ArthroCare Corp. has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its Parallax Contour Vertebral Augmentation Device. The Contour device can now be used during minimally invasive surgical procedures to treat spinal fractures caused by multiple myeloma bone lesions.

Weakening of the vertebrae, the bones that make up the spine, can result in vertebral compression fractures. Though the most common cause of vertebral compression fractures is osteoporosis, they may also be caused by multiple myeloma tumors.

Patients with vertebral compression fractures often suffer from debilitating pain and may experience …