Obese back pain patients, with comorbidities. Most surgeons stay away. But, new study of 58,000 patients finds cervical disc arthroplasty as safe or safer than cervical disc fusion in obese patients. Check it out.
Study to determine ways to enhance spinal cord stimulation longevity and relate those results to opioid use.
LifeNet Health and Johnson & Johnson MedTech bring novel bone graft, brand named PliaFX Pak, to the U.S. market.
Kind of a big deal. Apparently, in years past, somebody forgot to specify gender when they were ordering mice for osteoarthritis (OA) lab studies. Why does that matter?
A new 250-patient study tested the hypothesis that patients with positive pre-op expectations are primed for better outcomes. Surprisingly, the data from the study did not support that hypothesis. Indeed, the data seemed to show that negative preop patients tended to have more positive postop outcomes.
Is it possible to predict which spondy patients are more likely to have slower than expected postop recovery?
The University of Miami Health System and HSS are joining forces and resources—UHealth SoLé Mia.
Expanding on the traditional triple-taper design, Zimmer Biomet has launched the Z1™ Femoral Hip System.
“Technology is becoming more ubiquitous within THA surgery, and with that comes more choices….”
The lived experience of severe pain, understandably, can lead to a process of catastrophizing.
Are patients in FDA clinical trials evaluating orthopedic devices representative of the U.S. population?
“Prior authorization is frustrating for all patients and physicians….”— Adam J. Bruggeman, M.D., M.H.A.
Dutch Rojas: “The result? Every member of the coalition pays less. It’s not magic—it’s math.” Team up!
SurgiSTUD named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies for 2024.
A new review of epidemiological trends and outcomes among knee arthroplasty patients in the United States.
According to a NIH study, adult spinal deformity develops in as many as 68% of healthy adults after age 65.
Half of all orthopedic surgeons may not enjoy their work—and that depressing statistic prompted a study.
Scripps Health researchers received a NIH $317,000 grant to create the first smart shoulder replacement implant.
Research team collected data from 638,999 cervical/thoracic fractures reported in the U.S. between 2003 to 2021.
New study calculated the effects of body mass on joint arthroplasty surgery facility costs/resource utilization.
A new meta-analysis found evidence that vancomycin may not prevent surgical site infections after spine surgery.
Bolt Navigation has released the next generation of its “gyroscope on a chip”, ZERO footprint spine navigation system—brand-named Bolt 2.0.
A patience game had to wait—comparison of revision rates between robotic-assisted and non-robotic assist TKA.
With cadavers scarce researchers set out to design… a synthetic knee surgical training model.
A new pain scale, named the Detroit Interventional Pain Management Tool, put to the test.
Huge, longitudinal study, with data from 1,626 cervical total disc replacement (TDR) patients from Texas Back.
Who are tomorrow’s leaders in the practice, study, and development of spine surgery? NASS’s SpineLine has selected this year’s class of future spine surgery leaders. Bottom line: spine surgery is in good hands.
According to the National Institutes of Health reported that in 2024, 71.2% of physicians are utilizing social media.
Is there a possible discrepancy between perceived recovery and actual functional improvement following TKA?
A Mayo Clinic team takes a new look at reoperation, revision, and infection risk rates for BMI patients.
New study shows information on how to employ, indeed predict the effectiveness, of erector spinae plane.
Ravi Chari, M.D. is the new chief executive officer of Tampa, Florida-based Orthopaedic Solutions Management (OSM), a system with more than 150 physicians and multiple service lines.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is teaming up with Zimmer Biomet as new Chief Movement Officer.
According to a just published study, patients with B+ blood type, not A, not O, not any other blood type, have a 300% greater likelihood of developing spondylolisthesis. Which begs a number of questions, most notably, why?
New study: obese patients with OA and moderate-to-severe pain benefit from weekly semaglutide injections.
NASS releases 4 evidence-based guides to the diagnosis and treatment of adults with vertebral fractures.
“Artificial intelligence is becoming mainstream in society and will be implemented in a variety of fields.”
ABOS recently announced its 2024-2025 officers as well as two new directors-elect.
Study: Effectiveness/safety of PNS/conventional medical management vs conventional medical management alone.
The lived experience of severe pain, understandably, can lead to a process of catastrophizing.
NASS’s 2024 Research Funding Program announced grants and traveling fellowships winners totaling $159,059 this year.
Approximately 15% of orthopedic surgeons are named in medical malpractice lawsuits at some point in their career.
Where does your TKA patient live, do they have a college degree, access to transportation, adequate housing?
Miach Orthopaedics’ BEAR Implant surpassed a 4,000th patient milestone.
A novel cell-based bone graft has reached an important milestone in its first in-human clinical trials.
MIS-TLIF utilized more and offers benefits such as less postoperative pain/shorter hospital stay/faster recovery.
How well has minimally invasive spine (MIS) surgery lived up to expectations over the past decade?
To what extent does the sex of a patient influence pain perception?
Andrew Kim, B.S. honored with a “Best Paper” at the recent North American Spine Society meeting in Chicago.
E. Bailey Terhune, M.D., hip and knee replacement surgeon, joined Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.
Two phase 3 trials for a non-surgical approach to relieve radicular leg pain from lumbar disc herniation.
Mayo Clinic and St. Louis University: Do Parkinson’s patients experienced better/worse outcomes?
D. Scott Kreiner, M.D. has been named president of the North American Spine Society (NASS) during the organization’s recent 39th Annual Meeting in Chicago.
Össur’s EmpowerX streamline workflows, reduce errors, and enhances patient care.
NIH $3.5 million grant to train postdoctoral fellows seeking to become independent clinical pain researchers.
$18.5 million for a musculoskeletal biobank at UPMC which could uncover transforming insights for treating all manner of chronic and seemingly intractable MSK issues.
Robert A. Burnett, M.D. has joined Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago.
Study of outcomes—tubular lumbar microdiscectomy vs single-level unilateral biportal endoscopic microdiscectomy.
Charles E. Johnston, M.D. has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the the Scoliosis Research Society.
The 2024 winner of the SRS Humanitarian Award is an internist who never dreamed he’d be providing orthopedic and neurosurgery services to some of the most remote people, with some of the rarest diseases, in the world—Richard M. Hodes M.D. Here is his incredible story.
Phase 3 enrollment of 417 patients for the landmark MODEL trial of a novel peptide intradiscal injection for low back pain is now completed. Study sponsor, Spine BioPharma, Inc., made this announcement at the recently concluded 2024 North American Spine Society annual meeting.
New study has revisited previous work regarding a wireless, Single-Step Pedicle Screw placement system.
AI models may give human diagnosticians a run for their money when diagnosing hand and wrist injuries.
Tenon Medical released initial, interim data from its Catamaran SI Joint Fusion System® MAINSAIL™ study.
Enovis™ expanded its EMPOWR Revision Knee™ system to include stackable tibial, femoral, and diaphyseal cones.
New study: how effective is spinal cord stimulation? And compared to what?
Poor postoperative pain control is an independent risk factor for longer term sub-optimal surgical outcomes.
Approximately 10% to 20% of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients have persistent postoperative pain.
It’s not a pill, it’s not surgery, it’s not a panacea. It’s self-administered pain relief.
AAOS applications for the first Arnold I. Caplan Award for Distinguished Research in Orthobiologics.
Massive meta-analysis has concluded that post operative antibiotic prophylaxis has no clinical value.
To put physicians on the same page regarding the diagnosis and treatment of sacroiliac (SI) joint pain and dysfunction, a multicenter team of researchers has developed a new set of guidelines.
SRS developed research priorities, from which, SRS will fund a directed research project to last three years.
Spine Wave’s new device is intended for transforaminal (TLIF) and posterior (PLIF) lumbar interbody fusion.
Matthew R. Schmitz, M.D., both a new member of the surgical team at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego and…
Alexander Tuchman, M.D. is the new co-director of the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center.
How “real” is mixed reality navigation and visualization for knee joint reconstruction surgery?
A 126,692-patient study, across 60 healthcare organizations, found that low-dose aspirin prevents venous thromboembolism. It is the first such massive scale study of its kind and would not have been possible if not for TriNetX.
Enovis™ Corporation debuts its Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (STAR®), now with new e+™ Polyethylene.
Zavation Medical Products is one of the fastest-growing private companies in America, according to Inc. magazine.
Low back pain, already the leading cause of disability globally, is predicted to rise 36.4% by 2050.1 Which means the number of times a surgeon asks—Where’s the pain coming from?—will also rise 36.4%. Unfortunately, the ability to accurately answer that question has traditionally been something of a dark art—even with a standard MRI scan. An apparently healthy spine disc on an MRI could be, in fact, the pain generator.
LifeNet Health, launched PliaFX Pak, a versatile bone allograft developed with Johnson & Johnson MedTech.
Christopher Souder, M.D. named Chief of the Orthopedic Trauma Service at Rady Children’s Hospital.
Five-year study of the use of 3D printed guides to place pedicle screws in adult spinal deformity cases.
Does changing the cannula shape to a rectangular shape deliver a consequential improvement in spine surgery?
“Rare but devastating” are words often used to describe periprosthetic joint infection (PJI).
JNJ’s DePuy Synthes is launching a novel and proprietary dual-use robotics and standalone navigation platform.
Daniel M. Ward, M.D., is the new Chief of Arthroplasty at New England Baptist Hospital.
Eric L. Smith, M.D., is new Chair of Orthopedics New England Baptist.
Superiority in any given surgery for any given device is one of the rarest, most elusive FDA designations available to medical device companies. In the world of treating single-level lumbar spinal stenosis and grade-I degenerative spondylolisthesis, only one manufacturer has ever achieved a superiority claim—that company is Premia Spine, and the implant is the Total Posterior Spine System (TOPS).
A team of researchers from Rothman Orthopaedic Institute and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis asked a simple question: Do threshold cutoffs using patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) for insurer reimbursement pre-approvals deny spine fusion surgery to patients who need it?
Blending artificial intelligence, a self-learning series of algorithms with imaging will likely transform spine surgery. ATEC’s new EOS Insight does exactly that. This is not just for pedicle screw placement. It’s so much more and a harbinger of where surgery is going. Welcome to the intelligent future.
It’s been eight years and a couple hundred clinical studies since AAOS last updated carpal tunnel guidelines.
We’re using a preop risk assessment for thoracic/lumbar fusions that lacks bone quality information? Yep…
In strong, non-osteoporotic bone, pedicle screw loosening rates are about 1-15%. In osteoporotic bone those rates soar to more than 60%. Old spines need new ideas. Time for Karma, a better approach for spine fixation when bone quality is suspect.
When Orland Bethel, founder of Hillandale Farms, walked into Dr. Joon Lee’s office 10 years ago with severe back pain, he would set off a chain of events that truly exemplifies “giving back.”
Negative online reviews of individual spine surgeons. Not only not helpful, but misleading.
Clinical data on a novel cartilage implant was presented at the 9th Joint Preservation Congress.
Arthrex, a was honored with two of its innovations named finalists for the international Edison Awards.
“I am excited to say that I have the best job in the world.” — Dr. Huddleston
Computer navigation or robotic assistance during THA adds operative time. What’s its impact on PJI after THA?
What are the guidelines? And does lack of knowledge of the guidelines affect SSI rates?
“Diversity in the field of orthopedics has been a cornerstone of my work… – Lisa Cannada, M.D.
Xtant Medical entered the wound care market with two amniotic membrane allografts, SimpliGraft™ and SimpliMax™.
The Texas Back Institute (TBI) team – enrolled 2,141 patients and collected pre-op data over the course of 20 years (average per patient, 6.55 years). This is a remarkable and immensely valuable study.
Is “success” defined according to Delphi Consensus Criteria or Musculoskeletal Infection Society Criteria?
And then came artificial technology (AI) in the form of an ambient listening and medical scribe tool.
Osso VR is launching a medical training app on Apple Vision Pro brand named Osso Health.
Ever have a bright idea for a better retractor, implant, procedure—you name it—but needed engineering, financial and/or operational help to get from step 1 to 100? A new firm, named “pitch sink”, aims to make that physician inventor’s journey easier and more likely to succeed.
Results of a Phase 2B study of a novel, ultra-sustained pain drug for post TKA pain management and recuperation.
As our U.S. population stands at roughly 336,377,915 people, nearly half of the country has diabetes.
A new, multi-center study generated data about longer term post op facilities for spinal deformity patients.
There are nearly 240 million children with disabilities in the world. Roughly 134 million of those are fortunate enough to have treatment…the remaining 106 million children must struggle with untreated disabilities.
Advanced Research Projects Agency Health contract awards of up to $33 million to develop an OA treatment.
So much of each orthopedic and spine surgeon’s business relies on referrals from primary care physicians…
A mixed-reality total knee arthroplasty was announced by its manufacturer, Miami-based Polaris.
“Voted off the island” and “voted out of the tribe” are familiar sayings in the reality TV arena. But in the real world, whether someone is intentionally excluded or cannot participate in community activities, the resulting isolation, inability to earn a living or go to school—not to mention the accompanying psychological damage—take their toll.
Gwo-Chin Lee, M.D., FAAOS is the new editor-in-chief of the Journal of the AAOS Global Research & Reviews.
What does freedom look like? For millions who’ve lost or never had the freedom to roam on their own power, freedom may well be this first-of-its-kind 32 lbs. of stainless steel. The Freedom to Roam, a walker-like device, was created by Robert “Lewy” Lewis, a self-made entrepreneur and incomplete quadriplegic.
Kleiner Device Labs announced the first 50 cases are for their novel KG®2 Surge® flow-thru interbody system.
The best paper in all of orthopedics for practice management and/or rehabilitation for 2024, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), came from a team of researchers at New York University’s Langone Orthopedics hospital.
“The field of spine research is rapidly evolving…new…topics continually emerging” – Dr. Konstantinos Margetis
The 2024 Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) Clinical Research Award has been presented to Christopher H. Evans, Ph.D. (Mayo Clinic), Steven C. Ghivizzani, Ph.D. (University of Florida), and Paul D. Robbins, Ph.D. (University of Minnesota), for their groundbreaking research on local gene therapy for osteoarthritis (OA).
Bernie Haffey, veteran executive and corporate leader, joined the Board of Directors of Accelus Corporation.
ANCHOR group has been honored with the 2024 Kappa Delta Elizabeth Winston Lanier Award.
Kevin McGann, current president and CEO, has been appointed to the company’s Board of Directors.
Two new studies published in The Journal of Arthroplasty provide best practice approaches and insights for wound closure and dressing management in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA).
New study from NYU Langone, employing computer-navigated and/or robotic-assist in surgery…
In addition to being OREF’s incoming chairperson, Joshua Jacobs, MD was awarded the William W. Tipton Jr., M.D. Leadership Award. In the firmament of musculoskeletal leaders, Joshua Jacobs occupies a special place.
For the first time ever, gene therapy was used to treat a disease, in this case, osteoarthritis of the knee—not a genetic disease or cancer! This groundbreaking work is the 2024 winner of the Orthopedic Research and Education Foundation Award. Not just interesting, but a vision into the future of OA treatment. Enjoy reading the details.
Why is repairing tendons and ligaments so difficult. This award-winning investigator, Nathaniel Dyment, Ph.D. illuminated the complexity of such repairs with his award winning research. Here is what he found.
The MOON Shoulder Group’s 10-year longitudinal study of rotator cuff tear patients fundamentally changed the pattern of care for rotator cuff tears. It is one of the great clinical research accomplishments in musculoskeletal care.
AddUp, Inc., and Anatomic Implants to submit a 510(k) for the world’s first 3D printed toe joint replacement.
Enovis™ launching DonJoy® ROAM™ OA knee brace for patients with OA or other knee pain and instability.
Douglas C. Burton, M.D., recognized with the Scoliosis Research Society 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award.
While diabetic THA patients associate with higher levels of PJI…non-diabetic patients also at higher risk?
Ocutrx Technologies announced the latest version of ORLenz™ headset with standalone digital magnifying eye glass.
Researchers from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit published a new study which sets out social health determinants.
Accelus Corporation has announced the launch of its innovative, low profile LineSider Modular-Cortical System.
Do industry payments to TJA surgeons or their institutions affect costs or outcomes?
John Rizzo, with over 30 years in the orthopedic industry, is the new EVP for U.S. operations at ABANZA.
A new multicenter study has documented a surprising and concerning lack of pre-op nutrition testing for total knee arthroplasty patients. How bad is it? Here are the sobering numbers.
It’s not the best news for children with cerebral palsy (CP) who have to undergo spinal fusion.
Cervical spine patients do well after surgery and in terms of outcomes most relevant to the patients themselves.
New study tested five different bone cement mixing systems and types of air flow strategies in the OR.
What role, large or small, does the cost of surgery play in their decision to have surgery?
Fragility fractures are bad enough, but to what extent do they trigger additional skeletal muscle loss?
New work, a mouse model, from Rothman Institute and Thomas Jefferson University delivered promising data.
The U.S. Patent and Trade Office (PTSO) just granted a 4th patent for an osteopenic bone treatment that, perhaps, is not as well-known nor fully appreciated within the broader musculoskeletal community. The new patent is # US20210052407A1.
Spinal Elements, Inc., 3D implanted interbody implant is called “Ventana”, and it comes a “lid.”
Sigurd H. Berven, M.D., selected as the 2023 David Selby Award winner by the North American Spine Society.
Where do entrepreneurs find the never-give-up drive to bring problem-solving implants and instruments to market? Often, the answer can be found in the personal experience with tragedy and healing. Here’s one such start-up founder and her remarkable innovation.
Is inferior screw fixation a safe/reliable way of reducing acetabular component failure after revision THA…?
Orthofix Global Spine announced the full U.S. commercial launch of WaveForm® L Lateral Lumbar Interbody System.
The North American Spine Society (NASS) has announced its selections of the most outstanding 20 musculoskeletal professionals under the age of 40 years old. Truly, here is the future of spine surgery.
The 2023 American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) Clinical Research Award goes to the research team…
OrthAlign, Inc. has been honored with the 2023 Industry Innovation Award by AAHKS.
The 2023, James A. Rand, MD, Young Investigator’s Award, for clinical excellence in knee-related research goes to…
Force Therapeutics won the prestigious American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons’ Industry Innovation Award.
OREF and UConn Foundation teaming up to support The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative at UConn.
Which patients are more likely to convert from having their knee arthroplasty inpatient to outpatient?
Peter J. Millett, M.D., M.Sc. and Johnny Huard, Ph.D. receive the Orthoregeneration Network (ON) Foundation/AGA Orthoregeneration Award for their research into the role that Fisetin can play in treating aging shoulders, hips, and knees.
Zoher Ghogawala, M.D., is the new president of the North American Spine Society (NASS).
Sethi, Albert, Lenke join the National Spine Foundation Board of Directors.
James D. Kang, M.D., elected the 2023-2024 President of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS).
Behrooz Akbarnia, M.D., a 34-year member of the North American Spine Society, receives the Leon Wiltse Award.
Michael R. Klein, M.D., awarded the Spine Advocacy Award by the North American Spine Society (NASS).
Can the combination of oral ketamine and aspirin manage post-op pain effectively after total knee arthroplasty?
A new study from NYU could have major implications for osteoporotic or osteopenic patient treatment. Turns out, blocking a signaling protein, nudges stem and progenitor cells into making bone. Only in mice, so far, but major step forward and likely pathway for future drug development.
What can you tell about gender equality (or inequality) when perusing old meeting programs?
Hyun Bae, M.D., describes hybrid spine surgery.
Yale University study—5-year revision statistics for single-level anterior cervical discectomy/fusion cases.
How fast can younger total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients get back to work or play?
How political is your “average” hip and knee surgeon? And, to what extent do they take advantage of opportunities to help craft governmental policies that influence their work, as well as the lives of patients?
Recently, young France-based company, SC Medica caught our attention—check it out at NASS.
National Association for Business Resources recognizes AAOS for business acumen and human resource practices.
Dan Drawbaugh honored with the 2023 Colorado ORBIE Leadership Award presented by ColoradoCIO.
New HSS study dives into the details of using AI-driven chatbots like ChatGPT to answer patient’s questions.
What do you do when your hospital system is becoming increasingly dysfunctional? One famous surgeon, Michael Meneghini, and his team decided to do the only logical thing when thrown under the bus—get a van. Here’s their instructive story.
The first ever global osteoarthritis clinical trial locator has been launched by a new nonprofit organization.
Expectations versus reality. When it comes to the practice of spine or orthopedic surgery…this is one of the most fundamental issues surgeons and their staffs confront. No surprise, the bigger the gap between pre-op expectations and post-op reality, the harder it is for modern orthopedic and spine practices to thrive.
Two new peer-reviewed studies which collected safety and efficacy data for a novel, implantable knee shock absorber—which has been shown to be an effective alternative to knee arthroplasty for patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis—have recently been published. Read the details here.
NextStep Arthropedix, introduced a retractorless, assistantless set of instruments for anterior hip replacement cases.
Incredibly, the number of large joint surgeons is expected to decline 14% over the next 30 years while demand for large joint arthroplasty is expected to soar. Bottom line, the coming surgeon shortage is serious. Here are the details.
