Johnson and Johnson offers spinal implants and ancillaries for spinal fusion which is a surgical procedure used to correct problems with the small bones in the spine (vertebrae). Spinal fusion can be used to treat a variety of conditions including traumatic spinal fractures, instability of the spine (such as spondylolisthesis), recurrent disk herniations, scoliosis, tumors, severe infections, or degenerative disk disease and chronic neck or back pain. Spinal fusion is essentially a "welding" process that fuses together two or more vertebrae so that they heal into a single, solid bone. The Johnson and Johnson implants consist of cages, plates, rods and screws that are used in patient surgical procedures.

This purchase is exempt from the usual selection processes of the Procurement Code because the procurement expenditure is for medical supplies or medical services necessary for the delivery of care and treatment at medical, dental, or veterinary teaching facilities utilized by SIU or U of I (30 ILCS 500 / 1-13(b-5)) Johnson Health Care Systems, Incorporated has to do with direct patient treatment and care. Without access to these specific supplies the hospital would not be able to offer spinal fusion that would drive patients elsewhere and result in a loss of revenue to the Hospital.