NovaLign Orthopaedics

NovaLign Orthopaedics, Inc. operated as a medical device company with a focus on developing minimally invasive products for the treatment of long bone fractures. The company was founded in 2005, initially under the name OsteoLign, Inc., within The Innovation Factory, a technology incubator based in Duluth, Georgia. In September 2007, the company moved its headquarters to Memphis, Tennessee.

NovaLign's core business was centered on providing orthopaedic implants for fractures of the humerus, tibia, and femur. The company developed an Intramedullary Fixation System, which received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March 2009. This clearance permitted NovaLign to market its system of implants and instruments within the U.S. intramedullary fracture fixation market. The distinguishing feature of NovaLign's technology was its extra-capsular intramedullary device. This design allowed surgeons to repair a long bone fracture by entering the medullary canal from outside the joint, which aimed to minimize damage to surrounding tissues, a potential complication with traditional surgical methods that insert rigid nails through the joint.

In July 2007, NovaLign secured $10 million in a Series B funding round. Key investors included Versant Ventures, SV Health Investors (formerly SV Life Sciences), and Accuitive Medical Ventures. On February 11, 2011, key assets of NovaLign, including intellectual property related to novel intramedullary designs, were acquired by Sonoma Orthopedic Products. This intellectual property centered on flexible-to-rigid technology, allowing implants to be inserted flexibly and then locked to secure fractures. Sonoma planned to market this acquired technology under the TaperBody™ brand. Following the acquisition by Sonoma, other intellectual property assets were acquired by FlexFix, LLC in March 2011 to bolster its own portfolio in implantable “flexible-to-rigid” technologies.

Keywords: orthopaedic implants, long bone fractures, intramedullary fixation, minimally invasive surgery, medical devices, fracture repair, extra-capsular intramedullary device, flexible-to-rigid technology, medullary canal, humerus fracture, tibia fracture, femur fracture, orthopaedic trauma, surgical instruments, medical technology, Sonoma Orthopedic Products, FlexFix, Versant Ventures, SV Health Investors, Accuitive Medical Ventures