What’s the #1 co-morbidity in spine care? Psychological distress. It’s present in almost 3/4ths of all spine surgery patients. But surgeons consistently miss it and that has a direct impact on patient outcomes. Very important new study from Tufts documents, explains and gives details.
A very interesting study out of Philadelphia’s Rothman Orthopaedic Institute took a detailed look at the phenomenon of private insurer bundled payment programs for lumbar fusions and found that about a third lose money for the hospital or clinic.
The esteemed Frank P. Cammisa, Jr., M.D., Chief Emeritus at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Spine, has been honored with the 2023 HSS Lifetime Achievement Award during the hospital’s annual Tribute Dinner held on June 5. Dr. Cammisa, who has both driven and witnessed the evolution of spine care over the last 20+ years, […]
Recent study predicted that it would take 217 years to reach gender parity for female orthopedists.
Orthofix Medical, Inc. launched a novel Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion device, brand named “WaveForm A”.
Research team tests new algorithm’s ability to predict which patients are most at risk for anemia after surgery.
Important new guidelines for anticoagulation management in complex spine cases are now available.
300,000 navigation cases, including 16,000 at Hospital for Special Surgery. Who is it? Clue: Not Stryker, Zimmer or DePuy. It’s OrthAlign’s Lantern, handheld navigation system. Surprised? Don’t be. Lantern® Navigation may well be the best, versatile and easy-to-use system on the market. Here are the details.
The University of Arkansas Medical Science’s Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital (TOSH) has “arrived,” proving that, “Measure twice, cut once” fosters excellence not only in the OR, but also in creating a world-class facility in which to perform those procedures.
Living cell cartilage repair allograft “an effective long-term solution for osteochondral defect repair.”
New research finds that many published studies which, it appears, suffer from a systemic under-reporting of study subject demographics—raising the distressing possibility that published study evidence is NOT applicable to a general population of spine surgery patients.
How aligned (or not) are expectations versus reality among patients with lumbar degenerative?
From 20% to 50% of women experience intimate partner violence during their lifetimes.
How much more Level 1 evidence do insurers require? Disc arthroplasty one of THE most studied spinal implants.
Which surgical approach, exactly, will deliver a safer, more consistent THA outcome? Anterior or posterior?
New study provides evidence that the severity of sports-related injuries is on the rise.
An HSS research team pondered if Inflammatory Arthritis Falsely Indicate Joint Infection?
Past research has documented higher cancer rates among female orthopedic surgeons than among women in the overall U.S. population. A team of researchers from several centers have looked again at this and found that, indeed, female orthopedists have double the risk of cancer. Here are the details.
Sometimes, it all comes down to a good retractor. Start well, end well.
Is one of the oldest methods for ensuring an error-free surgery—neuromonitoring—as necessary as it used to be?
Xenco Medical named as one of the 2023 World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company Magazine.
Centinel Spine announced prodisc C Vivo doubled in sales—500 to 1,000 units in just 60 days.
Are there any reliable predictors of an academic career in orthopedic research?
Study: multicenter group tackles basic but foundational question: What is normal segment movement?
New study: novel, implantable shock absorber for patients with mild to moderate medial knee osteoarthritis.
Kudos to both the research teams and the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR). Due in some measure to the law of large numbers, in this case more than 5,000 total hip arthroplasties in young (18-55 years of age), a research team was able to find clear pattern of racial disparity in terms of hip arthroplasty (THA) outcomes.
In 16th century Italy, cadaveric surgical training was the gold standard…isn’t it time to upgrade? SurgiSTUD is propelling surgical training into the next century with customizable alternatives to cadavers. Drs. Illingsworth and Berend explain this remarkable new surgical training tool.
“Safety is the ultimate issue in spine surgery,” Dr. Vaccaro told OTW. “Patients will have superior outcomes when orthopedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons work together to optimize their care throughout their treatment experience.”
“Highly accomplished,” “Consequential” and “Key Opinion Leader” are just some of the apt descriptions of Antonia F. Chen, M.D., M.B.A., director of Research, Arthroplasty Services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School.
Using traditional measures to predict OA progression doesn’t go far enough in predicting structural worsening.
Paul Tornetta, III, M.D., Ph.D. chosen as first vice president of the AAOS Board of Directors.
Nearly 12,000 patients have “spoken,” with new research indicating that patients 75 years and older had better pain, function and quality of life following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) than those who were 55 and younger.
New work from Israel and the U.S. found evidence that a real-time biofeedback and behavior training device can lead to substantial reductions in back pain.
Javad Parvizi, M.D., named 33rd President of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS).
You have likely heard the alarm bells—the percentage of orthopedic surgeons experiencing burnout at some point in their career are at 40% to 60% rates. And while you may have heard advice such as, “Take a yoga class,” a new study points at what may well be a more powerful solution.
METRC is the 2023 Kappa Delta Elizabeth Winston Lanier Award winner for its 34-study research platform…
Alex Jahangir, M.D., received the 2023 AAOS William W. Tipton Jr., MD, Leadership Award.
Mark S. Myerson, M.D. has been presented with the AAOS 2023 Humanitarian Award.
Mary I. O’Connor, M.D. has been honored by AAOS in the form of the 2023 Diversity Award.
New study was designed to test an allogenic progenitor cell therapy (study sponsor was Salt Lake City based DiscGenics, Inc.) to treat patients with lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD). This newly released work was conducted at 13 centers in 12 states and enrolled 60 patients.
CurvaFix, just launched a smaller diameter, 7.5mm, version of its novel curved and steerable fixation nail.
Neatsy released its doctor dashboard world’s first app to detect orthopedic and podiatry-related problems.
Michelle Ghert, M.D. and team honored with the 2023 AAOS Kappa Delta Ann Doner Vaughn Award.
Christopher J. Dy, M.D., M.P.H: 2023 AAOS Kappa Delta Young Investigator Award for research on brachial plexus injury.
Kevin J. Bozic, M.D., M.B.A. named president of The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons for 2023–2024.
Hoag Orthopedic Institute has received three 2022 Press Ganey Patient Experience awards.
These days when a nurse sneezes, the surgeon, hospital, and patient, catch a cold. Recent data indicate that from 2020-2021, the number of registered nurses decreased by more than 100,000—the biggest drop in over four decades. With nurses representing nearly 50% of the health workforce, this has a cascading effect in the form of stress on the remaining staff, canceled or postponed surgeries, and hospital revenue.
Centinel Spine has announced the completion of the 500th U.S. procedure with prodisc cervical solutions.
Study: Nagoya University and Harvard University research leads to better send of joint deterioration and OA.
Michael Daubs, M.D., selected as the 50th president of The Cervical Spine Research Society (CSRS).
A team of orthopedic Henry Ford Health System researchers tested three different ways of obtaining PROMs.
Patients in low-income to middle-income countries affected disproportionately by surgical site infections.
New study collected data regarding the connection between Medicare Advantage and TJA patient variables/outcomes.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital research team won the 2022 James A. Rand Young Investigator’s Award from AAHKS.
Most knee surgeons assume that a more stable implant will provide better outcomes. But…new study.
A 10-year outcome study of patellar resurfacing during TKA won AAHKS’ Surgical Techniques and Technologies Award.
At the November 2022 meeting of The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS), over 50 minority STEM students from Dallas high schools took part in an inaugural hands-on workshop.
A new study: OR saws, drills, and hammers—all can chip away at a surgeon’s hearing over the years….
A truly novel, pinless navigation system designed to improve the accuracy of positioning the acetabular cup in the pelvis during hip replacement procedures is in the process of entering the U.S. market. Additionally, the company, named Gyder Surgical, is led by an extraordinary team with roots in Synthes and Johnson & Johnson.
The Harms Study Group retrospectively compared anterior vertebral body tethering to posterior spinal fusion and published their results, “Anterior Vertebral Body Tethering Compared with Posterior spinal fusion for Major Thoracic Curves,” in the December 21, 2022 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery
Is it possible to predict health care utilization rates and 1-year patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) by looking at mental component scores in total hip arthroplasty (THA)? “Yes,” say a group of researchers from Ohio’s Cleveland Clinic based on their new study.
New study of microbial infection has just been published in JBJS by Rothman Orthopaedic Institute.
Patella resurfacing implants … one design appears to deliver better patient outcomes than the other two!
It’s easy to take things for granted sometimes…clean(ish) water will emerge from the faucet, grocery stores will have what you need, and you most likely won’t lose your job and slip into poverty because you can’t get scheduled for surgery. One World Surgery, an organization based in Deerfield, Illinois, is trying to change that.
OrthAlign, Inc., developer and manufacturer of Lantern™ hand-held navigation device launches a new feature.
A team of researchers from Seoul, South Korea set out to determine if long term implant survivorship in young patients is better for those who receive cementless femoral stems or cemented stems. “We wanted to study this in order to verify whether we need cemented stems anymore.”
“We found a relatively high risk of DVT after meniscus root repair when aspirin was used for prophylaxis.
Xenco Medical received World Economic Forum’s 2022 New Champions Award for Excellence in Sustainable Growth.
“What exact variables contribute to accuracy of robot-assisted screw placement?”
According to the NIH, up to 29% of elderly hip fracture patients die within one year. Stanford and VA research came up with a mortality calculator to gauge which elderly hip fracture patients are at greatest mortality risk.
Undergoing the rigors of hip or knee surgery at 90 years or older is cause for concern and hesitation.
Matthew Halanski, M.D. named Division Chief of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Arizona’s Phoenix Children’s.
Researchers surprised by differences were with respect to IL-6 levels at the 24-hour post-operative mark.
Study determines that a particular type of stand-alone ALIF implant is a valid treatment for select patients.
Most postop hip arthroplasty dislocations occur within two years of surgery. But who is most at risk and why?
What is the size effect of initial opioid prescription for joint arthroplasty and the likelihood of refills?
Why has the 20-30% total knee arthroplasty (TKA) dissatisfaction rate been so durable a problem? A new Cleveland Clinic study found evidence that it is the individual surgeon that is the #1 determinant. Here are details.
Alisina Shahi, M.D., Ph.D. sets world record in assembling all 30 bones of the human leg in 78 seconds.
Can intraoperative lumbar lordosis and segmental lordosis predict postoperative improvement?
Partial knee arthroplasty vs full-component arthroplasty exchange in cases of aseptic rTKA?
“Assessing balancing after randomization requires significant attention and is still relatively subjective.”
More work needed to understand the role of race/socioeconomic status on outcome/complications following TKA.
In other words, not general nor spinal anesthesia, but a modified anesthesia protocol for elderly patients who present with hip fractures.
He is a spine surgeon, entrepreneur, and storyteller. He is an OR maestro-turned-digital artist. Gil Tepper, M.D. is now crafting an artistic life where he sees possibilities all around him.
On the edge of the Amazon jungle, there exists a robust nonprofit organization providing advanced surgical services, training, healing and, rare among non-profit charitable organizations, outcomes tracking. It’s an inspiring story.
New highly portable ultrasound imaging system can be picked up and brought to the bedside/exam room/OR.
Organ transplant patients and total joint arthroplasties…new study on survivorship.
Two new studies have researched the effect of a novel knee system which is, in effect, a first-of-its-kind implantable shock absorber for the knee. Both studies offer evidence that, in cases of chronic knee pain due to osteoarthritis (OA), this novel approach may be a viable alternative to traditional arthroplasty and provide improved pain relief and function.
As a general proposition in orthopedic surgery, where metal, predominately, is implanted into bone, osseointegration—the term used to describe a biologic interface between bone tissue and metal—is a good thing.
Genetic sequencing test to screen patients who might develop a reaction to joint replacement implant metals.
New study verifies what many orthopedic surgeons—patients do NOT like those VTE pumps.
Zimmer Biomet announced their one-year data on use of mymobility with Apple Watch results.
Does DBM from donors with a history of bisphosphonate use affect osteogenesis/osseointegration?
April D. Armstrong, M.D is new president of ABOS, and second woman to hold that office.
Vamsy Bobba, M.D. joined University Orthopedics, a practice with locations in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Bryan D. Den Hartog, M.D. is the new president of American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society.
Researchers from Japan explored initial bed rest among patients with/without poor prognostic findings on MRI.
What are the complications/risk factors when treating fixed sagittal imbalance with spinal osteotomy?
As some optimistic forecasters expect, 3 million annual TKA will be scheduled and performed in just 8 years.
UV-Charlottesville researchers pulled together statistics on staged arthroscopies in a new study.
New study: the most common reoperations included chondroplasty, meniscectomy, and microfracture.
How different were nurse scores from PT scores after TJA, using the same test?
New study: vertebral body tethering in comparison to posterior spinal fusion.
Any association in postoperative glycemic variability and adverse outcomes after aseptic revision THA/TJA?
New Harvard Medical School study—how vital is a completed patient reported outcome form?
TJA patients fare better after a single-shot femoral nerve block or a continuous femoral nerve block?
Mayo Clinic-Rochester researchers are using a deep learning (DL), artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm…
No set screw loosening. No rod bending. Seventy-nine percent reduction in construct bulk.
New study: “The facet replacement device we used does not ‘create’ motion…Nor does it off-load the spine.”
After 22 years of helping patients live free of physical pain, Manoj Krishna, M.D. put down the scalpel and turned his attention to alleviating psychological pain—by helping people tap into their own wisdom. If ever there was a relevant book for spine and orthopedic surgeons in today’s world, this is it. It’s called the HumanWisdom project.
“We are fairly certain that there is someone around you going through this…look for those people and start a conversation with them. We need to create an environment where imperfection is not shameful. To make progress, we must normalize discussions surrounding emotional well-being, depression, and suicidal ideation. This is imperative.”
An osteoporosis prevention study on non-drug interventions focuses on osteopenia in postmenopausal women…
What’s the connection between intraoperative dexamethasone use/rates of periprosthetic joint infection?
How the patella lies may be more consequential than previously thought—according to a new study.
The drivers behind inequality are multifaceted, says Nicolas S. Piuzzi, M.D., associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and co-director of the Musculoskeletal Research Center at Cleveland Clinic, and demand more than a quick fix.
New study identified 22,310 opioid-naïve patients who underwent primary TJA between 2018 and 2019.
Cerclage (using a bone fragment fixation/stabilization wire) is common in periprosthetic fractures.
Finally, surgeons who need to stabilize pelvic fractures have a curved intramedullary nail available.
A new study from German researchers helped document the gap between patient expectations and outcomes.
Huge study: 300,000+ THA cases—American Joint Replacement Registry—all-cause revision cases for patients 65+.
“…after all, the outcome of the surgery is only as good as the subsequent rehabilitation.”
AlloSource, has announced the upcoming retirement of President and CEO Tom Cycyota. In these roles for 22 years, Cycyota is credited with stewarding more than three million allografts for use in surgical procedures.
New study: Did the pause because of COVID have any effect on total joint arthroplasty care patterns?
PROMIS likely the predominant method for assessing patient orthopedic surgery outcomes, but do miss the mark.
Is anterior vertebral body tethering for AIS is better at preserving trunk motion than posterior spinal fusion?
Patellofemoral arthroplasty has clearly demonstrated advantages over TKA in the short run, but…
After lumbar fusion, who are those patients whose discharge is most likely to be delayed and why?
Using data from more than 11,000 patients and conducted by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, this anesthesia comparison is likely an instant classic. Care to guess the results?
What did a team of Canadian researchers determine about sagittal nor spinopelvic malalignment?
New study puts hard numbers to the relationship of obesity with all-cause following total knee arthroplasty.
Orthofix Medical, Inc. and the MTF has announced the initial patient implant of Virtuos Lyograft.
Osteopetrosis is a rare disorder that causes bones to grow abnormally and become overly dense and brittle.
A new, randomized controlled study pits aspirin against enoxaparin as a treatment for VTE after TJA.
Have we been comparing apples to oranges when it comes to the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) measure? A group from Harvard Medical School set out to achieve some clarity on this issue.
Approximately three years ago, using a deep learning algorithm, MIT researchers identified a powerful new antibiotic compound—potentially the first novel broad-based antibiotic in more than four decades. The new molecule is named after the fictional artificial intelligence (AI) system in the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey”—halicin.
How catastrophic is surgical pain for children with AIS? New study to find out.
Do diagnoses, surgical plans, and outcomes vary for telemedicine patients seeking spine care? Not much…
As femoral head size increases, it would be useful to know if there is a difference in revision rates.
Is concern for octogenarians who have total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in an outpatient setting justified?
Word to the wise: 31% of your patients are likely to be thinking; “You don’t need to see my private parts if you’re operating on my ankle/shoulder/hip.” A new study addresses this issue.
Does computer assistance improve the rates of error-free and complication-free surgery?
New study: “Does soft tissue balancing have to be a soft science?”
Zimmer Biomet founded and supported Movement is Life, Inc., has become an independent 501(c)(3).
What did a Japanese research team find regarding total hip arthroplasty implant with a sand-blasted surface?
Adding 5 medications to a pain control regimen after TKA did NOT provide additional pain control…
Do Medicaid total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients have different post-op pain and narcotic requirements?
Patient-reported problems—grinding/clicking, catching/locking, painful knees…degenerative meniscal tears?
When several torn knee ligaments are surgically treated, is postoperative stiffness an issue in obese patients?
Collaborative work has looked into the art of soft tissue balancing in a new study.
“How does a total daily dose of 162mg of aspirin stack up against a total of 650mg per day when it comes to reducing periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following total joint arthroplasty (TJA)—without increasing the risk of postoperative wound complications?”
“Next-generation sequencing is capable of detecting over 50,000 organisms in contrast to culture that can ‘grow’ (isolate) a much smaller number of organisms.”
“In the future, we anticipate a significantly increased number of TKA in patients suffering from Parkinson’s Disease.”
Stroke patients are left with ongoing neurological deficits and need total joint arthroplasty?
What is the association between patient-specific factors…implant-related factors to postoperative instability?
Michael Kelly, M.D. is new director of Scoliosis and Spinal Deformities at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego.
How well (or not) does extended oral antibiotic prophylaxis work after aseptic revision total hip arthroplasty?
More is not always better when it comes to pediatric torus (buckle) wrist fractures.
New study finds that 3 factors are the highest predictors of early total hip arthroplasty revision surgery.
Patients with RA shown in previous studies to be at a higher risk of falling than those without the disease.
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston compared two anesthetics—mepivacaine and ropivacaine.
AlloSource launched a novel allograft bone product within the AlloFuse family of demineralized bone grafts.
One aspect of being a market leader is that your products may end up competing against each other. That appears to be the case regarding two of Synthes (the market leader in trauma products) hip fixation nails—the company’s trochanteric fixation nail and the trochanteric fixation nail advanced.
Nauseous and vomiting patients aren’t going to be so happy, neither is the hospital that has to delay discharge.
Integra LifeSciences launched NeuraGen 3D Nerve Guide Matrix for mid-gap peripheral nerve discontinuities.
Mark H. Getelman, M.D.: “Being President during AANA’s 40th Anniversary year was incredibly rewarding…”
Stryker launched its EasyFuse Dynamic Compression System, which uses a nickel titanium alloy metal—nitinol.
Are the people in TJA randomized controlled trials truly representative of those who undergo TJA?
How cost effective, really, is routine hemoglobin A1c screening prior to TJA?
Baylor College of Medicine awarded more than $5 million for testing a viral gene therapy treatment for OA.
THA risk at the individual patient level can be calculated using a comprehensive screening tool.
When there is progressive OA after a partial knee arthroplasty—better to revise to a TKA or do another partial?
“Prosthesis dislocation is one the most common causes of re-revision after revision THA.”
“Metal artefact reduction has always been a challenge for CT particularly in dense hip prostheses.”
New study from Wash University on hip dysplasia biomechanics.
We don’t know enough about general vs. spinal anesthesia for hip fracture patients.
New paper: some measure of comfort for surgeons leaving an arthritic patella unresurfaced—in certain cases.
Lipogems USA receives FDA approval for a 12-month IDE study for treating knee osteoarthritis.
New study: Who would think that some extra oxygen before surgery could be harmful?
Do different races get different treatment throughout their care for total hip and knee arthroplasties.
Are your patients’ Patient Reported Outcome Measures changing between initial clinic visit and day of surgery?
New study from the Campbell Clinic finds virtual orthopedic surgery training growing by leaps and bounds.
When Medicare moved reimbursement for THA and TKA, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute withdrew from the program.
What, in fact, is a successful total knee arthroplasty? Poll 100 surgeons and you might get 150 opinions.
SurgiSTUD has added a full range of orthopedic models to its offerings.
Our study is a step toward the ultimate goal of performing a TKA for a patient that feels like their own knee…
Computers can “see” better, faster and with less bias than humans. For medicine, that can be a game changer.
Toni M. McLaurin, M.D. has been elected to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Board of Directors.
Hospital for Special Surgery expands in Uniondale, Long Island, New York, nearly doubling the facility size.
Would you try to perform a total knee implant using acupuncture as your pain management tool?
A new study: how do surgeons think they are doing vs how the patient thinks they are doing—surprising gap.
New study: 80.5% of orthopedic residents have experienced a sharps injury.
Kleiner Device Labs has been honored with the 2022 Medical Design Excellence Awards.
