AI-designed, 3D-printed implants built from your own anatomy — engineered to precisely restore your spine's natural alignment. Dr. Hobbs was the first surgeon in the central United States to use aprevo.
In the news · Becker’s Spine Review · September 28, 2026
Jonathan G. Hobbs, M.D. performed the first two-level lumbar interbody fusion in the United States to combine Carlsmed’s patient-specific aprevo® TLIF interbody cages with Medtronic’s patient-specific UNiD™ rods. The transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) of the two lowest levels of the spine, L4–S1, was completed at Northwest Health – Porter in Valparaiso. Becker’s Spine Review covered the case on September 28, 2026.
Both the cages and the rods were designed from the patient’s own X-rays and CT scans and manufactured before surgery to a plan Dr. Hobbs reviewed and approved, then anchored with standard pedicle screws. Earlier cases that paired the two technologies used anterior or lateral approaches at a single level; this was the first two-level construct and the first performed through a posterior approach.
“Instead of adapting the patient to standard implants during surgery, we can use their imaging to plan the correction in advance and create implants and rods for their specific anatomy. It is a planning tool, not a substitute for clinical judgment.”Jonathan G. Hobbs, M.D., in the practice announcement
Patient-specific technology does not mean surgery is the first or the right treatment for every patient. Dr. Hobbs begins with a complete evaluation and recommends nonsurgical care when appropriate. Call (219) 250-5010 to ask whether a personalized plan applies to your care.
Dr. Hobbs was also the first surgeon in the central United States to use the aprevo personalized interbody implant.
Interview · Becker’s Spine Review · October 9, 2026
Eleven days after reporting the first case, Becker’s Spine Review asked Dr. Hobbs whether patient-specific implants could become a standard in spine surgery. His answer, in short: the technology belongs beyond academic deformity centers, for carefully selected patients with degenerative conditions, but access will be decided by cost, infrastructure, and reimbursement rather than by the engineering.
He was equally direct about the evidence. It is early and largely industry-supported; the encouraging recovery he has seen in his own patients, including pain, function, and postoperative opioid needs, does not prove that customization is the reason; and radiographic accuracy is not the same as a meaningful outcome. Conventional cages and manually contoured rods, he noted, remain effective in experienced hands.
“Patients with degenerative disease deserve the same rigor in planning that we bring to complex deformity surgery.”
“The objective is not customization for its own sake; it is greater precision and reproducibility.”
“Access should be determined by clinical need and the capacity to deliver care safely — not by a ZIP code.”
“The next frontier may be personalization not only of an implant’s shape, but also of its structural characteristics.”
Quotations as published by Becker’s Spine Review (“Personalized implants could be a spine standard — access is a hurdle,” by Hailey Bosek). Read the full interview · All coverage and what it means for patients
Most spinal fusion surgery uses off-the-shelf implants — interbody spacers that come in a limited range of stock sizes and shapes. The surgeon picks the closest fit and adapts the operation around it. The Carlsmed aprevo® platform flips that approach: it builds the implant around you.
aprevo combines AI-enabled surgical planning with 3D-printed, patient-specific implants. Starting from your own CT scan, Dr. Hobbs and the aprevo software design a surgical plan to your target alignment, and a personalized titanium device is 3D printed to match your unique anatomy. The goal is to more precisely restore your spine's natural alignment — which is closely linked to better outcomes and a lower chance of needing revision surgery.
aprevo personalized interbody devices are FDA 510(k) cleared for lumbar interbody fusion, and the technology has earned FDA Breakthrough Device designation. Dr. Hobbs was the first surgeon in the central United States to use them.
Explore Carlsmed’s aprevo implant imagery, from the titanium device itself to its fit between the vertebrae.
aprevo® personalized implants
Product imagery © Carlsmed. Renderings illustrate device design and anatomy; they do not depict a specific patient or clinical outcome. View manufacturer source.
From CT scan to confirmed result, every personalized device follows the same five-step pathway.
Your CT scan is used to create a precise 3D model of your spine — the foundation for personalized planning.
aprevo AI-enabled software builds a surgical plan to the target alignment, and patient-specific devices are designed to your anatomy.
Once Dr. Hobbs approves the plan and device design, your personalized implants are 3D printed.
Your devices arrive in the operating room sterile and ready for implantation during surgery.
Your post-operative images are measured and analyzed to confirm the operative goals were achieved.
The aprevo planning software combines AI-enabled segmentation with prior outcomes data to develop a personalized surgical plan and devices for each patient.
Detailed 3D patient data, the latest spinopelvic parameter classifications, normative alignment targets, and real-world post-operative data are all used to inform and enhance your surgical plan before the procedure begins.
3D correction and precision alignment are built into each aprevo personalized interbody device, helping ensure that each patient's personalized treatment plan extends seamlessly into the operating room.
The myaprevo® app gives Dr. Hobbs and the OR team intuitive, detailed 3D plan and device visualizations that aid in attaining precise correction and predictably achieving the surgical plan.
Personalized digital insights are translated into action to help improve care and enhance reproducibility from one patient to the next.
aprevo intelligence leverages AI-driven systems to analyze post-operative surgical data — comparing the plan to the achieved result — helping surgeons achieve greater precision and predictability over time.
In spine surgery, restoring proper alignment is one of the strongest predictors of a lasting result. Personalized implants are designed to hit that target more reliably than stock hardware.
Designed from your own CT scan rather than chosen from stock sizes.
Engineered to restore your natural spinal alignment and balance.
Better alignment is associated with a lower likelihood of revision surgery.
Plans informed by AI segmentation and real-world outcomes data.
An interbody implant fills the space where a worn disc used to be and sets the angle between two vertebrae. That angle — multiplied across the levels being fused — is what determines whether the spine ends up balanced over the pelvis. This is exactly where the shape of the implant matters most.
The best implant depends on your anatomy, your alignment, and your surgical goals. Dr. Hobbs selects the device that gives you the most reliable path to a balanced, lasting fusion.
Personalized aprevo implants are used in lumbar fusion procedures where restoring proper alignment is central to a good result.
aprevo is one of several advanced tools Dr. Hobbs draws on. Each is matched to the patient, the diagnosis, and the alignment goals of the operation.
ABNS
Residency
M.D.Performed the first two-level fusion in the U.S. combining aprevo TLIF cages with patient-specific UNiD rods, reported by Becker’s Spine Review; also the first surgeon in the central United States to use aprevo.
Specialty-trained in correcting complex spinal deformities and restoring alignment.
Certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery.
University of Kentucky medical degree; neurosurgery residency at the University of Chicago, serving as chief resident; clinical associate in the University of Chicago Department of Neurosurgery.
Pairs aprevo with image-guided navigation and AI-assisted planning for precise, individualized surgery.
Practicing at Northwest Indiana's most preferred orthopedic and spine practice, with offices in Crown Point & Chesterton.
If you're facing spinal fusion, ask Dr. Hobbs whether a personalized aprevo implant is right for your anatomy and alignment goals. Call today to schedule a consultation.
(219) 250-5010Monday – Friday · 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
500 E. 109th Avenue
Crown Point, IN 46307
601 Gateway Boulevard
Chesterton, IN 46304
Your next step
Jonathan G. Hobbs, M.D. is a board-certified neurosurgeon at Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute. For questions about carlsmed aprevo® personalized spine implants, call the office to arrange an individual evaluation and discuss which options may be appropriate.
Consultation offices: Crown Point, Chesterton. Your symptoms, examination, imaging, and prior treatment help guide the discussion.
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