Synthes wins $7.4 million verdict over Medtronic on spinal disk patent

U.S. District Judge John Phipps McCalla on Dec. 8 ordered Medtronic to pay competitor Synthes $7.4 million in a patent infringement verdict over artificial spinal discs.

Synthes might seek an injunction to force Medtronic not to sell the products, which include the Maverick, A-Mav and O-Mav brand devices.

Synthes makes an artificial disc product termed the ProDisc II, sometimes referred to as the ProDisc-L, which was the second lumbar artificial disc ever to become commercially available after the Charite disc made by DePuy Spine, a Johnson & Johnson company.