All peer reviewed, published studies are said to have predictive value (p value).
ATRO Medical recognized by J&J Innovation as an Awardee in the Veterans Lead QuickFire Challenge.
Could bacteriophage therapy be as effective as the current standard of care for eradicating biofilm infections?
The race to bring artificial intelligence into the examining room may now have a new leader. Berkeley, California-based Robin Healthcare. Their remarkable AI smart assistant (works like Alexa or Siri) is designed for ortho EHR, coding, record keeping and note taking.
A novel anti-TNF injection treatment for Dupuytren’s disease was the subject of a Phase 2b trial.
At one point in time, hip and knee surgery was generally assumed to be the bread and butter procedure for most hospitals in America. A lot has changed since that was common wisdom. See what procedures generate the most revenue.
“Using pain medication…directly at the site of TKA surgery provides pain control with minimal systemic effects….”
A new study has found that homeless patients are 15x more likely to visit the emergency room…but, importantly…did NOT have significantly higher rates of readmission when compared to a non-homeless population.
How do you combine professional success and satisfaction with a real commitment to family? New multicenter research has tackled the thorny issue of differences between female and male orthopedic surgeons when it comes to work-family balance.
New study finds race/ethnicity are NOT independent risk factors for TKA extended length of stay.
ArthroS™, a training simulator, features different skin tones of both patients and trainee physicians.
New work from the University Hospital Munich in Germany and New York Presbyterian Hospital has found that use of a “high-fidelity” simulator can greatly enhance soft tissue, bone, bleeding, and dura management and surgical skills for MIS lumbar spine surgery.
Level one comparison study of instrumented vs uninstrumented spondy study wins 2022 IMAST Whitecloud Award.
Sustained release liposomal bupivacaine vs bupivacaine hydrochloride for better pain relief in TKA patients.
TurningPoint Healthcare Solutions launches its first care management program for musculoskeletal pain.
National Spine Health Foundation celebrates 20 years of being a patient-centered, non-profit organization.
Scoliosis Research Society presented a 2022 Thomas E. Whitecloud Award for an AIS vitamin D deficiency study.
Does a patient’s race affect decisions to have a lower-extremity arthroplasty…realize an optimal outcome.
New study: Immediate-use steam sterilization and the incidence of surgical site infections.
“In patients with good bone quality, cementless knees will undoubtedly become more commonplace…”
Stryker debuted its PROstep MICA SOLO Guide at the recent American College of Foot and Ankle Surgery.
Lisa Cannada, M.D., receives the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society’s new annual award: “She For She.”
Nvision Biomedical Technologies unveiled its PEEK-OPTIMA HA Enhanced in Lapidus and Subtalar Fusion Wedges.
New study questions robotic-assisted vs manual THA—which one shines?
New study collects data on active amputee patients—this group tends to have a high incidence of falls.
TissueTech is now renamed, re-branded and, perhaps even “reborn” as BioTissue.
How often does chronic antibiotic suppression prevent reoperation due to a prosthetic joint infection.
What are effective strategies for treating a patient with recurrent prosthetic joint infections (PJI)?
What is the difference between different total knee arthroplasty (TKA) alignment approaches?
A group of Canadian researchers is using a high energy accelerator to accelerate bone tissue regeneration.
Arthroscopic simulators gathering a bit of dust? Study shows need to require use in curricula.
Donald D. Anderson, Ph.D. is being recognized as one of the top medical/biological engineers in the country.
A new 11,600 patient study from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation put to the test two discharge planning tools.
Smoking creates more adverse event risk in patients than obesity.
Lawrence J. Bonassar, Ph.D., has been honored with AAOS’ 2022 Kappa Delta Anne Doner Vaughn Award.
Louis C. Gerstenfeld, Ph.D., professor of orthopaedic surgery at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), is the first-ever recipient of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) International Section of Fracture Repair (ISFR) Lifetime Achievement Award.
Additive manufacturing has opened up an entire new way of thinking about implant/tissue interface.
New study on the rare and debilitating disease known as fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.
New study: when doctors and skilled nursing facilities team up, TJA costs go down and outcomes go up.
How does liner design affect functional anteversion, inclination, and jump distance for total hip arthroplasty.
New study calls into question the utility of synovial fluid antibody assay testing for some common pathogens.
CDC classification system often does not pertain to surgical wounds for subspecialty procedures.
A new cadaveric study compared a new image-free robotic assist total knee device to conventional TKA.
When a festival of microorganisms get together, thus creating a biofilm, trouble is in store.
“After spending time with our surgeon customers to understand what they needed from a thicker dermal allograft…”
New study: “patients felt more involved in the decision to have surgery, their outcomes were actually better.”
Are some patients with high BMIs being denied surgery that have a comparatively complication-free experiences? David DeMik, M.D., Pharm.D. told OTW. “In addition to being a growing national problem, many patients who are deemed too ‘high risk’ for joint replacement are prescribed weight loss.”
New Tufts U. study: “potentially very serious” issues related to mechanically associated crevice corrosion.
An antibacterial peptide which is intended to be used for the treatment of prosthetic joint infections (PJI) has just completed its first-in-human trial.
How do standard condylar designs compare to guided motion designs when it comes to knee kinematics? A newly published study by researchers at NYU Langone Health concluded: “Standard condylar designs, even with variations in sagittal radii, are unlikely to reproduce anatomic kinematics. On the other hand, designs with asymmetric constraint between medial and lateral sides, and other guiding features, are likely to be the way forward.”
Sixty percent of the global population live in one of the 48 countries that comprise Asia—and most squat routinely.
In 2018 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services knocked TKA off the “inpatient-only” list.
A new retrospective, multicenter study has investigated the use of the Rothman Index.
“Patients from rural, lower income areas tend to be most affected with regard to travel burden…”
Social media and how it might be effectively used to engage with the orthopedic community and network.
Diabetes treatment drug Metformin has been shown to extend survival time in patients with carcinomas.
What is the relationship between FAIS preoperative expectations and the fulfillment of those expectations?
How many total knee arthroplasty patients die from the operation?
The number of THA performed on the under-21-years-old population is small but growing at a notable rate.
A novel smart brace to deliver pain relief and improved function for patients with knee osteoarthritis.
To what extent does hip implant selection affect patient outcomes? At 1 year, a new study says not much.
Frailty is indeed “highly associated” with postoperative outcomes in orthopedic surgery.
Can a solid focus on pre-/postoperative physical therapy lessen the odds of long-term opioid use after TKR?
Using smart phone-like accelerometers and gyroscopes, powerful processing capabilities and leading-edge software, a next generation handheld surgical navigation computer, tailored made for total and partial knee replacement surgery is being launched commercially for use in all hospitals, clinics and, of course, ambulatory surgery centers (ASC).
Does the size of the operating room have an effect on surgical site infection rates?
The words we choose. Our tone of voice. New study researched effect on patient’s mental and social health.
Marking 11 years December 2021,Operation Walk USA has provided no-cost joint replacements to patients suffering with hip and knee pain. A total of 20 orthopedic surgeons at 18 hospitals around the country performed life-enhancing surgeries covering all aspects of treatment, including surgery, hospitalization, and pre-and post-operative care.
Those accustomed to using robots are seeing lower complication rates when it comes to total knee arthroplasty.
First population-level study collected data regarding computer-assisted knee arthroplasty in the ICD-10 era.
Kim Mikes, M.B.A., B.S.N., R.N., C.N.O.R., has been named the new CEO of Hoag Orthopedic Institute.
More than two-thirds of vertebral fractures are undiagnosed.
James Benjamin Chen, M.D., a total joint specialist, has joined the Irvine, California-based Hoag Orthopedic Institute.
New study on color and art in surgical environments effects on patient outcomes.
The latest SRS research agenda has recently been announced, following months of analysis and interviews…
Based on AI algorithms, Ricoh USA’s system creates 3D-printed physical simulators/models for surgeons.
New research from Germany compares aftercare orthopedic telemedical consultations to in-person consultations.
Surgeons need total clarity when it comes to identifying the correct vertebral segment.
CTL Amedica launched the RODIN Transforaminal Expandable Lumbar Interbody Fusion System at NASS annual meeting.
And while you didn’t choose to practice psychiatry, there is growing evidence that having a mental health professional inside or tied to an orthopedic practice could help these individuals, some of whom would otherwise never get help.
Bone Health Technologies, makers of OsteoBoost, has been awarded $2.7 million by a division of NIH.
New trial on health benefit microprocessor-controlled knee technologies provide to patients over 65.
Overall conclusions were that EXPAREL demonstrated safety and tolerability in pediatric patients.
New work performed at Mayo Clinic has looked at patients who have septic arthritis of the native knee prior to total knee arthroplasty.
“High blood glucose after surgery can increase infection risk because the elevated glucose impairs the immune response…”
Is Preop spine imaging for total hip arthroplasty, cost justified?
Suken A. Shah, M.D., a renown pediatric orthopedic, has been elected to the 2021-2022 Scoliosis Research Society Board of Directors.
Given their impact, it may be a bit of a surprise to some that diabetes, cardiac issues and the like are inconsistently reported in the total hip and total knee arthroplasty literature.
How do overall health and socioeconomic factors relate to racial disparities in incidence rates for knee osteoarthritis?
OrthogenRx launched an interesting and novel patient-centric prescribing and reimbursement platform at AAOS.
A new study on osseointegrated prostheses has found that the devices result in high levels of patient satisfaction compared with conventional devices.
A fascinating new study may, finally, unlock the key to the stubbornly high (20%) rate of patient dissatisfaction with their total joint replacement.
A team from Hawaii decided to dig deeper into the topic of hip corticosteroid injections.
Bryce A. Basques, M.D. has joined University Orthopedics Center for Spine Health, headquartered in East Providence, Rhode Island.
Have blood transfusion rates following Primary and Revision Total Joint Arthroplasty truly declined?
Researchers dove in to determine how dislocation and revision rates are impacted by the timing of a lumbar spine fusion before THA.
New research has determined that anterior spinal growth tethering surgery results in an ongoing reduction in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).
Lazurite Holdings and University Hospitals (UH) Ventures have pulled together to undertake a formative human factors study on Lazurite’s ArthroFree wireless light and surgical camera system.
Garbage in, Garbage out. That is the #1 risk of any dataset, data stream or registry.
The renown minimally invasive spine surgeon—Frank Phillips, M.D. of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush—has been honored with the 2021 Leon Wiltse Award from the North American Spine Society (NASS).
Diane Hillard-Sembell, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, has been presented with the 2021 Athena International Leadership Award.
Eagle-Condor Humanitarian works hard with surgeons in Peru to identify specific case needs before traveling. While most who visit Peru flock to eye the wonders of history such as Machu Picchu, nearly 500 medical staff and their families have gone there with a Utah-based nonprofit to provide healing to the current generation of Peruvians.
Unlike Sir Richard Branson, most of us will remain space flight virgins…
OrthAlign, Inc., which has developed literally, a hand-held computer for surgical navigation, announced that it had officially crossed the 200,000 joint replacement surgery milestone around the globe.
A new trial has tested the proposition that methylnaltrexone is actually necessary to ensure normal bowel functioning after surgery—even with opioid use.
There’s precious little data regarding the long-term efficacy of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information Systems for lumbar decompression surgeries.
Stryker’s Trauma & Extremities Division has launched its Citrelock Tendon Fixation Device System.
When mixed into a carrier; vancomycin, tobramycin and gentamicin can retain their potencies, releasing their antibiotics for up to 40 days.
Researcheres set out to determine if there was a link between dose-dependent opioid use and postoperative complications following joint arthroplasty.
Prosidyan, Inc. has announced a new study that provides evidence that its bioactive glass fiber-based bone graft substitute can achieve a 96.3% rate of spine fusion.
A new Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) study documents how innovations in deformity spine surgery management can reduce days in the hospital.
It’s hard to buy certainty, but two healthcare entities are trying to change that. Pennsylvania-based Geisinger Health Plan, along with the Swiss orthopedics company Medacta, have announced that they will offer a two-year guarantee for total hip, knee and shoulder replacement surgeries—a world’s first.
The winner of the 2021 Knee Society John N. Insall Award is announced…
AAOS has updated its evidence-based clinical practice guideline for treating painful osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.
A new study by Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has not only evaluated accuracy of robotic- and navigation-assisted technology in adult spine surgery screw placemennt, but also what, if any, time savings the robotic assist devices provided.
Physical therapists need not “apply?”—new study using a smartwatch with an app, i.e., mymobility®.
New study finds tourniquet-less revision TKA may be a viable option in selected patients.
Benjamin J. Schwartz, M.D., has been named to the Clinical Advisory Board of PrecisionOS.
“We conclude that arthroplasty and fusion are equally good treatment options for cervical radiculopathy….”
David B. Karpf, M.D. and Harold Rosen, M.D. joined the Scientific Advisory Board Bone Health Technologies.
Accelus, Inc. announced the launch of FlareHawk7, an ultra-low profile (7mm) expandable lumbar fusion device.
The patients were fitted with wearable sensors so they could perform the timed up and go test, among others.
Over the past 20 years how often has total hip arthroplasty been performed in patients under 21?
NIH awarded Mount Sinai $2.9 million to study if a brain implant can help severely paralyzed patients.
How well can a no rinse antimicrobial solution prevent infection in open tibial shaft fracture trauma cases?
Can patient portals have an impact on improving patient reported outcomes measures?
It’s hard to get through the first hour of the day without worrying about pathogens these days.
The Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders received a NIH pledge of $4 million.
Two-year data on Mainstay Medical’s ReActiv8 released at the AANS Annual Scientific Meeting.
Due to a 2020 New York state-mandated suspension of elective surgeries some patients didn’t reschedule.
To screen or not to screen pre-op for MRSA in spine arthroplasty patients…benefits unclear.
Mrs. X goes to an orthopedic specialty hospital and Mrs. Y to a general hospital—total knee arthroplasties.
“Open epidural blood patching an efficacious/allergy free/cost-effective method to augment durotomy repair.”
How cost effective is the PMA (premarket approval) approved bone growth peptide, i-FACTOR? Only two bone growth compounds have been PMA approved by the FDA, Medtronic’s Infuse and Cerapedics P-15 based bone graft, i-FACTOR.
The Orthopaedic Implant Company (OIC) and its CEO, Itai Nemovicher, describe a life changing event when he accompanied Chicago-based One World Surgery on an orthopedic surgery charity trip to Honduras. The company has donated implants worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and partnered with organizations and surgeons to advance orthopedic care in underserved nations.
Timothy Reish, M.D., integrated his practice into Summit Health’s Orthopedics and Sports Medicine team.
Visible anatomical landmarks for guiding a surgeon during total hip arthroplasty (THA) are rare.
Auctus Surgical granted Breakthrough Device Designation for its pediatric scoliosis tethering system.
Is topical intrawound vancomycin effective against the scourge of periprosthetic joint infection?
First patients implanted with Maxx Orthopedics/Invibio Biomaterial new, all polymer PEEK-OPTIMA femoral knee.
Steve Meyer, M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon in Sioux City, Iowa, and founder of the Siouxland Tanzania Educational Medical Ministries (STEMM) says the number one ortho procedure in Tanzania is amputation. His ministries have delivered miracles large and small and built an organization that lifts children and families out of disability and poverty.
How invasive or morbid is spine fusion surgery as compared to some of the other most serious procedures? New study says: “Adult spinal deformity operations are major surgeries that can last upwards of 8-10 hours, often presenting with compromised respiratory and/or cardiac function.”
What is the ideal timing for knee arthroplasty…new study seeks answers.
Do readers of glowing recommendation letters for medical students actually buy what the writers are saying?
Alphatec Spine appoints industry veteran Beth Altman to its Board of Directors/chair of its Audit Committee.
How often does repeat imaging change the diagnosis and/or management of a patient’s case?
Is alcohol use disorder a contributing factor to complications after total knee arthroplasty?
A new, retrospective, case controlled study is reporting that total knee arthroplasty patients treated preoperatively for pain using cryoneurolysis used 51% fewer opioids than the control group. Furthermore, the pain mitigation lasted for months postoperatively.
Bioventus, Inc. launches OSTEOAMP SELECT Flowable, an allograft bone graft substitute solution.
Joseph Buckwalter, IV, M.D., named 2021 winner—Distinguished Contributions to Orthopaedics Award by AOA.
Kaia Health says results of a new study has demonstrated that its computer vision technology is as accurate as a physical therapist (PT) in suggesting exercise corrections.
Can you get a real spine exam during a telemedicine visit—with the help of a few household items, you can.
Sanford E. Emery, M.D., M.B.A. is the 2021 winner of the AOA Distinguished Clinician Educator Award.
“This study highlights the value in using MRI to evaluate patients with metal-on-metal hip resurfacing.”
Mainstay Medical has announced the limited U.S. commercial launch of ReActiv8 for chronic low back pain.
New study: how people perceive their quality of life affects their spine surgery outcomes.
ReVivo Medical ads industry veterans Serhan and Einhorn to its advisory board.
Study measures “frailty” on postoperative complications in patients with malignant lumbar spine neoplasms.
Introducing Chris Joyce, M.D., Colorado Orthopaedics self-proclaimed “math and physic geek.” Using his “engineering brain” in orthopedic surgery to benefit patients, colleagues and, ultimately, orthopedic care more broadly.
“The hip-spine relationship is currently the most important topic in hip replacement surgery.”
Do racial disparities change for TJA patients depending on the volume of cases at their respective hospitals?
Hangar Foundation gives $120,000 in grants to 14 organizations supporting adaptive sports.
James Andrews, M.D. and Russell Warren, M.D. build a dream-team practice—American Orthopedic Partners.
Richard K.N. Ryu, M.D., awarded the inaugural AANA Distinguished Service Award.
Mininder Kocher, M.D., M.P.H. is the 38th president of The Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America.
Dr. Freddie Fu honored by EFFORT for his career-long contributions to international orthopedics.
Is there a big hole in the literature regarding robotic assisted total joint arthroplasty? New study.
By looking at video, phone, and text messages, surgeons’ postoperative work is greatly underestimated.
Femoral head osteonecrosis is a refractory orthopedic disease causing progressive avascular bone necrosis.
New study: the time/effort of orthopedic surgeons to educate/optimize patients preoperatively has paid off.
If you’re over age 80, primary total joint arthroplasties will cost more than at age 65-80.
Rapid recovery after total joint arthroplasty causing clinicians to “front load” a significant amount of work.
Could elevated levels of zinc or copper or both be a contributing cause to the onset of osteoarthritis?
New study found no association between fatty acid levels and OA/pain outcome….not promising treatments.
New study finds evidence that some foods in the Western diet may be associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA).
Enhatch Inc., cloud-based intelligent surgery platform provider, closed a funding round.
First surgeon in Japan to use Intellijoint HIP®, a surgeon-controlled navigation system.
New study “attempts to delineate the impact of skeletal health…of cementless THA in postmenopausal women.”
Evonik to launch PEEK-based filament with which allows bone cells to adhere to implants more quickly.
It’s been seven years since the last systematic review of Ligament Augmentation and Reconstruction Systems.
Roughly 10% of hip arthroplasty patients are not satisfied with their new hip; gait speed might offer a clue.
“The surgical technique is the most important determinant … when determining the optimal surgical plan.” What are the risk factors for pseudarthrosis in long segment spinal fusions? What is the role of anterior stability?
It was science fiction; the future is now…augmented reality navigation for spine surgery.
Nicholas M. Bernthal, M.D., is the inaugural Jeffrey J. Eckardt, M.D., Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Multiligamentous knee surgery data reveals low intraoperative complication rate vs postoperative.
New scoring for hip and knee disabilities and injuries—HOOS-12 and KOOS-12. Better than Oxford scoring?
Can patient’s commitment to a physical therapy protocol be improved? New study hopes so.
What are the race/ethnicity patterns in orthopedic randomized clinical trials and is it a relevant factor? “…if certain complications after surgery are more common for those of a particular race, we can account for this and work to minimize any adverse outcomes in the future.”
Gap balancing vs measured resection…which wins: implant migration or tibiofemoral contact kinematics?
A new study completed on 10-year follow-up of Smith & Nephew’s Journey-Deuce knee prosthesis.
“What we found was stunning,” said Dr. Lonner to OTW, “but not necessarily surprising.”
Xenco Medical has put a new product on “the red carpet” with the release of HoloMedX, the first glasses-free holographic surgical simulation platform on the market. With HoloMedX, surgeons can simulate an entire spine surgery in holographic space—no need for headgear or glasses.
Does a 1-day discharge change complication rates when compared to a longer stay total knee arthroplasty?
Jeremy Smith, M.D. is new Division Chief of Surgical Spine at Hoag Orthopedic Institute.
Zimmer Biomet’s mymobility with Apple Watch remote care management platform now has a video visit option.
How does kinematic instability/pathologic vertebral fractures relate to metastatic spine disease patients?
Routine postop chemistry panels are not necessary—new research from the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute.
The number of spine fusion levels an underappreciated, possibly ignored risk factor for hip problems?
Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush announces fall 2021 opening of a new full-service clinic in Joliet.
No-show physical therapy patients waste opportunities and resources says a new study.
