Exactech has implanted the first of a new hip replacement system that, according to company officials, is designed to preserve a key portion of patients’ bone in a total hip arthroplasty procedure.
Exactech Debuts New Hip Replacement System
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The company press release states that the LPI Prime hip system is a more conservative treatment option, designed to maintain the maximum amount of proximal femoral bone while providing excellent initial stability, enabling biological fixation. The geometry of the stem is designed to facilitate insertion through smaller incisions.
“The materials and methods used in hip replacement have improved dramatically over the last two decades, ” said orthopedic surgeon and Exactech CEO Bill Petty, M.D. “The LPI Prime system is one of those engineering advances; it is designed to meet the growing demand for conservative treatments that make it possible for patients to stay active longer, since many patients are being treated at younger ages.”
Orthopedic surgeons John Aldridge, M.D, at Mary Immaculate Hospital, Newport News, Virginia, and Scott Dunitz, M.D., at Tulsa Bone and Joint Associates, Tulsa, Oklahoma, performed the first surgeries using the new hip system.
Dunitz said, “The new implant saved more healthy bone compared to other implant designs I have used. The design allowed me to use a more minimally invasive approach, and I was impressed that it provided the stability of a traditional hip implant.”
“I am very pleased with the new hip implant geometry, ” Aldridge said. “The stem’s size and design minimized disruption to soft tissue, and my patients are able to return to active mobility quickly—an important goal of hip replacement.” The initial launch of the new system is underway in the United States, with full market release planned in 2014.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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