisition brought Vertos’ lumbar-stenosis technology into Stryker’s broader medical-technology portfolio. Following the transaction, Vertos Medical became associated with Stryker, while its brand and MILD-focused clinical offering remained identifiable within the minimally invasive spine field. Public reference material does not establish a separate post-acquisition headquarters, leadership roster, financial profile, or complete international distribution footprint.

Vertos Medical was established in 2005 by Dr. Dave Solsberg and Dr. Don Schomer as a company devoted to less invasive treatment options for lumbar spinal stenosis. Rather than concentrating on broad surgical-device categories, the company built its identity around instruments and clinical support for Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression, or MILD. The procedure is designed to decompress the lumbar spine through a minimally invasive approach and was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for lumbar-spine decompression. The company’s early development phase focused on preparing its procedure and instruments for physician use. In 2009, Vertos announced a new headquarters, a training center, and strategic hires as it moved toward commercialization. The training infrastructure was particularly relevant to a procedure-specific business, because adoption required physicians to understand both the patient-selection rationale and the technical use of the instruments. Vertos’ market-access position strengthened in March 2017 when its MILD procedure received national coverage in the United States. Coverage was a significant milestone because reimbursement can influence whether hospitals, physicians, and patients can adopt a specialized procedure. It also helped distinguish the company’s offering from an investigational technology by supporting broader use within the U.S. healthcare system. The company remained privately held and focused on the lumbar-spine market. Available reference material does not provide a complete chronology of product generations, detailed sales data, international operations, or a comprehensive list of executives. On October 1, 2024, Stryker Corporation acquired Vertos Medical. The transaction marked a change in ownership and placed Vertos’ minimally invasive lumbar-decompression business within Stryker’s larger medical-technology organization. Publicly available material does not establish whether the Vertos name, facilities, or leadership structure changed after the acquisition.

• 2024

  Acquired by Stryker

  [1]Vertos Medicalen.wikipedia.org

  Stryker Corporation completed its acquisition of Vertos Medical on October 1, 2024.

• 2017

  National coverage for MILD

  [1]Vertos Medicalen.wikipedia.org

  Vertos Medical’s MILD procedure received national coverage in the United States.

• 2009

  Commercialization infrastructure established

  [2]Vertos Readies for Commercialization with New Headquarters, Training Center and Strategic Hiresreuters.com

  Vertos announced a new headquarters, training center, and strategic hires as it prepared to commercialize its MILD technology.

• 2005

  Company founded

  [1]Vertos Medicalen.wikipedia.org

  Dr. Dave Solsberg and Dr. Don Schomer founded Vertos Medical to develop minimally invasive technologies for lumbar spinal stenosis.

A specialist medical-device brand focused on minimally invasive decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis, emphasizing procedure-specific instrumentation and reduced invasiveness compared with traditional open decompression approaches.

• Minimally invasive spine procedure

  MILD procedure platform

  Vertos Medical’s principal offering is the instrument platform used to perform Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression, or MILD. The procedure is intended to decompress the lumbar spine in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and is performed through a minimally invasive approach. The platform is centered on procedure-specific surgical instruments rather than a consumer product, and its use is supported by physician training and clinical adoption activities. The procedure received U.S. FDA clearance for lumbar-spine decompression and later obtained national coverage in the United States.

• 2024

  Sale to StrykerM&A

  Background

  Vertos Medical had developed a focused business around minimally invasive lumbar decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis.

  Action taken

  Stryker Corporation acquired Vertos Medical on October 1, 2024.

  Aftermath

  Vertos became part of Stryker’s medical-technology portfolio. The available reference material does not disclose transaction value or detailed integration plans.

  Source

• 2009

  Build commercialization and physician-training infrastructureStrategy

  Background

  Vertos was preparing to expand the commercial use of its MILD procedure and needed facilities and personnel to support physician education and market development.

  Action taken

  The company announced a new headquarters, a training center, and strategic hires.

  Aftermath

  The move supported the company’s transition from technology development toward commercial adoption, although the available reference does not quantify its commercial effect.

  Source

1. 1Vertos Medicalen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Vertos Readies for Commercialization with New Headquarters, Training Center and Strategic Hiresreuters.com