Four residents to participate on American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery’s new Resident Advisory Panel.
American Alliance of Orthopaedic Executives new program helps vendors/industry professionals connect.
The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) is teaming up with PrecisionOS, an award-winning virtual reality (VR) simulation platform, to integrate VR training for American shoulder and elbow fellows as the first society to scale up its investment in virtual reality surgical training.
New study on controversial use of tranexamic acid in patients with coronary artery disease who undergo TJA.
Netherlands’ research pair testosterone and alendronate for the purpose of local bone regeneration.
Lin Han,Ph.D., honored by AAOS with the 2021 Kappa Delta Young Investigator Award in cartilage regeneration.
Clinical implications that hip resurfacing best for young male patients with normal femoral neck anteversion.
For patients who undergo TKA, instability in the knee would be an unwelcome surprise.
Patient Eugenia Dziopa is happy following her TKA using THINK Surgical’s robotic system.
Echolight Medical LLC launches a novel portable Radiofrequency Echographic Multi Spectrometry (REMS).
A new study from U Penn has found a way to help aching joints from cartilage breakdown.
With pedicle shapes/sizes varying wildly in scoliotic spines, screw misplacement is a real possibility.
Nader Nassif, M.D., has been elected Division Chief of Joint Replacement at Hoag Orthopedic Institute.
Mayo Clinic study indicates concern that a high dose of local antibiotics can harm the kidneys.
Although Dr. Stephen Hochschuler has announced his plans to retire, his friends, colleagues and former patients are skeptical. After all, Dr. Hochschuler’s multitude of talents including being present and looking around corners for the next big thing is unrivaled and his energy is legendary.
What happens to clinical study quality when the patient plays a role in its design?
Patients might now have an additional reason to address musculoskeletal pain. New work from the University of Florida (UF) has found a link between chronic knee pain and key demographic factors and differences in regions of the brain associated with memory.
Clearly, 55-year-old Ms. Jones in Room 210 isn’t the same as 55-year-old Ms. Smith in Room 211.
The 2021 winner of the prestigious Thomas E. Whitecloud Award from the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) is a paper which compared vertebral tethering to posterior spinal fusion for the treatment of scoliosis.
Industry veteran Greg Berlet, M.D. joins MedShape, Inc. as new Chief Medical Officer.
How often do patients who have had a two-stage revision for PJI develop antibiotic-resistant infection?
Intellijoint Surgical’s Intelllijoint HIP gains Japanese Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Agency authorization.
iRISE Spine and Joint brings Michael C. Weiss, D.O., on as Chieft of Surgery and CMO.
We might be seeing some progress in finding that “sweet spot” between rehab speed/safety for AIS.
Camber Spine’s Camber Cares initiative funds inner city youth program—Building Up The Youth.
Preop ANJESO (meloxicam) injection prior to unilateral total knee arthroplasty, less opioids needed.
To what extent do hip arthroscopy patients who are happy at the 6 month mark remain satisfied 2 years later?
Is STEP useful in determining skill level of intermediate level ortho trainees in hand surgery?
In 2015, U.S. healthcare transitioned to the more detailed ICD-10 coding system. Consequences emerged?
New app allows anonymous reporting of adverse events without needing permission from the attending.
Carlmed’s aprevo™ device is used in first-in-man, digital to device, patient-specific spine surgery.
Alphatec launched InVictus Occipital-Cervical-Thoracic Spinal Fixation System, now covers the entire spine.
Finnish firm Onbone’s Woodcast is green, safe, moldable and can be formed into a number of shapes.
Study moves surgeons towards a common language in pelvic obliquity on studies of neuromuscular scoliosis.
Camber Spine launched a novel set of spinal implant devices/tools for oblique lateral interbody fusion surgery.
Zimmer Biomet integrates ZBEdge Connected Intelligence Suite with current/future digital/robotic technologies.
Matt Tharp has joined Orchid Orthopedic Soutions as its new CFO.
A new outpatient, minimally invasive procedure, genicular artery embolization (GAE), was tested in a small, 40-patient study and, it appears, has the potential to compete effectively with current standard of care treatments for patients with moderate to severe knee OA.
Medacta has added MySpine for S2-alar-iliac fixation (S2AI) to its MySolutions personalized ecosystem.
mymedicalimages joints with AAOS Member Advantage Program allowing viewing of patient records on the Cloud.
Ivan Tornos has been named Zimmer Biomet’s Chief Operating Officer—a newly-created position.
Does race or socioeconomic status correlate to delays, pain levels for total joint surgery patients?
Alphatec Spine to open a new distribution operations in Memphis in July 2021.
Dr. Vasili Karas, an orthopedic surgeon, joined ExplORer Surgical’s Clinical Advisory Board.
A new study brings a bit of light to the subject of industry payments to physicians.
New study finds spine surgery patients had 3x better outcomes when based on evidence-based best practices.
New study dives deep into opioid prescription trends and patterns for knee osteoarthritis.
April as Spine Surgery Safety Month. Safety in Spine Surgery is promoting a month of spine safetly. Under the leadership of Michael G. Vitale, M.D., M.P.H. and co-chairmen John Flynn, M.D., Raj Sethi M.D., Roger Hartl M.D., and Larry Lenke M.D., a live webinar will take place on April 29, 2021.
The majority of delays/disruptions during surgery are likely caused by preventable issues—in this case, 82%.
Spineart USA’s BAGUERA C Cervice Disc Prosthesis used in first-in-man a single-level AND a two-level surgeries.
Total Joint Orthopedics completed the first cases with the Klassic Knee System’s PS-Max Tibial Insert.
New study finds dramatic difference in patient’s pain reduction using digital treatment vs. traditional care.
HSS, in partnership with LimaCorporate, has an orthopedic implant 3D printing facility on hospital grounds.
Spinal Elements relaunches and engages in the first clinical use of its Luna® XD and the Orbit® systems.
Orthopedic surgeon Steven L. Barnett, M.D. is the new chief medical officer of Hoag Orthopedic Institute.
Larry Chen, with 20+ years sales/marketing experience, is new Bioventus Managing Director, China/Asia Pacific.
An Israel-based study of a novel, screwless spinal fusion implant has just been started by Dr. Lior Merom.
U.S. Orthopaedic Partners acquires Jackson Anesthesia Pain Center, Oxford Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.
Dr. Mark Gittins, with OrthoNeuro and Avail Medsystems’s Procedural Telemedicine for remote surgical training.
MicroPort Orthopedics launches its Profemur Gladiator HA and Profemur Gladiator Cemented Collared Stems.
Hip fracture fixation study—10 specialist UK trauma hospitals; 50+ surgeons and more than 1,000 patients…
MiRus, LLC is offering a limited lifetime warranty of its MoRe superalloy rod technology.
Orthopedic innovator/clinical thought leader Dr. Richard Berger is leading the way to telehealth.
BandGrip micro-anchor skin closure device 5x faster in closing incisions compared to traditional sutures.
Camber Spine has a new training program for spine and neurosurgeons interested in learning the OLIF approach.
Chronic musculoskeletal pain? Kaia Health has a new suite of digital musculoskeletal programs to help patients with their back, hip, knee, spine, whatever hurts pain.
CTL Amedica’s Minimally Invasive Flex Tower implant used in first-in-man lumbar back surgery.
Industry executive Josh Pang joins Orchid Orthopedics Solutions as its new chief commercial officer.
Dr. Jay J. Patel brings his expertise to Hoag Orthopedic Institute as new Chief Strategy Officer.
Mainstay Medical adds Chip Moebus as VP of Reimbursement and Market Access.
Mainstay medical names Boris Deutschmann as new country manager for Germany focusing on pain therapies.
Mainstay Medical adds Australia to VP James Knibbs regions of the UK and Ireland.
A new survey has found that sexism and bullying are alive and kicking in orthopedics.
DePuy Synthes signs with Expanding Innovations for U.S. distribution of the X-Pac Expandable Lumbar Cage.
Derek Matteo has joined Dublin, Ireland-based Mainstay Medical Holdings as Vice President of U.S. Sales.
Sister companies, SITES Medical and Mach Medical, open new headquarters in Columbia City, Indiana.
Mainstay Medical adds Elias Tu as new vice president of sales in the Philips Healthcare neurology division.
Surgeons have developed a new single step pedicle screw system for minimally invasive spine surgery.
Sensor and robotic knee surgery pioneer orthopedic surgeon, Martin Roche, M.D., joins HSS Florida.
curasan AG welcomes new CEO Dirk Dembski, bringing many years of experience in biotech and medical devices.
TheraFuze DBF Fiber Bullets, novel bone fiber-based graft, use in first-in-man interbody TLIF surgery.
Researchers find what tiny little organisms that cause surgical site infections (SSI) in spinal procedures?
Agreement supports the expansion/pursuit of new relationships with leading orthopedic providers nationwide.
Do bisphosphonates cause higher complication rates in osteoporotic posterior lumbar fusion patients?
“Mother’s Little Helpers”—better known as Valium or Xanax—increase adverse event risk for TKA patients.
Camber Spine received U.S. Patent and Trademark Office notice of allowance for its SPIRA Lateral 3.0 implant.
Medacta and HSS announce the first augmented reality total knee arthroplasty performed in the U.S.
New study finds late hip revisions most commonly performed for metal-on-metal mechanical failure.
Parvizi Surgical Innovations announces a partnership with PrecisionOS for simulated surgical training.
Ascension Florida and Healthcare Outcomes Performance Company facility to treat NW Florida patients.
“The incidence of elderly distal femur fractures is on the rise,” says Dr. Greg Gaski.
New study finds that phosphorylation can affect the likelihood or severity of bone fractures.
Total joint arthroplasty better in ambulatory surgery centers than inpatient? New study thinks so.
“Complex revision knees that become infected are really tough problems for patient and surgeon alike.”
ReVivo Medical receives over $550,000 seed funding to use toward a 50-patient clinical trial.
How important are axial plane parameters in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) bracing outcomes?
Smoking cessation programs prove beneficial prior to spine or other kinds of surgery involving bone healing.
Rhode Island’s University Orthopedics is opening a clinic in Mansfield, Massachusetts to serve that region.
Newly launched Zimmer Biomet Foundation enters its initial partnership with NAACP’s Empowerment Programs committing $2 million over the next three years to “end racial injustice and advance diversity and equality.”
A new study from the UK questions if implant design alone provides improvement in patient outcomes.
Life Spine announces over 20,000 ProLife Expandable Systems sold for lumbar interbody surgery.
Drew Hamric joins CoreLink as vice president of sales Western Region.
Bill Murphy joins CoreLink as a new regional vice president of sales.
CoreLink brings on Buddy Day as a new regional Vice President of Sales.
Stephen Leshe joins CoreLink as new Regional Vice President of Sales.
COVID-19 virus results in a substantial change for many planning to apply to orthopedic surgery residencies.
Telerounding care proves satisfactory to a high percentage of total joint arthroplasty patients.
Female spine residents more interested in happiness of current residents than maternity leave.
Zimmer mymobility, Apple Watch, HSS’ Orthopedic Care Pathways—patient care management winner!
New large study finds that diabetes and cardiovascular disease don’t increase risk of knee osteoarthritis.
Mayo Clinic researchers find that lymphedema is a significant infection risk in total knee arthroplasty.
How much pain and exertion will knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients endure in order to “get back to normal?”
“Patients placed the greatest value/relative importance on serious complications/rates of revision….”
What effect does bi-unicompartmental knee arthroplasty have on hip-knee-ankle angle alignment?
Is hip joint space width relevant in type of radiograph?
Study explores the increase/decrease in female authorship in the arthroplasty research from 2002 to 2019.
If the tools you are relying on fail, then what are you left with?
Medacta officially launches the SensiTiN system specifically to reduce metal ion release.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons/American Joint Replacement Registry release new hip/knee data.
Regular cement found non-inferior to antibiotic bone cement with risk infection and cost across TKA patients.
SINTX Technologies is using its proprietary silicon nitride in a mask to trap/inactivate respiratory viruses.
Osteoarthritis patients don’t have enough data to make important decisions about total knee arthroplasty.
A. Seth Greenwald, D.Phil.(Oxon) and associates awarded the ASTM International 2020 Charles B. Dudley Medal.
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery has new president, Michael S. Bednar, M.D., and other new officers.
Medacta USA and OREF kick-off 2020 Medacta Challenge residents/fellows charitable giving to benefit OREF.
Hanger, Inc. promotes Regina Weger to President, Products & Services.
Healthcare veteran Pete Stoy joins Hanger, Inc. as Chief Operating Officer.
Could a magnetic field and hydrogels arrest cartilage degeneration, if not also regenerate the tissue?
SyntheticMR adds musculoskeletal radiologist Dr. Jan Fitz to its Medical Advisory Board.
Rothman Orthopaedic Institute—Florida welcomes Alfredo Arrojas, M.D. as it expands into Central Florida.
A new study finds that not much force is needed to damage the piriformis muscle during THA.
Indago appoints Leah Brownlee, J.D. as new President and General Counsel.
NASS’ 2020 Henry Farfan Award honors Dr. Barbara D. Boyan’s outstanding contributions in spine research.
Orthopaedic Implant Company is celebrating 10 years reducing excessive/extraneous sales/marketing expenses.
The 2020 NASS recipient of its Spine Advocacy Award goes to Jeffrey Wang, M.D.
American Association of Orthopaedic Executives joins rater8 for driving practice transformation through data.
Study: Younger patients are 2x as likely to undergo revision within two years of their primary TKA procedure.
Is there a relationship between body mass index and post-op Forgotten Joint Score-12 in total hip patients?
Surprising data on number of times OR door is opened during total joint arthroplasty.
Michael Klein, Jr., M.D., FACS, has been honored by NASS with the David O. Selby Award.
Medacta launches its 3DMetal Femoral Cones after receiving 510(k) clearance and CE mark.
Zurich-based VirtaMed AG’s LaparoS simulator honored with Swiss MedTech Award 2020.
New study finds versatile mathematical knee model sheds light on the effects of TKA design and outcomes.
Cleveland Clinic study finds that AI may identify implant data for patients requiring revision knee surgery.
How extensive is the issue of rank inflation and hype in applications for orthopedic residency slots.
Dr. Kenny Kwan wins SRS Biedermann Innovation Award for bracing research in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.
John Doucet, Ph.D., joins MCRA, LLC as senior director of neurology regulatory affairs.
Nate Folkert joins Orchid Orthopedic Solutions as new Chief Executive Officer.
Study finds the wear rate same for cemented and cementless components after uni knee replacement.
Silicon Valley veteran, Allan May, joins FundamentalVR as Chairman.
FundamentalVR adds “Teaching Space” to its Fundamental Surgery platform as a virtual classroom.
Orthopedic surgeon Mark M. Jones, M.D., joins Hanger, Inc. board of directors.
LimaCorporate gets EU Quality Management System certificate under new European Medical Devices Regulation.
Medacta’s NextAR™ TKA system was used in its first clinical case and received high ratings.
Would you stop a routine practice if it did not affect quality and resulted in a substantial savings?
Gene sequencing study goes 2x beyond detecting the presence of an infection—to exact micro-organism(s).
Prior to ACA was there indeed a pent-up demand and therefore an unmet need for knee and hip repair?
October 30 OrthoIndy’s virtual Bone Bash to posthumously honor Dr. Dean Maar.
Hanger, Inc. leads “unconscious bias” training to combat bias, racism and inequality.
Andrew Chen, M.D. is a new addition to the sports medicine team at University Orthopedics in Rhode Island.
Researchers study failure rates for total femoral replacement in terms of patient variables and more.
One-year follow-up visits after total hip or knee arthroplasty not as important to patients and surgeons?
Flexion Therapeutics launches key trial of novel osteoarthritis therapy drug.
HSS researchers search for the elusive “peak performance” in orthopedic surgery.
Össur has launched a new, streamlined, smartphone version of its Empower program.
): ICJR Insights: Advances in Hip & Knee Arthroplasty learning experience goes virtual in September/October.
Millstone Medical announces industry veteran David Payne as new VP-Business Development.
Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush welcomes pain management specialist Craig Best, D.O.
Engage® Surgical Partial Knee System cementless partial knee system receives FDA 510(k) clearance.
The Orthopaedic Implant Company launches One Procedure, One Price™ to reduce trauma procedure costs.
Modular dual mobility cups 7-year outcome data published in a recent study.
ICJR Insights: Mastering the Direct Anterior Approach virtual four-week CME course begins October 6.
Researchers fill in the literature gap for total hip arthroplasty in Paget’s disease of the bone patients.
NYU Langone Health uses the Forgotten Joint Score to assess hip arthroplasty to knee arthroplasty outcomes.
What objectively measured data is meaningful in self-reported patient pain and function scores after TKA?
Pediatric developmental hip dislocation comparative study results presented at POSNA annual meeting.
Total joint arthroplasty patients should be discharged when it is medically and socially safe to discharge.
Researchers study high blood transfusion rate in patients undergoing revision total hip arthroplasty.
Anterior or posterior approach for total hip replacement both have same clinical benefits?
DJO’s brainchild, Motion iQ rehab software, usage has jumped from 75% to almost 100% with COVID-19.
Italy-based Rejoint gives surgeons the first certified 3D printed cobalt-chrome knee prosthesis.
Medacta receives FDA clearance for NextAR TKA Application artificial intelligence surgical platform.
Dual mobility bearings are used frequently in younger patients, who might live with these implants for several decades.
Highly honored Dr. Ted Parsons is the 2020-2021 president of The American Orthopaedic Association.
New study on patient pain or impaired mobility after revision total hip arthroplasty.
Postoperative hip arthroplasty groin pain? Try Stryker’s Pivot Guardian Distraction System.
Do patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices suffer adverse events after TJA?
What factors might come into play regarding patient dissatisfaction following TKR?—#1 is mental health.
Researchers noticed an interesting failure pattern specific to rotating-platform total knee arthroplasty.
A team of Mayo Clinic researchers set out to examine the durability of new liners that are placed into a well-fixed acetabular component during revision THA.
Researchers investigate something amiss with knee joint line orientation after high tibial osteotomies.
Is gap year best based on: after college, during/after medical school, or unsuccessful orthopedic match?
Total hip and total knee arthroplasty complication and readmission rates declined between 2010-2017.
Wright Medical has announced that the first shoulder arthroplasty procedure using groundbreaking BLUEPRINT Mixed Reality Technology was performed at the Mayo Clinic.
New review by Brigham Health of same-day tertiary care total joint arthroplasty.
Do patients fare better with existing tibial intramedullary nail, worse, or no difference compared to TKA?
Research from three institutions studied the natural history of the dysplastic hip.
Could insurance status, health literacy or point of entry improve or hurt patient outcomes?
AAOS and OREF partner on addressing the most clinically impactful orthopedic research questions.
Hedgehog signaling pathway? Could it prevent cartilage degeneration?
American Joint Replacement Registry database reaches 2 million for hip and knee replacements.
AAOS honors Marc Swiontkowski, M.D. with the 2020 Kappa Delta Ann Doner Vaugh Award.
Study tackles outcome data for patients greater than 80 years old and total hip arthroplasty.
Over one million patients worldwide have received the DePuy Synthes ATTUNE Knee implant.
Researchers test cooled radiofrequency ablation for knee arthritis treatment.
OrthogenRX offers new pricing options through its TriVisc Direct Purchase and Patient Assistance programs.
Zimmer and Apple Watch adds new features to mymobility digital platform.
Maxx Orthopedics launches new Libertas Taper Reduced Uncemented Femoral Stem.
New study from Massachusetts General Hospital on periprosthetic joint infections after DAIR.
Dr. Carl Deirmengian’s research on periprosthetic joint infection wins prestigious AAOS award.
PrecisionOS adds virtual reality legend/surgical simulation expert Richard Satava, M.D. as a new advisor.
Osso VR is bringing incredible virtual reality (VR) training to every aspect of the OR environment.
New study on how total knee or hip arthroplasty affects the patient’s spouse/partner relationship.
Dr. Fleming has won the OREF award for outstanding research in musculoskeletal disease or injury.
Due to lack of evidence/agreement on guidelines for bracing in AIS, surgeons try to update best practices.
New study stems from the prominence of opioid abuse and addiction surrounding pain management.
“No thanks, doc…I don’t want any say in my treatment.”
Inspiren created an easy to install, wall mounted bedside device to ensure staff COVID-19 protection.
The needle on total knee arthroplasty (TKA) revisions hasn’t really moved after two decades.
New survey finds that mentorship can assist in advancing many orthopedic surgeons’ careers.
Viktor Krebs, M.D. and Amaar Ranawat, M.D. debate tourniquet use in total knee.
A panel of ortho surgeons tackled the case of a first total knee replacement.
A panel of ortho surgeons tackled the case of a stockbroker undergoing her first total knee replacement.
How safe is overlapping surgery? This approach has been controversial.
LimaCorporate has announced the Phase 2 plan to address the coronavirus pandemic emergency.
Ken Reali is the new CEO of Durham, North Carolina-based Bioventus LLC.
James Abraham is the new chief operating officer of Noblesville, Indiana-based Nexxt Spine, LLC.
Residents/fellows are missing two months training, becomes more important to assess surgical competency.
