OrthAlign Wins Frost & Sullivan Innovation Award

Kudos to OrthAlign, Inc. for its novel thinking…the company is announcing that its precision alignment technology was awarded the 2015 Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award in Orthopedic Alignment.

“Building on a powerful and sensitive navigation platform, OrthAlign’s products not only surpass conventional mechanical guides in performance, but also match the precision of CAS (Computer Assisted Surgery) devices, which are widely accepted as the industry standard, ” said Bhargav Rajan, senior research analyst at Frost & Sullivan, in the July 13, 2015 news release. “OrthAlign deserves credit for successfully offering a single-use, handheld device without any capital investment as an alternative to the million-dollar, space-consuming CAS device. Development of these products marks an important milestone in the design and advancement of surgical navigation devices.”

As indicated by the company, “OrthAlign’s alignment technology platform addresses both total knee (TKA) and total hip (THA) arthroplasty procedures in a simple, palm-sized, single-use device and is compatible with all implant systems. More than 30, 000 arthroplasty cases have been successfully completed, worldwide, using OrthAlign technology.”

“The THA application, branded as OrthAlign Plus and commercially available in the United States and Australia this summer, provides measurement accuracy of ±3°, with at least 95% confidence when measuring the angle of the shell impactor, relative to the frame of reference defined by the registered landmarks. The device has been tested and validated to achieve 1) acetabular shell navigation accuracy for both inclination and anteversion, 2) measurement accuracy for changes in the femoral position in the superior-inferior direction, and 3) measurement accuracy for changes in the femoral position in the medial-lateral direction.”

“OrthAlign set out on a mission to develop an innovative technology that improves surgical accuracy and precision in a field where expensive, time-consuming, and intrusive technologies failed to make inroads and be relevant, ” said David Mayman, M.D., an associate attending orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery. “Frost & Sullivan’s recognition of OrthAlign, combined with proven clinical studies, increasing surgeon adoption, and my very own experience, reaffirm my enthusiasm and continued use of this game-changing technology.”

Denis Nam, M.D., an assistant professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, has conducted two TKA studies with the company’s technology. He told OTW, “OrthAlign empowers surgeons to achieve precise and accurate component alignment and positioning, in an efficient handheld device. Prior iterations of computer-assisted navigation have not received widespread adoption as they have been cumbersome, have required additional steps both preoperatively and intraoperatively, and disrupt a surgeon’s normal workflow. OrthAlign just makes sense.”

OrthAlign CEO William E. Maya told OTW, “OrthAlign technology has proven itself in ten published clinical studies, equipping surgeons who place value on precision with a unique and valuable tool that provides real time data. It can potentially increase patient satisfaction through reduced complication rates and readmissions due to revision. Over the next year, the organization will focus on its launch of OrthAlign Plus, its rapidly growing international business, and further expand its IP-protected technology into other applications. Anterior hip is coming. Uni is coming. A gap balancing feature will be added. And we are in discussions to address the shoulder.”