Dr. Parvizi has been named to the Board of Advisors of Molecular Surface Technologies.
Anterior total hip: 69-year-old professional tango dancer, really need a special table?
Dr. Liebermann packs up, boards a plane and literally moves his practice to Mbarara, Uganda.
43-year-old rock climber with pain on medial side of her knee—what to do?
New systematic review of literature to determine the extent knee morphology affects ACL injury.
Why do men who undergo total joint arthroplasty (TJA) experience a higher risk of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) than women? Don’t they wash their hands as often? A research team from Rothman Orthopaedic Institute in Philadelphia and the Iran University of Medical Sciences in Tehran went looking for an answer and found, interestingly enough, that […]
Now more than ever, patients don’t want to spend time filling out lengthy, cumbersome questionnaires. New work from the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute in Philadelphia and Universal Research Solutions in Columbia, Missouri, addresses this issue in their new study, “Use of Computerized Adaptive Testing to Develop More Concise Patient-Reported Outcome Measures,” appears in the March 12, […]
From a small village in France to ringing the Nasdaq Stock Market Opening Bell, Christophe Lavigne has indeed come far. His company, LDR, was sold to Zimmer Biomet for $1 billion in 2016. Since then he has been rockin’ around Austin and enjoying the good life.
London, UK-based FundamentalVR has added to its educational platform—Fundamental Surgery—with @HomeVR, a tool that will allow for accredited educational simulations to be used on standalone VR headsets such as Oculus Quest and HTC Vive Focus Plus. According to the company, “The hardware-agnostic software solution can mimic the physical cues of surgical actions, medical tools, and […]
To what extent does the ability to bounce back or recover from physical or psychological stress affect surgical satisfaction and outcomes? Probably a lot, one would think. New research, however, raises a number of important questions about the relevance of this ability to bounce back, otherwise known as “resilience.” Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital […]
Every Tuesday and Friday you can find the orthopedic fellows, residents and professors at New York University Langone Health (NYULH) in their pajamas. Well…we embellish. Jeffrey A. Goldstein, M.D., chief of spine service-education and director of Spine Fellowship at NYU Langone, explains, “Our distinguished visiting instructors typically must travel in order to deliver their lectures. […]
COVID-19 aside, future projections of surgical volume indicate an onslaught of medical procedures around the globe. More procedures…more “stuff.” A recent study from Germany and Spain has examined the environmental impact of disposable and a reusable surgery instrument sets for lumbar fusion surgeries as far as how they impact the environment. “Life cycle assessment of […]
By giving, we receive. A team from Wisconsin, led by Steven Grindel, M.D., recently returned from a medical mission to Nicaragua, one of the poorest countries in the Americas, where they donated time and skills, treating patients and building a Nicaraguan orthopedic infrastructure.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has decided to award $2.3 million to a research team at California-based UC Davis Health to, perhaps finally, answer the very stubborn question of how much activity should osteoarthritis (OA) patients have after a joint injury in order the optimize healing and return to pre-OA or pre-injury activities. It’s […]
Nimble companies easily shift with the environment at hand. Life Spine, Inc., a spinal implant company based in Huntley, Illinois, is doing just that. The company has teamed up with instrument maker Gizmo Medical, LLC of Hoffman Estates, Illinois, to collaborate on a ramp up of vital equipment needed by medical professionals. They are focusing […]
A recent study from Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago has determined that it is critical that patients with femoral acetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. The sooner the operative treatment, the better the outcomes. Their study, “Preoperative Duration of Symptoms Is Associated With Outcomes 5 Years After Hip […]
How well (or poorly) does calcium phosphate bone void fill perform in a threaded suture anchor pullout test? The results of a study to determine exactly that was recently published by a team from the Florida Orthopaedic Institute. Their work, “Calcium Phosphate Bone Void Filler Increases Threaded Suture Anchor Pullout Strength: A Biomechanical Study,” appears […]
Zimmer Biomet Spine has announced that over 150,000 Mobi-C Cervical Discs have been implanted worldwide. The implant, a cobalt chromium alloy and polyethylene mobile-bearing prosthesis, was first implanted in France in 2004 and was approved for sale in the U.S. by the FDA in 2013. Noting the bulwark of data on the device, James Cloar, […]
New work performed at the University of Virginia (UVA) in Charlottesville has examined six studies (234 knees) where patients were treated with an arthroscopic medial collateral ligament (MCL) release using the “pie crusting” technique. Their work, “Associated Morbidity After the Percutaneous Release of the Medial Collateral Ligament for Knee Arthroscopy,” appears in the March 2020 […]
A research team at Avon Orthopaedic Centre, Southmead Hospital in Bristol, UK, has just published results from a 10-year follow-up study of 184 patients who had been treated with medial fixed all-polyethylene bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). The work, “Minimum 10-year outcomes of a fixed bearing all-polyethylene unicompartmental knee arthroplasty used to treat medial osteoarthritis,” […]
With COVID-19 ever-present, The CORE Institute has implemented a new Orthopedic Telehealth Program that allows patients in the Phoenix and Novi-area [Michigan] to see an orthopedic provider—minus the travel. “We know how important social distancing is during the COVID-19 crisis,” said The CORE Institute CEO Dr. David Jacofsky. “At the same time, we know that […]
Dr. Barnes has taken office as the 30th president of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS).
What is one of the most reliable methods of increasing any human being’s risk of a musculoskeletal fracture? Smoking—particularly by pregnant women. How predictable is this phenomenon? A massive new study out of Sweden has answers. The paper, “Maternal smoking during pregnancy and fractures in offspring: national register based sibling comparison study,” was published in […]
Kyoto, Japan-based Kyocera Corporation has announced that it has received the President’s Award from the Japan Techno-Economics Society (JATES) for its Aquala surface-processing technology. Developed in collaboration with the University of Tokyo, this technology has been shown to extend the life expectancy of artificial hip joints. According to the company, it remains durable even after […]
With staged bilateral total joint surgery, how much time should you leave between the two surgeries? Researchers from Cleveland Clinic Florida and the Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute reviewed a consecutive series of 670 primary staged bilateral total hip arthroplasties (THAs) and total knee arthroplasties (TKAs), calculating the days between both arthroplasties for each […]
On a fateful day in October 2017, NuVasive’s former President and Chief Operating Officer, Pat Miles, drove 10 miles north and walked into the CEO’s job at a struggling, formerly insolvent spinal implant company named Alphatec Spine. Why he did that and what moves he made to get Alphatec right side up is a remarkable story.
Why aspirate all total joints? A new study out of Germany pulled together data on 644 patients who have periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) in two or more joints – at the same time, and who’d recently undergone total joint arthroplasty. Of the enrolled patients, 26 had periprosthetic joint infections and 618 did not. The total […]
A novel method for treating pelvic fractures in metastatic bone cancer patients is the subject of a new study from the Montefiore Health System in New York City. The chief investigators are Montefiore’s orthopedic oncology surgeons and their study, “A Novel Tripod Percutaneous Reconstruction Technique in Periacetabular Lesions Caused by Metastatic Cancer,” appears in the […]
Dr. Phillips is director of the division of spine at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
A novel non-opioid chronic pain medication has been submitted to the FDA under the Biologic License Application (BLA) rules by New York-based Pfizer Inc. and Indianapolis, Indiana-based Eli Lilly and Company. The new drug, tanezumab 2.5 mg would eventually be commercialized as a non-opioid chronic pain inhibitor for patients with chronic pain due to moderate-to-severe […]
London, UK-based Corin has announced that its OMNIBotics robotic-assisted platform has recently completed 25,000 total knee arthroplasties (TKA), including 5,000 procedures using the company’s BalanceBot ligament balancing robotic device. The BalanceBot receives feedback from soft tissue and ligaments through the whole range of joint motion, thus aiding accurate knee joint balancing. According to the Corin, […]
Intellijoint Surgical, based in Kitchener, Canada, has released its second application, Intellijoint KNEE. Intellijoint KNEE is an imageless, open platform surgical navigation system which is now able to provide surgeons “…quantitative measurements of knee varus/valgus, flexion and slope angles, and resection depth.” With that information, says the company, surgeons can more “…accurately align their cutting […]
In a retrospective review of 5,029 patients who underwent elective spine surgery, a team of researchers has helped move the needle on efforts to identify patients at risk for an ischemic stroke and reduce the risks that are inherent in a patient’s preoperative comorbidities. The researchers are from the Swedish Neuroscience Institute in Seattle, Washington, […]
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus has teamed up with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to review the academic literature and find any information which would compare nerve injuries in the direct anterior approach (DAA) to similar injuries in the posterior approach to total hip arthroplasty (THA). Their work, “Nerve Injuries […]
The Tampa-based Florida Orthopaedic Institute (FOI) and the five practices of OrthoCare Florida (OrthoCare) have merged, forming the largest orthopedic practice in Florida and the 13th largest in the entire country. The new facility is taking the Florida Orthopaedic Institute name and has the capacity to serve more than 150,000 patients with its 150 providers […]
This amazing, virtual reality seminar is part of the Global Spine Congress which is being held in Rio de Janeiro from May 20-23, 2020. If you want to be part of this groundbreaking event, you surely can. More than 100 surgeons are expected to assemble for what is probably the world’s first cadaver-free, virtual reality […]
Formus Labs, an orthopedic software development company based in Auckland, New Zealand, has begun clinical evaluations of its Artificial Intelligence – automated 3D preoperative planning software for primary total hip arthroplasty. The software, which uses deep learning and population modelling to facilitate the preoperative planning process, is being tested across five centers around Australasia in […]
Dr. Palumbo, a beloved spine surgeon, passed away in September 2019.
A new survey sponsored by Chicago, Illinois-based BandGrip, Inc. asked 100 orthopedic patients about their surgical scars. Not surprisingly, they would rather not have a scar. Surprisingly, the vast majority of the patients said that they would NOT recommend a physician who left them with unsightly scars. Here are the details: “More than two-thirds of […]
Piedmont Healthcare, with locations across the state of Georgia, and OrthoAtlanta have announced a new partnership that has resulted in Piedmont Orthopedics | OrthoAtlanta, an entity which will offer patients full-service musculoskeletal and sports medicine care across Georgia. Piedmont Orthopedics | OrthoAtlanta currently staffs its 13 integrated musculoskeletal centers, 7 outpatient imaging centers, 13 outpatient […]
New research indicates that patients with rheumatic diseases are more likely to be culture negative for prosthetic joint infections (PJI) than patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City recently published an abstract of their work, “Clinical Features of Prosthetic Joint Infections in Patients with […]
How many times have you wondered if there was a better retractor? San Diego, California-based NuVasive, Inc., using the results from a new prospective study of its MaXcess retractor in prone, single-position eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF) and posterior fixation, would like you to check this one out. The study, “Prone single-position extreme lateral interbody […]
The palm trees in West Palm Beach, Florida, are waving a welcome for Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) as it celebrates the opening of a new 60,000-square-foot facility. The facility has also announced its medical team and leadership structure. and that nearly 1,000 patient appointments have already been scheduled. “HSS is committed to the health, […]
As with other measures of success in life, where you live plays a role in your health. Evidence from a new study conducted by Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and Weill Cornell Medicine, both in New York City, has found that community determines whether someone is discharged to a facility or home. The research (“Community […]
Salt Lake City, Utah-based OrthoGrid Systems, Inc. has entered into a partnership with University of Utah Health to provide orthopedic surgeons with advanced surgical precision technology. “At University of Utah Health, we are dedicated to providing optimal care to our patients, which means integrating innovations and tools that allow our surgeons to achieve greater precision […]
In a systematic literature review of 73 studies, researchers from Stanford University and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System Center for Innovation to Implementation have looked at ways to improve the patient-physician connection. Their work, “Practices to Foster Physician Presence and Connection With Patients in the Clinical Encounter,” appears in the January 7, 2020 […]
In a recent pilot study, researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City asked individuals who had undergone knee replacement to serve as peer counselors in a pre-habilitation program. Iris Navarro-Millan, M.D., M.S.P.H., a rheumatologist at HSS who served as principal investigator, explained how peer or social support can affect patient outcomes […]
Richard A. Berger, M.D. has been honored as the 102ns recipient of the Washington Award by the Western Society of Engineers.
In a square-off between total disc replacement (TDR) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), which procedure is more popular—at ground zero for total disc replacement, The Texas Back Institute? Researchers from the Texas Back Institute set out to determine that and more in their work, “In which cases do surgeons specializing in total disc […]
The first-ever national consensus-based best practices for the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement has been published under the title, “Best Practice Guidelines for Hip Arthroscopy in Femoroacetabular Impingement: Results of a Delphi Process,” in the January 15, 2020 edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Co-author Shane Nho, M.D., director of the […]
The market’s FIRST multiple tray sterilization system is now available in the U.S.…and it is FDA-approved to sterilize at unprecedented lumen levels. Maryellen Keenan and Michele Mauzerall have led the charge on the SteriCUBE, a product that improves patient safety, lowers costs, increases productivity, and eliminates waste.
There are leaders throughout the orthopedic industry. We’ve recently profiled a few. In this article we re-visit last year’s winner of the William W. Tipton Jr., M.D. Leadership Award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. His name is Dana Curtis Covey and he is a profile in duty, honor, patients and country. In short, a profile in leadership. We hope you enjoy his story.
Several executive moves are underway at Gainesville, Florida-based Exactech, Inc. Darin Johnson, the current Senior Vice President of Extremities at Exactech, is now the company’s new President and CEO. Johnson joined the company in 2002 and has risen through the ranks. He succeeds David Petty, who has become Vice Chairman of the Exactech board of […]
For faster procedure adoption, it’s time for traditional training strategies to move aside, says Vancouver, British Columbia-based Precision OS Technology, a company with a virtual reality training platform for orthopedic surgeons. The company has announced that it carried out its first-ever—and largest virtual reality training event ever—of its kind for medical device representatives. More than […]
Based on 45,000 clinical studies, 82 clinical questions and 100 recommendation statements, this is the most comprehensive review of the diagnosis and treatment for low back pain ever assembled. The remarkable effort and indispensable reference for spine and neurosurgeons was the collective effort of 11 physician societies dedicated to improving the diagnosis and treatment of […]
Jupiter, Florida-based Atlas Spine Inc. has just launched its V3 Guided Segmental Plating System, meant to address complex deformity and degenerative conditions of the cervical spine. According to the company, the V3 system can be used with the HiJAK AC, the company’s expandable cervical interbody, or can be used independently. “The V3 system itself is […]
One man has led two of the preeminent orthopedic programs on the planet—HSS and Rothman Institute. That person is Dr. Todd Albert, Surgeon-in-Chief Emeritus at HSS. We had a chance to catch up with him recently to talk about his remarkable career as well as why he is so optimistic about orthopedics and today’s young surgeons.
A multicenter pilot study has determined that patients who undergo anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) can safely exercise at home. Ok. Their work, “Early Self-directed Home Exercise Program After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion,” appears in the February 15, 2020 edition of Spine. Co-author Rogelio A. Coronado, P.T., Ph.D., a research assistant professor in […]
A team of researchers from the Republic of Korea have come up with a strategy for improving the predictability of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament in patients who are conservatively managed. Their work, “How Does Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament Progress in Conservatively Managed Patients?” appears in the February 15, 2020 edition of Spine. […]
For children with genetic orthopedic conditions there is new hope courtesy of a new agreement between Shriners Hospital for Children, headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and The Jackson Laboratory, based in Bar Harbor, Maine. The agreement is part of Shriners Hospitals for Children’s new Genomics Institute. Marc Lalande, Ph.D., is vice president of research programs, Shriners […]
Neel Anand, one of spine’s most prolific researchers, innovative product developers and podium presenters, is also one of its the most circumspect. Few know the journey Dr. Anand took to get from India to Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles where he is known as the surgeon to the stars. Indeed, as you will understand when you read his profile, for Dr. Anand, every patient is a star.
One center’s experience with orthopedic patients with sickle cell disease did not match the experience as described in the literature. Since there is a paucity of data regarding orthopedic patients with sickle cell disease, this Boston Medical Center team took a fresh look at complication rates for orthopedic patients with sickle cell. Their work, “Epidemiology […]
New work from Rush University Medical Center, “How Should We Define Clinically Significant Improvement on Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Test for Patients Undergoing Knee Meniscal Surgery?” has been published in the January 2020 edition of Arthroscopy. Brian J. Cole, M.D., M.B.A., associate chairman and professor in the Department of Orthopedics at Rush and co-author […]
Rob Pace is the new CEO of Dallas, Texas-based Osseus Fusion Systems, LLC. Pace has over 26 years of experience as a sales and operations executive; 18 of those years were with companies he founded or co-founded. Before co-founding Osseus in 2012, Pace co-founded the Socius Surgical Group, which distributed spinal implant and biologics nationwide […]
Researchers from Mayo Clinic have examined 4,555 primary non-cemented total hip arthroplasties (THAs) in order to more precisely define the failure etiologies of such procedures. Their work, “What Are the Contemporary Etiologies for Revision Surgery and Revision After Primary, Non-cemented Total Hip Arthroplasty?” appears in the December 15, 2019 edition of the Journal of the […]
Burlington, Massachusetts-based Flexion Therapeutics, Inc. has begun a study of an extended release corticosteroid for shoulder osteoarthritis (OA) and adhesive capsulitis (AC) trial. In addition, the company announced progress on gene therapy for knee osteoarthritis. The blinded, proof of concept study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of Zilretta—triamcinolone acetonide extended-release injectable suspension—in patients with […]
Nelson Stacks, most recently director, president, and CEO for WaveGuide Corporation, is the newest board of directors’ member at Avon, Massachusetts-based Ranfac Corp. A philosophy major with double minors in Biology and Organizational Psychology and a Master of Business Administration, Stacks brings over 25 years of experience in the biomedical field. According to Ranfac, “From […]
A new study appearing in the January 2020 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty, “The Clinical and Financial Consequences of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Two-Midnight Rule in Total Joint Arthroplasty,” used the National Inpatient Sample to examine the conflicts involved in the aforementioned rule. Adam J. Schwartz, M.D., M.B.A., associate professor of […]
She burned out, he flamed out…the AMA wants to prevent such incidents and here they provide eight tips that hospitals, clinics and other healthcare providers can use to put out the fires of physician and staff burnout.
Researchers from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago have dug into the possibility of a link between an incompetent capsule and hip instability. Their work, “Two-Year Patient-Reported Outcomes for Patients Undergoing Revision Hip Arthroscopy with Capsular Incompetency,” was published in the January 2020 edition of Arthroscopy. Shane J. Nho, M.D., M.S., assistant professor, director of […]
Dr. Preston is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon and Sports Medicine Specialist with experience in the care of professional athletes and injured patients.
Nexxt Spine LLC, headquartered in Noblesville, Indiana, is strengthening its West Coast position with the addition of two spine arena veterans and a clinical specialist. Mariah Woods, Ph.D., the new vice president of Sales West, brings over 18 years of leadership experience within the spine and biotechnology industries. She has been recognized as the top […]
DePuy Synthes, headquartered in Raynham, Massachusetts, has launched the SYMPHONY Occipito-Cervico-Thoracic System for stabilization of the spine in patients undergoing posterior cervical fusion surgery. According to the team at DePuy Synthes, “The SYMPHONY System helps streamline procedures and create efficiencies for the surgeon and operating room staff who are treating patients with complex cervical spine […]
Noblesville, Indiana-based Nexxt Spine, LLC has purchased the industrial building where it has leased space for seven years. More surgeon demand, an enhanced product portfolio, and a number of 3D laser beam printers are behind the expansion. The expansion will allow the company to ramp up its in-house additive manufacturing of 3D printed porous titanium […]
Rather alarming new multicenter research indicates that African American knee replacement patients could be receiving poorer quality postop care than their Caucasian counterparts. The study, “Association of Race/Ethnicity With Hospital Discharge Disposition After Elective Total Knee Arthroplasty,” was published in the October 30, 2019 edition of JAMA Open Network. The study authors collected data from […]
Swiss device manufacturer Medacta has teamed up with Danville, Pennsylvania-based Geisinger, announcing that their lifetime guarantee for total hip and knee replacement surgeries has been extended to include knee revision surgeries. Speaking of this new accord, Medacta noted, “This guarantee covers revision surgeries performed for patients with previous knee replacements that have failed, even if […]
Keri P. Mattox now holds the newly created position of Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Chief Communications Officer at Warsaw, Indiana-based Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. She brings to the table more than 20 years in investor relations and communications across multiple industries. In this new role, says the company, Mattox will be responsible for, […]
On January 1, 2020, the new reimbursement codes from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) went into effect and one of the most anticipated of the new codes was the updated surgeon payment reimbursement amount associated with minimally invasive sacroiliac (SI) joint fusion procedures. In an uncharacteristically (for CMS) generous move, the new codes […]
Each December a cadre of caring surgeons open their ORs to suffering patients in need of hip and knee replacements…and they do so via Operation Walk USA. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, from December 2-7, 2019, approximately 60 patients received free joint replacements from 35 volunteer orthopedic surgeons at 23 hospitals. All aspects of treatment […]
Neurosurgeon Michael Smith, M.D. and orthopedic spine surgeon Grigoriy Arutyunyan, M.D. have joined Rothman Orthopaedic New York.
Dr. Andrews will be honored by the C Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., a nonprofit educational organization recognizing the achievements of outstanding individuals and encouraging youth to pursue their dreams through higher education.
A new, anatomically contoured femoral head—manufactured from ceramic material—has been implanted in a patient by George N. Guild, III, M.D. at Emory University. The component, The BIOLOX CONTOURA, distributed and marketed by Salt Lake City, Utah-based Total Joint Orthopedics, Inc., is made from ceramic material. It “was conceived and developed at the Harris Orthopedics Laboratory […]
This is clearly a sign of the times and a very cool announcement. Fundamental Surgery, a developer of virtual reality simulation programs, just announced that its total knee arthroplasty (TKA) simulation program was reviewed by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and then awarded accreditation status. According to AAOS, the award “demonstrates the Academy’s […]
A remarkable new technology—a single use, high definition, battery operated arthroscope—is now in pilot launch in the United States. The manufacturer, Irvine, California-based Integrated Endoscopy, has brand named this new scope NUVIS Single-Use Arthroscope and is making it available to centers of medical excellence around the world. NUVIS was recently cleared for commercial sale in […]
SeaSpine used to be an amorphous basket of spine and orthobiologics technologies. Since its spin off from Integra Life Sciences, Keith Valentine has transformed this California company into a lean, tough, responsive and innovative spinal implant company. Here is our profile of our good friend and talented leader—Keith Valentine.
Once CEO of two Mark Reiley companies at the same time, Jeffrey Dunn, CEO of SI-BONE, has a penchant for knowing which way the corporate winds will blow. And he revels in doing what others say is impossible.
Össur, based in Reykjavik, Iceland, and the Alfred Mann Foundation (AMF) of Santa Clarita, California, have agreed to allow Össur to develop and license AMF’s implanted myoelectric sensor (IMES) to explore the potential of mind-controlled prosthetic technologies. According to AMF, the sensors are “implanted in muscles that directly control the desired movement of a bionic […]
Holland, Michigan-based Shoulder Innovations, LLC has received FDA clearance for its InSet Plus™augmented glenoids for the InSet™Total Shoulder System. The system, says the company, is “used to treat significant disability in degenerative, rheumatoid and traumatic disease of the glenohumeral joint and avascular necrosis of the humeral head. The InSet™System includes patented inset glenoid technology, originally […]
OrthoIndy orthopedic surgeon, Dean Maar, M.D., died at his home the day before Thanksgiving. He wasn’t sick, elderly or injured in an accident. The 61-year-old surgeon was shot and killed protecting his family during a home invasion. While preparing to host a large, extended family Thanksgiving dinner he confronted armed attackers and, according to his […]
Terry Rich, who played a pivotal role in the turnaround of Alphatec Spine, has been named president of Global Spine at RTI Surgical Holdings, Inc. In addition, Olivier Visa has been promoted to president of Global OEM. Mr. Rich, as a director and CEO of Alphatec Spine, strengthened the organization’s competencies and, according to RTI […]
The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR), managed by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), has released its 2019 Annual Report on hip and knee arthroplasty patient outcomes. The report, now in its sixth year, includes data from 1,525,435 hip and knee arthroplasty procedures performed between 2012 and 2018. James A. Browne, M.D., chair of […]
Hunting the ever elusive objective measure of patient satisfaction could be an exercise in futility or it could be the most valuable initiative in years. A team of researchers from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago took up the challenge and have just published their results. Their study, “Defining Meaningful Functional Improvement on the Visual […]
New work performed at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus has found some interesting associations when it comes to activity level and the success (or lack thereof) of meniscal repair. The study, “Meniscus repair five-year results are influenced by patient pre-injury activity level but not age group,” is published in the December […]
A new multicenter study led by Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has found that the pediatric literature has a depressingly high rate of misreporting. The study, “How Often Are Study Design and Level of Evidence Misreported in the Pediatric Orthopaedic Literature?,” appears in the November 22, 2019 edition of the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics. Drake […]
What role do anti-inflammatory (M2) and pro-inflammatory (M1) cytokines play relieving or exacerbating back pain? Dutch researchers want to know. So, they put together a rigorous systematic review of studies which documented associations between M1 and M2 macrophages and their related effect on patient inflammation and pain. Their work, “The contradictory effect of macrophage-related cytokine […]
Did methodological flaws in earlier studies miss an effective pain therapy for knee osteoarthritis patients? A team of researchers from Norway and Brazil think so and they took it upon themselves to conduct a review of randomized placebo-controlled studies to determine where laser therapy can, indeed, reduce arthritic knee pain and, importantly, if it can, […]
What’s the right dose of gabapentinoids, particularly when both doctor and patient want to reduce the use of opioids in large joint arthroplasty patients? To find an answer, a group of Duke University Medical Center researchers performed a study to shed light on this issue. The study, “Dose-Dependent Association of Gabapentinoids with Pulmonary Complications After […]
A team from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis in Missouri has reviewed 6.5 years’ worth of data from patients who’d received orthopedic surgery at an ambulatory surgical center (ASC). The Wash U team looked at patient and surgical risk factors associated with surgical site infections (SSI). The results? the […]
Sharon Schulzki, who led the exit of Tissue Regeneration Systems (TRS) to J&J DePuy Synthes and the licensing of TRS’s proprietary mineral coating technology to Medtronic Spine, is the new chief operating officer of CARLSMED, Inc. According to the company, Schulzki has “deep experience building venture backed MedTech startups and has excelled in prior executive […]
Mark Roby, Ph.D., an inventor on over 50 patents in the areas of polymers and adhesives, is the new Vice President of R&D at Boston, Massachusetts-based Hyalex Orthopaedics, Inc. According to the company, Dr. Roby “is an experienced medical device industry executive known for building high-performing teams and delivering results was most recently CEO of […]
Dr. Mehrotra is a fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in adult reconstruction and joint replacement.
With the removal of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) from Medicare’s “inpatient only” list comes a few logistical challenges. Delving into these issues recently was the Department of Surgical and Perioperative Care at the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. Their work, “Enhanced Selection of Candidates for Same-Day and Outpatient Total Knee […]
Have virtual total knee arthroplasty models improved to the point that they can tackle really complex knee cases as well as or possibly better than cadaveric models? A team from the Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Stryker Corporation set out to develop and evaluate a virtual posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) model to simulate […]
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has entered into a new partnership with CareCredit to offer patient payment options as part of the pre-treatment financial discussion. “When it comes to musculoskeletal care, the AAOS is committed to supporting our members in providing the highest quality care possible to their patients,” said Thomas E. Arend, […]
New work from The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center weighs the risks and benefits of utilizing computed tomography angiography (CTA) in cervical spine patients using a novel 2-step algorithm which may well result in better patient selection. The study, “Cervical Spine Fractures: Who Really Needs CT Angiography?” appears in the December 1, 2019 edition of […]
Dr. Agrawal is a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist.
Biology is complicated. New research from France has reinforced that old truism. Researchers looked into implant survival rates for more than 1,600 patients and found that body mass index (BMI) and body weight are poor predictors of implant failure. Their study, “Inconsistent relationship between body weight/body mass index prior to total knee arthroplasty and the […]
Germany-based mediCAD Hectec GmbH continues to internationalize its brand with the news that Japan’s regulatory authority has approved for commercial sale the company’s 2D and 3D modules. “With this approval, we now expect a clear demand for our product as well as an increase in growth on the Japanese market. We look forward to this […]
Jon Serbousek, a 30-year veteran of the medical device and biotech industries, is the new President and CEO of Lewisville, Texas-based Orthofix Medical Inc. He will also serve on the company’s Board of Directors. Serbousek succeeds Brad Mason who had previously announced his plans to retire. While he has resigned from the Board of Directors, […]
Robbie Allen, an existing member of the SpineCenterAtlanta team, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Allen has also joined the Board of Directors, chaired by Founding Surgeon James L. Chappuis, M.D., F.A.C.S. An intraoperative neurophysiologist, Allen brings more than 25 years of senior healthcare leadership experience to the company having spent his career in a […]
Given today’s heightened sensitivity about physician burnout, a concerned team of researchers from NYU Langone Health has taken a deep dive into orthopedic resident burnout. Their study, “Orthopaedic Resident Burnout Is Associated with Poor In-Training Examination Performance,” appears in the October 2, 2019 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Kenneth Egol, M.D., […]
Paris, France-based EOS imaging has announced the first patient cases performed with its hipEOS 3.0 surgical planning software delivered intraoperatively by Intellijoint HIP, a navigation system, which offers surgeon-controlled surgical guidance for intraoperative positional measurements during total hip arthroplasty (THA). Peter K. Sculco, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New […]
A team of researchers from South Korea undertook a retrospective case control study to evaluate whether long spine fusion cases (3 or more levels) resulted in a measurable difference in post-op functionality when compared to short spine fusion (2 or fewer levels) cases. Their work, “Minimum Three-year Follow-up of Specific Functional Disabilities After Multilevel Lumbar […]
A team of researchers set out to compare complication rates and correction maintenance at the two-year mark following posterior spinal fusion with or without cross-links in individuals with cerebral palsy and scoliosis. In this retrospective review of a multicenter, prospective database, the authors wrote, “Cross-links are frequently used in posterior spinal fusion to correct scoliosis […]
Researchers from The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, have conducted a study looking at all preclinical and clinical studies examining electrical stimulation technologies for spinal fusion. Their research, “The effect of electrical stimulation therapies on spinal fusion: a cross-disciplinary systematic review and meta-analysis of the preclinical and clinical data,” was published in […]
Upper Nyack, New York-based CreakyJoints have relaunched their algorithmic-based web site featuring an interactive pain assessment tool called PainSpot.org. “We’ve integrated PainSpot into our family of educational resources for people living with chronic disease,” stated Louis Tharp, executive director and co-founder of CreakyJoints and the Global Healthy Living Foundation. “In the future, we will utilize […]
Last week in Houston, Texas, Kenneth B. Mathis, M.D. implanted Total Joint Orthopedics’ (TJO) 20,000th joint. Just in the last month, TJO added two products to its portfolios, one of which is the Klassic PS-Post System, featuring a bone-sparing low-profile box with revision capabilities. Also, within the last month, George N. Guild, III, M.D., of […]
Does using the keel-based ProDisc C versus the spike-based ProDisc Vivo affect the frequency of heterotopic ossification (HO) formation over time? A team of researchers from Germany compared 40 patients treated with ProDisc C and 42 patients treated with ProDisc Vivo to find an answer to those questions. Their work, “Implant Design and the Anchoring […]
What factors predict extended length of stay and which ones predict early postop complications following unicompartmental arthroplasty (UKA) surgery? A group of researchers from Charing Cross Hospital in London set out to get some answers. Their work, “Predictors of extended length of stay after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty,” was published in the September 17, 2019 edition […]
What determines if someone fits in with a group or not? What internal decision making regarding “fit” might occur when a woman is considering various medical specialties? Two researchers from WUSTL are looking into those topics.
Using the Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Replacement Expectation Score, researchers from Scotland assessed the pre- and postoperative expectations of 200 patients from varying socioeconomic backgrounds. The resulting study, “Fulfilment of preoperative expectations and postoperative patient satisfaction after total knee replacement. A prospective analysis of 200 patients,” appears in the August 29, 2019 edition of […]
Bellevue, Washington-based CurvaFix, Inc. has announced first-in-man for its novel intramedullary rodscrew pelvic fracture repair. Orthopedic trauma surgeon Kelly Lefaivre, M.D., M.Sc., FRCSC, associate professor at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, performed the surgery as part of the CurvaFix sponsored RESTORE Clinical Study. “The first patient, a female with a high energy […]
Despite American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) guidelines discouraging the use of surgical drains, the practice stubbornly continues. How widespread is the use of surgical drains? A team of researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine reviewed 1,130,124 total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) from the claims-based Premier Healthcare Database to find that answer. In the process, […]
Does sleeplessness exacerbate low back pain? A team of multinational researchers asked that question and looked specifically at the role problematic sleep plays in back pain related healthcare utilization and disability. Their work, “Does Disordered Sleep Moderate the Relationship Between Pain, Disability and Downstream Health Care Utilization in Patients With Low Back Pain? A Longitudinal […]
October 20, 2009 was the date that the first patient received a Nexxt Spine implant. The company, based in Noblesville, Indiana, says that 600 surgeons nationwide have operated using products in the Nexxt Spine LLC portfolio. Since 2017, the company has sold a grand total of 20,700 units of its novel 3D printed porous titanium […]
Does it work and is it cost-effective…two “questions of the hour” in healthcare. Researchers from the Rand Corporation, Tufts Medical Center, and the University of Hawaii have taken on those questions when it comes to back pain. Their study, “Are Nonpharmacologic Interventions for Chronic Low Back Pain More Cost Effective Than Usual Care? Proof of […]
Researchers from the Netherlands set out to determine if using a continuous subcuticular bonding stitch in addition to a conventional three-layer closure method reduced the incidence of prolonged wound leakage and (prosthetic joint infections) PJIs after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and unicondylar and knee arthroplasty (TKA). The study, “Reduced wound leakage in arthroplasty with modified […]
A multicenter team of researchers from New York have looked into the upsides and downsides of multilevel minimally invasive (MIS) lumbar fusion. Their work, “Diminishing Clinical Returns of Multilevel Minimally Invasive Lumbar Interbody Fusion,” appears in the October 15, 2019 edition of Spine. Co-author Peter Passias, M.D., with the NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, explained the […]
Providence, Rhode Island-based University Orthopedics (UOI) is now the hot spot for patients with hip pain. UOI has inaugurated the Hip Preservation Institute, an operative and nonoperative center specializing in hip and pelvic disorders. “The Hip Preservation Institute is a state-of-the-art center dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment and management of simple and complex hip and […]
Austin, Texas–based DJO has provided ADAPTABLE, the first, fully-sterile, surgeon-controlled leg and retractor holder to support Dr. E. Matthew Heinrich for his yearly mission trip to Guatemala. Dr. Matthew Heinrich, with Orthopaedic Specialists of Austin, has partnered with Houston-based Faith In Practice for over 10 years, to provide life-altering surgeries for those without access to […]
Warsaw, Indiana-based Zimmer Biomet, a global leader in musculoskeletal healthcare, has launched the TrellOss-TC—Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion—(TLIF) Porous Titanium Interbody Platform. TrellOss-TC, along with TrellOss-C (cervical) and TrellOss-TS (TLIF straight) that were launched in August 2019, marks Zimmer Biomet Spine’s first porous titanium implant platform manufactured through a 3D printing, additive manufacturing process. The company […]
Sometimes, you just have to get back to the basics. That is what researchers in Scotland have done with the new study, “The impact of a preoperative information leaflet on expectation management, satisfaction and patient outcomes in patients undergoing knee arthroscopy,” which appears in the August 18, 2019 edition of The Knee. Co-author David Hamilton, […]
In looking at 18 consecutive patients, researchers from Austria, Turkey, Switzerland, and Germany have determined that cervical total disc replacement (cTDR) using the ProDisc C Vivo (Centinel Spine, Inc., West Chester, Pennsylvania) yielded good clinical and radiographic outcomes. Their study, “Clinical and Radiographic Outcome of Patients With Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Undergoing Total Disc Replacement,” was […]
In work from Australia, researchers sought to deepen our understanding of the relationship between knee kinematics and age. Their work, “Age has a minimal effect on knee kinematics: A cross-sectional 3D/2D image-registration study of kneeling,” appears in the August 16, 2019 edition of The Knee. Jennie Scarvell, Ph.D., with the Trauma and Orthopaedic Research Unit […]
Researchers from Imperial College London and The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland set out to test a low-cost patient-specific instrument (PSI) design. Their work, “A novel patient-specific instrument design can deliver robotic level accuracy in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty,” was published in the September 10, 2019 edition of The Knee. Co-author Justin P. Cobb, M.Ch.(Oxon) […]
A team led by University of Pennsylvania researchers is shining light on the often-ignored outer region of spinal discs and, in the process, may well have expanded the therapeutic window for degenerative disc disease. Their study, “Aberrant mechanosensing in injured intervertebral discs as a result of boundary-constraint disruption and residual-strain loss,” appears in the October […]
DePuy Synthes, a Johnson & Johnson company, is launching the CONDUIT Interbody Platform with EIT Cellular Titanium Technology which includes 3D printed titanium interbody implants for spinal fusion surgery and is designed to mimic natural bone. In 2018 Johnson & Johnson acquired Emerging Implant Technologies (EIT), the Germany-based developer of innovative 3D printed technologies for […]
Belgrade, Montana-based Xtant Medical Holdings, Inc., has announced the launch of three new spinal implants—two cervical interbody spacers and one plasma coated PEEK implant. Kevin Brandt, Xtant’s chief commercialization officer, described the launches to OTW. “Even as we celebrate 20 years of meeting patient and physician needs in the spine and orthopedic indications, we continue […]
A recent meta-analysis comparing patellar resurfacing non-resurfacing conducted by researchers in Germany and Egypt found clear support for patellar resurfacing during primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The study, “Better outcomes with patellar resurfacing during primary total knee arthroplasty: a meta-analysis study,” appears in the October 2019 edition of The Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery. […]
New multicenter work has explored the role of a certain surgeon-specific factor that plays a role in implant failure rates in total knee arthroplasty (TKA)—implant malalignment. The work, “The Impact of Surgeon Volume and Training Status on Implant Alignment in Total Knee Arthroplasty,” was published in the October 2, 2019 edition of The Journal of […]
UK-based FundamentalVR has added a significant new feature to its suite of Virtual Reality training modules—a mechanism to score, grade and quantify each trainee’s skill level and performance. According to FundamentalVR, the Fundamental Surgery Score can not only assess each user’s ability to meet surgical objectives, it will also give an overall percentage score for […]
Buffalo, New York-based LegWorks, Inc. is making life better and more fun for super active amputees. The company has released the ATK HydraPro, a waterproof, highly functional hydraulic prosthetic that allows amputees to ambulate at several walking speeds on ANY terrain. This is the company’s fifth prosthetic. “The ATK HydraPro utilizes LegWorks’ patented AutoLock Technology, […]
As of November 1, 2019, Douglas Fesler will be the new executive director of The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Munich, Germany-based Brainlab has officially rolled out Loop-X, the first mobile intraoperative imaging robot for spine surgery. According to Brainlab, “The Loop-X imaging robot integrates with Brainlab Elements software as well as Kick and Curve Navigation and functions with Cirq and Quentry, maximizing interoperability and data enrichment while contributing to increased surgical confidence.” The Loop-X, […]
Pain is hot these days…and anything we can determine that informs our understanding of the relationship between pain and musculoskeletal health is welcome. New work from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern), “Do psychological factors or radiographic severity play a role in the age of onset in symptomatic developmental dysplasia of hip […]
Santa Clara, California-based Benvenue Medical, Inc. has released new 12-month clinical data for its Luna expandable cage for lumbar interbody fusion. Richard G. Fessler, M.D., Ph.D. of Rush University, led the study and presented his results in a paper titled, “Biomechanical and Minimum One Year Clinical Results of a Novel 3-D Expandable Cage for Lumbar […]
While no surgeon thinks that an 80-year-old who breaks her hip will be completely back to normal after rehab, that person may achieve greater levels of functioning than many are expecting of her. New work to better understand the link between quantity of therapy and quality of life post-operatively is the subject of a new […]
Noblesville, Indiana-based Nexxt Spine LLC has announced the commercial launch of its Lordotic TLIF (transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion) Oblique interbody implant. According to the company, this 3D-printed implant is part of the NEXXT MATRIXX family of products which means that it is a porous titanium cage designed to encourage organic cellular healing. “Our surgeon network […]
A group of Thai researchers may have found an effective alternative to NSAIDS for the pain management of post-operative total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients. Their work, “Intravenous Dexamethasone Injection Reduces Pain from Twelve to Twenty-one Hours after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial,” appears in the September 7, 2019 edition of The […]
Össur has introduced two new products to its Miami brand of braces: the Miami J Select Cervical Collar for people who require gross immobilization of the cervical spine, and the Miami TLSO advanced spinal compression support system for patients requiring gross spinal immobilization up to T7. Jason Thorne, VP of Global Marketing for Össur, told […]
Using data from the synovial fluid of 100 patients, researchers from the UK set out to determine and quantify a link between expression of three proteins (matrix metalloproteinases, tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases and a disintegrin, and metalloproteinases with thrombospondin) and stiffness following total knee replacement (TKA). Their work, “Stiffness post-total knee replacement: A proof […]
How can residents get up to speed effectively and, if necessary, rapidly with respect to the basic but complex task of bone drilling—notably in complex surgical cases? This was what researchers from New Mexico and Utah sought to determine with their work, “A Novel Approach for Assessing and Training the Drilling Skills of Orthopaedic Surgeons.” […]
In the first national-scale study on complication rates amongst patients with Parkinson’s disease undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA), researchers found that these patients experienced longer hospital stays but that their outcomes were comparable to patients without Parkinson’s disease. The study, “Matched cohort analysis of peri-operative outcomes following total knee arthroplasty in patients with and without […]
A new study of 102,727 women of varying ethnicities has found significant differences in the rates of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) between black, white, and Hispanic women. The study, “Racial and ethnic disparities in utilization of total knee arthroplasty among older women,” appears in the August 9, 2019 edition of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. The team […]
Three institutions in South Africa and Belgium came together to compare the validated Knee Osteoarthritis Grading System (KOGS) with patient satisfaction data and implant survivorship. According to the research team, this is the first study to assess unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in consecutive osteoarthritis (OA) knee arthroplasties using this system. […]
Ali Tucker, a veteran of marketing in the telecommunications industry, has joined CoreLink Surgical, based in St. Louis, Missouri, as the spine company’s Marketing Director. Ms. Tucker has a diverse background in marketing and operations and brings experience in marketing strategy, branding, project management, event planning, search engine optimization, digital marketing, analytics, print, TV, and […]
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) are bringing their substantial resources together to create the American Spine Registry (ASR), which will be jointly owned and developed by both organizations. The ASR already has the country’s largest spine registry, the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) Spine registry. Now, […]
Dr. Gross, M.D., who formerly served as a U.S. Air Force orthopedic surgeon and major, has joined the team of specialized physicians at University Orthopedics in East Providence, Rhode Island.
How do treated and untreated depressed patients fare after total joint arthroplasty (TJA)? This is what a team of multicenter researchers set out to determine. Their work, “Depression Treatment Is Not Associated With Improved Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Total Joint Arthroplasty,” appears in the August 9, 2019 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. Co-author Mohamad Halawi, […]
Burlington, Massachusetts-based Flexion Therapeutics, Inc. and Burnaby, British Columbia-based Xenon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. are partnering to provide Flexion with the global rights to develop and commercialize XEN402, a NaV1.7 inhibitor, which is the active ingredient in a novel post-op, pre FDA approval pain drug called FX301. Xenon’s FX301 delivers XEN402 using a thermosensitive hydrogel which is […]
Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies has announced that DePuy Synthes is launching the ATTUNE Cementless Knee in a rotating platform option in certain global markets. “The ATTUNE Cementless Knee has the same great kinematic features of the cemented ATTUNE Knee, but I feel the cementless technology is a better alternative for my younger and […]
In a study matching 183 dual-pivot total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) with 183 traditional non-conforming TKAs, researchers found that patients with dual-pivot implants reported less pain and more active post-operative lifestyles. Their study, “Dual-pivot bearings improve ambulation and promote increased activity levels in Total knee arthroplasty: A match-controlled retrospective study,” appears in the August 30, 2019 […]
New work from The American Hip Institute in Des Plaines, Illinois has determined that the Forgotten Joint Score (FJS) is extremely accurate when it comes to demonstrating success following total hip arthroplasty (THA). The study, “Can we Help Patients Forget Their Joint? Determining a Threshold for Successful Outcome for the FJS,” appears in the August […]
The disc itself is hurting? Researchers from Korea University in Seoul and Emory University in Atlanta have concluded important, fundamental research which tracked the location and path of sensory information in the intervertebral disc (IVD) and how it changes as a result of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Their work, “Disc degeneration induces a mechano-sensitization of […]
Posterior stabilized or constrained condylar knee…surgeon, take your pick. A team of researchers from Chicago set out to put some data behind those choices. Their work, “Superior Survivorship for Posterior Stabilized Versus Constrained Condylar Articulations After Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective, Comparative Analysis at Short-Term Follow-Up,” was published in the July 11, 2019 edition […]
Patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), say researchers, have a 10% chance of isolated patellofemoral joint (PFJ) arthritis. A team from the University of Louisville in Kentucky set out to improve their ability to predict patella femoral arthroplasty failure. The research, “Isolated Patellofemoral Joint Arthroplasty: Can Preoperative Bone Scans Predict Survivorship?” appears in the August 14, […]
San Diego, California-based NuVasive, Inc. has announced the commercial launch of Modulus TLIF-A, a porous titanium spine implant engineered for the transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) procedure. This completes the NuVasive’s Advanced Materials Science (AMS) portfolio for all major posterior interbody fusion techniques used in TLIF. “The Modulus TLIF-A system is the perfect synergy between […]
A new study, “Prevalence of Sagittal Spinal Deformity Among Patients Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty,” has revealed that those with stiff spines have some fascinating hip-spine kinematics going on. This work was published in the August 10, 2019 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. Jonathan Vigdorchik, M.D., assistant professor of Adult Reconstruction and Joint Replacement at […]
Total knee arthroplasty is one of the more routinely successful surgical interventions in medicine, and, occasionally, surgeons will perform simultaneous TKA. Once in a blue moon they’ll even attempt a simultaneous AND concurrent TKA. But, simultaneous, concurrent AND bilateral TKA? What does that even look like? Researchers from Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, have an […]
Co-author Joseph Bosco, M.D., professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and director of Quality and Patient Safety at the NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, also vice chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Orthopaedic Medicine, has been at the forefront of improved pain management for a long time and explained the genesis of this […]
New work performed at the University of Pittsburgh found that 81% of residents who took a year (and a cut in pay) for research would do it again. This new survey found that applicants to research-track residency programs found numerous benefits, both monetary and professional, from completing such a program. Their work, “Research-Track Residency Programs […]
How significantly greater is the risk of infection in severely obese patients who are having their total hip revised? To quantify that answer, researchers from the Netherlands prospectively followed 444 patients who had their total hip replacements revised. The study, “Severe obesity increases risk for infection after revision total hip arthroplasty,” appears in the July […]
Dr. Kleinhenz, a surgeon specializing in neck and back problems, has joined University Orthopedics.
Given that prior research has shown sex and racial disparities with regard to above knee amputation (AKA) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), a team from Drexel University College of Medicine and the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute took on the task of furthering our understanding of such issues. Their work, “Socioeconomic Status Is Associated with Risk of […]
This week we honor the manifold contributions of the great Freddie Fu, M.D., chair of the department of orthopedics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. What’s his superpower? Read on…
A team of University of Iowa researchers studied 55 residents from four medical centers in order to determine whether simulator-based wire navigation training can transfer to higher-level tasks. Their work, “Do Skills Acquired from Training with a Wire Navigation Simulator Transfer to a Mock Operating Room Environment?” appears in the May 17, 2019 edition of […]
Noblesville, Indiana-based Nexxt Spine LLC has announced that the FDA has cleared for commercial sale via the 510(k) process the NEXXT MATRIXX Stand Alone Cervical System. According to the company, “NEXXT MATRIXX Stand Alone Cervical System is a stand-alone anterior cervical interbody fusion system intended for use as an adjunct to fusion at one or […]
One in 50 female trauma patients are injured by an intimate partner. How do trauma docs, other orthopedic physicians and their staff adjust to, first, repair these patients, but more importantly, prevent readmissions for recurring and potentially lethal partner violence? Paul Tornetta, M.D. explains in this vital and timely article.
The Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI), a multinational team set out to develop patient-focused, expert consensus-derived recommendations for individuals that are based on objective review of high-quality meta-analytic data has updated and refined knee, hip, and polyarticular osteoarthritis (OA) guidelines. Their work, “OARSI guidelines for the non-surgical management of knee, hip, and polyarticular osteoarthritis,” appears […]
Is acquired idiopathic stiffness after primary total knee arthroplasty a thing? And, if so, what are the potential risk factors for its development? A Rochester, Minnesota based team from the Mayo Clinic mined several databases between 2002 and 2017 to answer those two questions. Their resulting paper, “Acquired Idiopathic Stiffness After Total Knee Arthroplasty,” was […]
To calculate the risk of revision on the basis of surgeon preference for patellar resurfacing in total knee replacement (TKR), a team from Australia mined 1999 to 2016 data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry. Their work, “The Effect of Surgeon Preference for Selective Patellar Resurfacing on Revision Risk in Total Knee […]
There’s a bit more Swiss flair in the city of Franklin, Tennessee, these days, with the opening of the U.S. headquarters for Medacta International. Governor Bill Lee and Medacta International Chief Executive Officer Francesco Siccardi have announced the official opening, which will result in a $2.5 million investment and create more than 50 jobs in […]
Researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine have found that using a sterile CO2 compressed gas to clean bone surfaces prior to deploying cement in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) results in a more robust cement mantle and penetration depth. Their work, “The Effect of Tourniquet Use and Sterile Carbon Dioxide Gas Bone Preparation on […]
Westminster, Colorado-based Cerapedics, Inc. has announced the expansion of the company’s headquarters in the Denver metropolitan area. Its facility is going from 14,000 to 24,000 square feet, with an expansion of its global workforce from 32 to 73 employees. In Colorado alone the company has grown from 16 to 44 employees. “We are excited to […]
A new study, “A machine learning approach to knee osteoarthritis phenotyping: data from the FNIH Biomarkers Consortium,” addresses the use of machine learning to define the progression phenotypes that might lead to a new treatment. The study was published in the July issue of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. Co-author Amanda Nelson, M.D., associate professor of medicine […]
In a group of non-workers’ compensation patients, what are the factors that impact someone’s ability to return to work after cervical spine surgery? Using a prospective, web-based registry, researchers from Vanderbilt University and Mayo Clinic have examined 324 adult patients who underwent elective surgery for cervical degenerative disease. Their work, “Factors Associated With Return-to-Work Following […]
Move over, HbA1c…when it comes to prosthetic joint infection (PJI), there is a more accurate marker in town—fructosamine. And work on this topic has be honored with the 2019 John Insall Award. The research, “2019 John Insall Award: Fructosamine is a better glycaemic marker compared with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1C) in predicting adverse outcomes following total […]
NuVasive, Inc. has officially launched the Pulse integrated technology platform which, says the company, is the first platform to incorporate imaging, planning, navigation, neuromonitoring and other technologies into a seamless platform for more “efficient, less disruptive surgical approaches in all spine procedures.” “The Pulse platform is uniquely engineered to equip surgeons with a single platform […]
A Leg To Stand On (ALTSO), a New York-based nonprofit providing free orthopedic care to children around the globe, has announced three new program partners in 2019. Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE) in Laos, GetBak in Ahmedabad, India and Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services in Uganda (CoRSU). Beth Ann Hemming, director of Operations, told OTW, “All […]
Montreal, Canada-based Emovi, Inc. has announced the U.S. launch of KneeKG, the first in-clinic device that enables physicians to assess knees “while the patient is in motion and weight-bearing.” The machine, which pinpoints biomechanical markers known to be linked to patient’s symptoms, can provide useful data in just 15 minutes. According to the company, “KneeKG […]
Dr. Moffatt is a neurosurgeon with more than 30 years of experience.
Fusion Robotics. LLC is a bit more flush today as a result of a new investment (undisclosed amount) led by Alex Lukianov (Lukpartners, LLC) and Kevin Foley, M.D. The funds will be used to ready the company’s spinal robotics platform to obtain regulatory clearance and to prepare for commercialization. According to Fusion Robotics, the platform […]
Like a lot of things that sound inherently positive, outpatient total joint surgery can have a downside. One of which, says new research, is the shift of responsibility away from the hospital to the surgeon. The new study, “Rapid Discharge and Outpatient Total Joint Arthroplasty Introduce a Burden of Care to the Surgeon,” appears in […]
At Mount Carmel New Albany Surgical Hospital in Ohio, things run like a finely tuned orchestra. And the music they make, from pre-, intra- and post-op processes is a symphony in movement, care and patient outcomes. How do they do it? The conductor, Adolph Lombardi, Jr. M.D., explains.
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) to diagnose periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is more sensitive than culture-based techniques but is it cost-effective? A new study “Next-Generation Sequencing vs Culture-Based Methods for Diagnosing Periprosthetic Joint Infection After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis,” details these issues in the July 2019 edition of The Journal […]
Seeking to dig into the feasibility and wisdom of outpatient TKA in Medicare-aged patients a team from the University of Connecticut undertook a study titled, “Predicting Inpatient Status After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty in Medicare-Aged Patients.” Their work was published in the July 2019 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. Mohamad Halawi, M.D., assistant professor […]
Data from two clinical studies of a novel spinal cord stimulation system developed in Australia by Saluda Medical Pty Ltd has been released by the company. The system, called Evoke ECAP-Controlled, Closed-Loop Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) System, is, according to the manufacturer, the first closed-loop SCS system to measure the spinal cord’s response to stimulation […]
“Dr. Tian’s extensive experience in pain medicine and neurosurgery will be invaluable to University Orthopedics.”
Research from the University of Wisconsin in Madison has determined that osteoporosis is common but surprisingly under recognized and, therefore, undertreated prior to total joint arthroplasty (TJA). The study, “Osteoporosis Is Common and Undertreated Prior to Total Joint Arthroplasty,” appears in the July 2019 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. Co-author James Bernatz, M.D., with […]
A four-year study from Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Australia and seven other medical institutions has found that an experimental drug called vosoritide has increased the annual growth rate in children and teenagers with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. Vosoritide works by interfering with certain proteins that block bone growth. For […]
New work from NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases and NYU Langone Medical Center has examined the impact of using the direct anterior (DA) versus other total hip arthroplasty (THA) approaches on the risk of prosthetic joint infection (PJI). The team also looked at the impact of new perioperative protocols on PJI rates after all approaches. […]
Hoping to home in on a therapeutic target, a multinational study has delved into the relationship between treating bone mineral density with denosumab and the incidence of nonvertebral fracture. The work, “Relationship Between Bone Mineral Density T‐Score and Nonvertebral Fracture Risk Over 10 Years of Denosumab Treatment,” was published in the June 2019 edition of […]
Using the Kaiser Permanente joint replacement registry, researchers from that institution set out to determine whether racial/ethnic disparities were measurable in total hip arthroplasty (THA) outcomes. The study, “Association of Race and Ethnicity with Total Hip Arthroplasty Outcomes in a Universally Insured Population,” appears in the July 3, 2019 edition of The Journal of Bone […]
A group of researchers from the St. Louis Joint Replacement Institute, has won the prestigious Chitranjan S. Ranawat Award for 2019 for work on understanding the role of nutrition on joint arthroplasty outcomes.
For patients who have had the misfortune of experiencing a prosthetic joint infection (PJI) after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA), what is their risk of having another prosthetic joint infection in another TKA? A recent study addressing this, “Prior hip or knee prosthetic joint infection in another joint increases risk […]
Since 1983 Current Concepts in Joint Replacement® has led the way in educating orthopedic surgeons on all-things arthroplasty. And now, founder Seth Greenwald is passing the torch to The Hip Society and The Knee Society so that future generations can benefit from its array of offerings.
A team from Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago studied the opioid prescription patterns for 461 consecutive new patients with painful and possibly arthritic hips or knees. The study, “Who is prescribing opioids preoperatively? A survey of new patients presenting to tertiary care adult reconstruction clinics,” has been submitted for publication. Craig J. Della Valle […]
With a surfeit of opioids floating around, it is important to get a handle on what is behind illicit diversion. A new study on this topic, “Characterization of opioid consumption and disposal patterns after total knee arthroplasty,” appears in the June 30, 2019 edition of The Bone and Joint Journal. Ajay Premkumar, M.D., M.P.H., an […]
San Diego, California-based NuVasive, Inc. announced that its LessRay radiation reduction and workflow enhancement platform was voted a gold winner in the Radiological, Imaging and Electromechanical Devices category at the 2019 Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA) held in New York City on June 11, 2019. “We are honored to be recognized by the MDEA for […]
While it may sound odd, the impact of implant design on patient-reported outcomes has not been thoroughly examined. Seeking to fill this void in the literature, researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City examined 4,135 patients who’d received a total knee replacement (TKA) using one of the five most common knee […]
More than 500 patients have been treated with the newly FDA approved Barricaid annular closure device—in Europe. Manufactured by Woburn, Massachusetts-based Intrinsic Therapeutics, Barricaid was tested in a European multicenter, randomized controlled trial involving 554 patients. The study outcomes led investigators to conclude that using Barricaid reduced the rate of recurrent symptomatic herniation by approximately […]
One might think that simply putting restrictions on elective total joint surgery for those who are severely overweight might encourage weight loss. Not necessarily so, says new work from OrthoCarolina and Novant Health Bariatric Solutions. Such an endeavor requires a different, more problem solving and supportive approach, says new research. The study, “What are the […]
What are the actual costs of cemented versus cementless total knee arthroplasty (TKA)? A group of researchers pooled data on the cost of operative time, implants, cement, and cementing accessories and arrived at an answer. Their work, “The cost of implanting a cemented versus cementless total knee arthroplasty,” was published in the June 30, 2019 […]
University Orthopedics in Rhode Island has announced the addition of Thomas Barrett, M.D., a fellowship-trained adult reconstructive surgeon, to its team of orthopedic surgeons.
Should you believe your eyes when a gadolinium enhanced MRI shows disc inflammation? Maybe not, says new work from the Netherlands. The study, “Gadolinium Enhancement Is Not Associated With Disc Inflammation in Patients With Sciatica,” was published in the June 15, 2019 edition of Spine. Niek Djuric, M.D., with the Department of Neurosurgery at the […]
A team from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Singapore General Hospital examined 104 patients who had single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for cervical spondylotic myelopathy and their preoperative mental health and found that the degree of post op improvements were largely NOT correlated with mental health. Their work, “Poor Baseline Mental Health […]
To assess the relationship between preoperative chronic opioids and opioid dosage with patient-reported outcomes, a multicenter team examined the records of patients who underwent elective spine surgery from 2010 and 2017. Their work, “Preoperative Opioids and 1-year Patient-reported Outcomes After Spine Surgery,” was published in the June 15, 2019 edition of Spine. Jeffrey Hills, M.D., […]
A multicenter team from one of Ohio’s best-known arthroplasty centers, reviewed outcomes, procedures and technique for 928 of their outpatient total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients. Their work, “Low complication rates in outpatient total knee arthroplasty,” was published in the May 18, 2019 edition of Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy. Co-author Keith Berend, M.D., an orthopedic […]
San Diego, California-based NuVasive, Inc. has announced the commercial launch of Modulus TLIF-O, a porous titanium spine implant engineered for the transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) procedure. According to NuVasive’s press announcement, “Modulus TLIF-O features porous surface technology that, based on pre-clinical data, provides a favorable environment for bone in-growth and bone on-growth, and consistently […]
Operation Walk Carolinas is reporting that its recent team of 50 providers from OrthoCarolina, Atrium Health, and Novant Health has performed 60 total hip and knee replacements on 54 patients in Panama. This is the largest number of joint replacements performed to date since Operation Walk Carolinas took its first trip to Cuba in 2017. […]
A new, as yet unpublished study of the use of EXPAREL (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) in 645 Medicare patients receiving primary inpatient large joint arthroplasty (337 total knees and 308 total hips) is reporting that the use of EXPAREL significantly reduced the need for post discharge opioid use. Specifically, the study is reporting that most […]
Medacta International’s MySpine® MC platform is the winner of the MedTech Breakthrough “Best Healthcare Navigation/Robotics Solution” award for 2019. MedTech Breakthrough is an independent organization that recognizes the top companies and solutions in the global health and medical technology market. “Medacta is an international orthopaedics company specializing in the design and production of innovative orthopaedic […]
A team of researchers has examined postoperative complications and readmissions for patients receiving a unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) procedure and compared those outcomes to patients who received a total knew arthroplasty (TKA). Their work, “Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty Has Fewer Complications but Higher Revision Rates Than Total Knee Arthroplasty in a Study of Large United States […]
Using a retrospective cohort design, a team from Yale has determined that given the appropriate conditions, outpatient (OP) cervical total disc replacement (CTDR) can be safe. The study, “Safety of Outpatient Single-level Cervical Total Disc Replacement,” appears in the May 1, 2019 issue of Spine. Patawut Bovonratwet, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at the Yale School […]
BioLabs@NYULangone, a partnership between BioLabs, a membership-based network of shared lab facilities located in the nation’s key biotech innovation clusters, is the largest life sciences accelerator in the US and is based at NYU Langone Health, one of the nation’s top medical research centers. In a very interesting move, BioLabs@NYULangone added MEND Nutrition Inc., a […]
Dr. Freiberg is the renown orthopedic surgeon who has led the hip and knee service at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston for over 20 years
Dr. LaPrade, an internationally known complex orthopedic knee and sports medicine surgeon, has treated a host of national and international athletes—including Olympians.
Alejandro Della Valle, M.D., attending orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and a professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York lead a team to review the safety and efficacy of multimodal thromboprophylaxis (MMP) in patients with a history of venous thromboembolism (VTE) undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). […]
Maxx Orthopedics, Inc. a subsidiary of Maxx Medical, Pvt. Ltd., with offices in the U.S., Singapore, and India, has announced first-in-man surgery for its new Libertas Hip System…and all went well, says Maxx. Dr. Sridhar Durbhakula of OrthoBethesda, in Maryland, performed the case. He told OTW, “I couldn’t be more excited about the new Libertas […]
A team of researchers from Mayo Clinic set out to assess the accuracy of the alpha-defensin test for diagnosing periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in patients with inflammatory diseases. Their work, “Diagnostic Accuracy of the Alpha-Defensin Test for Periprosthetic Joint Infection in Patients With Inflammatory Diseases,” appears in the April 12, 2019 edition of The Journal […]
mediCAD Hectec GmbH, based near Landshut, Germany, has announced that its newest version of mediCAD Spine 3D now includes full support for MRI scans. According to the company, “Previously, physicians could use mediCADSpine 3D to plan with x-rays and CT scans. In this new release of mediCAD Spine 3D, Version 2.2, the software now offers […]
Vancouver, Canada-based Precision OS has announced that 10 of the most well-known North American universities and medical institutions have signed up to provide surgical residents with high-fidelity virtual reality (VR) orthopedic surgery training systems. “Virtual reality has the potential to positively impact and advance the way surgery residents are trained by offering more frequent and […]
Don’t often hear about older hip fractures being done nonoperatively? That’s because it doesn’t happen so much. But when it does, how do patients fare? A multicenter team just undertook a study to find out. Their work, “Nonoperative Geriatric Hip Fracture Treatment is Associated with Increased Mortality: A Matched Cohort Study,” appears in the Journal […]
In what is truly a first for East Africa, a team of intrepid researchers has set out to assess the demographics, management, costs of surgery and implants, treatment decision factors, and outcomes of patients with spine trauma in Tanzania. The researchers were from the Weill Cornell Brain and Spine Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the Muhimbili […]
Researchers from Italy set out to determine if component positioning on the 3D planes influence the clinical outcome in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), examining 363 patients (395 knees) who were treated with robotic arm assisted UKAs. Their study, “Does component placement affect short-term clinical outcome in robotic-arm assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty?” appears in the March […]
Ontario Canada’s Intellijoint Surgical Inc. has just reached the notable milestone of 10,000 total hip replacements (THR) using its flagship product, the Intellijoint HIP smart navigation system! The lucky surgeon who performed the 10,000th Intellijoint HIP case was Claudette Lajam, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital. She commented on her experience saying, […]
Lacking information on the long-term outcomes of selective fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), a team of researchers used a multicenter database to identify 51 patients who had undergone this procedure. Their work, “Ten-Year Outcomes of Selective Fusions for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis,” was published in the May 1, 2019 edition of The Journal of Bone […]
“No labral repair for you,” is what many patients over the age of 60 have heard. But is that really the best approach? A team of researchers from Tennessee decided to find out. Their work, “Arthroscopic Acetabular Labral Repair in Patients Over the Age of 60 Years: A Matched Case-Control Study,” appears in the May […]
Researchers from the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center hypothesized that thigh circumference, more than, for example, body mass index (BMI), make the direct anterior approach more difficult since it may be affecting component positioning. The study, “Does the thigh circumference affect the positioning of the acetabular component when using the direct anterior approach in total hip arthroplasty?” […]
Holland. Michigan-based Genesis Innovation has made an initial investment into Grand Rapids, Michigan-based HAPPE Spine. The amount of the investment was not disclosed. MiBusiness reported that HAPPE Spine had filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that early on it had raised an equity offering with 11 investors. Genesis Innovation, which was founded by […]
A team of researchers from Rush University Medical Center and Loma Linda University Medical Center analyzed data from 269 patients who’d been treated with arthroscopic partial meniscectomy and collated the outcome results at 6-7 months after surgery. Their work, “Factors Associated With Clinically Significant Patient-Reported Outcomes After Primary Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy,” appears in the May […]
To determine if low-dose computed tomography (CT) protocols would make a difference in minimizing radiation in hip preservation surgery, a multicenter team of researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study of 59 patients, 41 of whom received a low-dose CT and 18 received the traditional dose of CT radiation. The research team studied only patients who’d […]
Concerned about the 2017 CDC guidelines on surgical site infection (SSI) advising against the continuation of antibiotics postoperatively after total joint arthroplasty (TJA), a multicenter team of researchers evaluated 23 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 2 prospective cohort, 3 retrospective cohort, and 4 case-control studies with a total of 51,627 patients. Their work, “Perioperative Antibiotic […]
On March 1, Modernizing Medicine—an electronic health records and data analytics company—announced that it had entered into a business collaboration with GoodRx, a supplier of pharmaceutical pricing information from more than 70,000 pharmacies to consumers. As part of the new partnership, Modernizing Medicine’s EHR, EMA (Electronic Medical Assistant), will interface with GoodRx’s systems to provide […]
Gabe Ortiz, a veteran of the biologics space, is the new director of Sales, Western Region, for Artoss, Inc., based in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Ortiz is responsible for continuing the sales growth of NanoBone Bone Graft in a 13–state region west of the Mississippi River and for identifying, training, and managing independent distributors in that […]
Noting the lack of data on the safety of using single-dose perioperative antibiotic in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), researchers from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, evaluated 296 UKAs: 40 outpatients who received single-dose antibiotics and 256 inpatients who received 24-hour antibiotics. The study, “Single-Dose Perioperative Antibiotics Do Not Increase the Risk of Surgical Site Infection […]
NuVasive, Inc. has introduced a new approach to positioning patients who are having lateral spine fusion surgery. The new system allows the surgeon to perform an XLIF (lateral lumbar interbody fusion) without having to reposition the patient. That, combined with other features, can reduce OR time, says NuVasive, by as much as one hour! The […]
The FDA has approved Cimzia (certolizumab pegol), an injection for the treatment of adults with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA). This is the first time that the FDA has approved a treatment for this condition. “Today’s approval of Cimzia fulfills an unmet need for patients suffering from non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis as there has been no FDA-approved […]
Clue: this is both the 5th largest large joint company and the fastest growing integrated orthopedic company in the world. Answer: Who is Medacta? Our intrepid reporter, Elizabeth Hofheinz recently spent time with this extraordinary firm and here is what she learned.
Dr. Koman was recently awarded the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation Clinical Research Award.
To examine the role of mental health and social support in the use of different pain medications among knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients, a team of researchers examined 360 individuals, categorizing them based on use of these oral medications: opioids (with/without other oral analgesic treatments), non-opioid analgesics, and no oral analgesic treatment. The study, “Social & […]
Two-year follow up data from Orthofix Medical Inc.’s U.S. Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) study of its M6-C artificial cervical disc, which was long anticipated following the FDA approval of the device in January, was released at the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) annual meeting by Jack Zigler, M.D., an orthopedic spine […]
Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have been homing in on the role of nutrient supply in the cartilage endplate (CEP) and the use of biologic therapy as a way to address and treat disc degeneration in the spine. The study, “Nutrient supply and nucleus pulposus cell function: effects of the transport […]
Retired Navy Captain Dana C. Covey, M.D. was recently presented with the 2019 William W. Tipton, Jr., M.D., Leadership Award.
A new prospective cohort study of 4,182 men and women ≥45 years of age found that knee pain—with or without radiographic osteoarthritis (OA)—correlates with higher rates of death. This new study was conducted by a team of scientists from the University of North Carolina Thurston Arthritis Research Center at Chapel Hill in collaboration with Harvard’s […]
Solvay S.A., an advanced materials and specialty chemicals company headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, has announced that its Zeniva PEEK (polyetheretherketone) has been selected by Osaka, Japan-based KiSCO Co. for the first non-metal lumbar cage for vertical interbody fusion made in Japan. This cage is commercially available only in Japan. According to both companies, “KiSCO machined […]
A new meta-analysis based on four randomized controlled trials and 636 patients has found that using a bone plug for intramedullary sealing in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can be effective in reducing blood loss. Concerned that the opening created during a distal femoral cut may become a channel that drains intramedullary blood to the knee […]
A team of researchers from Virginia has moved the needle on understanding the problem of osteoporosis care. Their study, “Orthopedic surgeons’ views on the osteoporosis care gap and potential solutions: survey results,” appears in the March 6, 2019 edition of the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research. Co-author David W. Barton, an M.D. Candidate, Class […]
NuVasive, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, California, has announced the initial uses of Cohere XLIF, the first-of-its-kind lateral Porous PEEK implant for XLIF (eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion) and lateral single-position surgery. According to NuVasive, “Cohere XLIF is the first product launch for XLIF and lateral single-position surgery applications using Porous PEEK technology. NuVasive is the […]
Concerns with the two-stage revision of chronically infected total hip arthroplasty (THA) motivated top researchers in China to take another look—this time via a 126-patient study. The study, “Single-stage treatment of chronically infected total hip arthroplasty with cementless reconstruction,” was published in the March 31, 2019 edition of The Bone and Joint Journal. Li Cao […]
New total hip arthroplasty (THA) research from the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York has tackled fretting and corrosion in retrieved OXINIUM (OxZr, oxidized zirconium, Smith & Nephew, Memphis, Tennessee) femoral heads and compared the results with those from a matched cohort of cobalt-chromium (CoCr) femoral heads. The research, “Do oxidized zirconium heads […]
With the knowledge that things don’t turn out so well for those who experience a patellar or quadriceps tendon ruptures after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), a team of researchers set out to bring the orthopedic community closer on a consensus regarding optimal treatment. The study, “Treatment of Extensor Tendon Disruption After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A […]
Dr. Bulkeley will specialize in pediatric orthopedic surgery and general orthopedics.
Using the largest registry of twin siblings in the world, researchers from Sweden have shed light on the sex differences in the etiology of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Their study, “Nature vs nurture in knee osteoarthritis – the importance of age, sex and body mass index,” appears in the April 2019 edition of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. […]
New research from Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois and Washington University Orthopedics, Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri has examined the issue of using modular dual mobility (DM) prostheses in young, active patients. The study, “Is a modular dual mobility acetabulum a viable option for the young, active total hip arthroplasty patient?” appears […]
A new meta-analysis of 15 published studies from researchers at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China, have tackled the issue of enhanced recovery after surgery. Their work, “An enhanced recovery after surgery program in orthopedic surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” appears in the March 13, 2019 edition of the […]
UK-based Victrex, a supplier of PAEK/PEEK [Polyetherether ketone] implants, has purchased a several million Euro stake in Bond High Performance 3D Technology BV, a Netherlands-based company with differentiated 3D printing (Additive Manufacturing, AM) machinery and software. Together, the two firms intend to use their respective technologies to produce high strength parts from existing grades of […]
New research from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School has examined the effect of crosslinked polyethylene implants in total hip arthroplasty (THA) on the costs of hip replacement surgery. The investigators looked at revision and dislocation rates for crosslinked poly implants in arriving at their conclusions. The work, “The Role of Crosslinked Polyethylene in […]
Hyalex Orthopaedics Inc., makers of a polymer system meant to mimic cartilage, has raised $33 million in Series A funding. The company, based in Lexington, Massachusetts, has a regenerative technology known as HYALEX technology. New investors Strategic Healthcare Investment Partners and DSM Venturing, the venture arm of Royal DSM, joined existing investors Canaan, Osage University […]
Dr. Wright is the executive vice chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
A new, first-of-its-kind research has found that the Bundled Payment Care Improvement (BCPI) program likely DID discriminate against older, frail patients. The study that raised this issue and looked at the data is titled “Age and Frailty Influence Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Reimbursement in a Bundled Payment Care Improvement Initiative,” and appears in the January […]
Dr. Chu is professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Stanford University.
New work presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has found that tele-rehabilitation doesn’t have to mean that patients end up back in the hospital. The study, “Tele-Rehabilitation for Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty Patients: No Increase in Readmissions,” followed 40 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) and […]
Jonathan M. Vigdorchik, an orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, has been appointed to the Scientific Advisory Board of Canada-based Intellijoint Surgical Inc. “Through research and diverse surgical experiences, I have seen how navigation can be used to improve patients’ outcomes following total joint replacement,” explained Dr. Vigdorchik. “Intellijoint’s core […]
Eleven top orthopedic clinics, including OrthoIndy, Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Missouri Orthopaedic Institute and The Hospital for Special Surgery, tested the use of amniotic fluid and tissue allograft in suspension for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The product, brand named ReNu, is processed by Canton, Massachusetts-based Organogenesis Holdings, […]
Dr. Bolognesi is a professor of surgery, chief of the Adult Reconstruction Division, and director of the Adult Reconstruction Fellowship in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine.
Dr. Liu is an associate professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania.
New research from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City has found, perhaps unexpectedly, that younger patients had higher rates of early mechanical complications than older patients. Co-author Mark P. Figgie, M.D., professor of orthopedic surgery and the Allan E. Inglis, Chair in Surgical Arthritis at HSS, described the study to OTW, “Clinically, […]
New multicenter research has found that a detailed preoperative spine classification has improved outcome predictions for patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). The work, “A hierarchical classification of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: Identifying the distinguishing features in 3D spinal deformities,” was published in the March 20, 2019 edition of PLoS One. Co-author Saba Pasha, Ph.D. told […]
New research on outpatient arthroplasty has found that patients who go home the day of surgery are just as happy—if not happier—than those patients who remain in the hospital. The study, “Is Patient Satisfaction Higher with Inpatient or Same Day Total Joint Arthroplasty?” was presented at the recent meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic […]
Dr. Parks is the clinical director of Orthopedic Surgery at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
Where a patient lives may be one of the most powerful reasons they return to the emergency room (ER) and are readmitted following total joint surgery. According to a new study from the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City and the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, patients who live close to the […]
To examine the differences in managing pain between oral and intravenous acetaminophen, a team from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York conducted a study of 154 total hip arthroplasty patients—some of whom received either IV or oral acetaminophen. Their work, “IV vs. Oral Acetaminophen as A Component of Multimodal Analgesia After Total Hip […]
New research from the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute in Philadelphia examines whether organisms which cause periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) have changed. The authors retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 1,214 patients with PJI treated at the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute between 2000 and 2017; the study included 501 total hip arthroplasties (THA) and 713 total hip arthroplasties […]
A new prospective, randomized study of a targeted cold therapy where precise, controlled doses of cold are delivered to freeze peripheral nerves as compared to daily morphine equivalents (DMEs) found that the targeted cold therapy cut the use of opioids following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery by an average of 35% over 12 weeks and […]
Researchers at the University of Rochester in New York have taken a deep look into the connection between the volume of revision total joint arthroplasty (TJA) surgeries and patient outcomes. The study, “Association Between Hospital Volume and Outcomes After Revision Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Study of 29,948 Cases,” is in press at Clinical Orthopedics and […]
While it is common wisdom that the “silent killer,” osteoporosis, is under-diagnosed in the general population, specific data regarding the incidence rates of either osteoporosis or its precursor, osteopenia, is extremely rare for spine fusion patients. A research team from the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City set out to collect such […]
Upper Nyack, New York-based CreakyJoints, part of the nonprofit Global Healthy Living Foundation which provides multiple educational resources to patients and their families free of charge, announced the publication of “The Impact of Information Presentation Format on Preference for Total Knee Replacement Surgery,” which appears in the March 19, 2019 edition of Arthritis Care & […]
Woburn, Massachusetts-based OSSIO Inc. will have a lot of resources to work with as it has just secured $22 million in equity financing. The round was led by OCV Partners, a Los Angeles-based venture capital firm, with continuing participation from investors Ortho Vision LLC and Secocha Ventures. The company plans to use these funds to […]
The study, “Why Are Contemporary Revision Total Hip Arthroplasties Failing? An Analysis of 2,500 Cases,” appears in the January 23, 2019 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. This work was the winner of the Lawrence D. Dorr Surgical Techniques & Technologies Award. Co-author Matthew Abdel, M.D., professor of orthopedic surgery and consultant in the Department […]
DJO, LLC has announced the launch of its ADAPTABLE Surgical Arm for use in anterior hip arthroplasty at the recent 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). According to the company, “ADAPTABLE is the first fully sterile, surgeon-controlled leg and retractor holder designed for a safe Direct Anterior Approach [DAA] Total […]
The North American Spine Society (NASS) has just announced the proposed revisions of coverage recommendations for Epidural Steroid Injections and Diagnostic Spinal Nerve Root Blocks, Interspinous Fixation with Fusion, and Lumbar Discectomy. The 30-day public comment period ends March 30 for anyone wishing to review and provide feedback on the draft coverage recommendations. Asked about […]
A study presented at the recent 2019 meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) set out to determine the risks of complications, dislocations, reoperations, revisions and periprosthetic fractures after conversion total hip arthroplasty (THA) as compared with primary or revision THA. The team of researchers also asked, “How has this effect changed over […]
A new, 19,000 patient study is reporting a positive linear correlation between elevated body mass index (BMI) and reoperations after total knee arthroplasty revision. The study, “The Effect of Body Mass Index on 30-day Complications After Revision Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty,” appears in the February 13, 2019 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. The […]
Santa Clara, California-based SI-BONE, Inc. has announced two-year results from iMIA (iFuse Implant System Minimally Invasive Arthrodesis), a multicenter randomized controlled trial conducted at nine hospitals in four European countries. The study, “Randomized Trial of Sacroiliac Joint Arthrodesis Compared with Conservative Management for Chronic Low Back Pain Attributed to the Sacroiliac Joint,” appears in the […]
A new study has found that morbidly obese patients who dropped at least 20 pounds before total knee arthroplasty (TKA) had a shorter length of stay in the hospital and a reduced chance of having to go to a nursing facility—even if they remained morbidly or severely obese. The study, “How Much Preoperative Weight Do […]
Researchers from NYU Langone Orthopedics, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Mayo Clinic have developed a hip-spine classification system for use in revision total hip arthroplasty that may help decrease the risk of recurrent instability. Their work, “Evaluation of the Spine is Critical in Patients with Recurrent Instability after Total Hip Arthroplasty,” has been accepted for […]
A new study presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) fills a gap in the research on back pain in children and adolescents. The study, “The Epidemiology of Back Pain in Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study of 3,669 American Youth,” has not yet been published. “While adult […]
Using animal models, a team from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo has devised a system that they say eradicated 98% of harmful bacteria associated with joint replacements. “Our goal is to eliminate the need for follow-up surgeries. We think we can wipe out infection-causing bacteria before trouble starts,” says Wayne Bacon, […]
Is it sufficient to only examine the injured part of the spine via focused magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) or will that lead to missed problems? A recent study tackling this question, “Is focused magnetic resonance imaging adequate for treatment decision making in acute traumatic thoracic and lumbar spine fractures seen on whole spine computed tomography?” […]
Using a systematic review and meta-analysis of case series and cohort studies, researchers from the UK have reported that just over half of all hip implants last at least 25 years. The study, “How long does a hip replacement last? A systematic review and meta-analysis of case series and national registry reports with more than […]
In work involving 52 patients, London-based researchers have determined that a program of 10 consecutive weekly group rehabilitation sessions following lumbar fusion (education, low-tech cardiovascular, limb and spine strengthening exercises, and peer support), “appears to convey a meaningful clinical improvement in functional ability.” Their work, “Rehabilitation following lumbar fusion surgery (REFS) a randomised controlled feasibility […]
Findings from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York and Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago offer strong evidence that, “Qualitative guidelines and prescriber education are effective in reducing the amount of opioids prescribed at discharge and encouraging the use of weaker opioids. Coupling provider education with prescribing guidelines is likely synergistic in achieving […]
Mission Viejo, California-based Innovasive, Inc. has officially changed its name to Amplify Surgical, Inc. and has undertaken a corporate rebranding process. “The Amplify Surgical name better emphasizes our commitment to delivering new, cutting-edge, surgical solutions that reestablish the standard of care for our surgeon customers and their patients,” explained company CEO Andy Choi. “In addition, […]
New research from Mount Sinai in New York has come up with some revealing issues regarding antibiotic prophylaxis. The work, unpublished as of yet, is titled, “Characteristics of Antibiotic Prophylaxis and Risk of Surgical Site Infections in Primary Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.” Jashvant Poeran, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Population Health Science and Policy, […]
Despite all the articles, studies and billions of words written about opioid prescriptions, no one, until now, has documented the ACTUAL pattern of orthopedic physician opioid prescriptions. And the credit for this essential work goes to an intrepid group of researchers at the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute who emailed anonymous surveys to the orthopedic societies in […]
The data just keeps piling up that smoking cessation is one of the most powerful steps patients can take to prevent rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A new multicenter research study that looked at…wait for it…6 million person-years of data put yet another nail in the smoking coffin. The study, titled, “Impact and timing of smoking cessation […]
Dr. Chu is a professor and the vice chair of Research in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Stanford University.
In a study of 147 patients in Sweden, researchers found that older persons who have waited >1 year between injury and reconstruction may require extra postop attention. The study, “Preoperative and Intraoperative Predictors of Long-Term Acceptable Knee Function and Osteoarthritis After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: An Analysis Based on 2 Randomized Controlled Trials,” appears in […]
The Hip Society and The Knee Society, which recently acquired Current Concepts in Joint Replacement (CCJR), have announced the program’s new Executive Committee. Daniel J. Berry, M.D. of Mayo Clinic will serve as senior director; Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., M.D. of Joint Implant Surgeons, Inc. and William J. Maloney, III, M.D. of Stanford University will […]
Research from Rush University in Chicago and the University of Washington in Seattle has determined that patients who receive text messages are more engaged and recover faster. Their work, “A Novel, Automated Text-Messaging System Is Effective in Patients Undergoing Total Joint Arthroplasty,” appears in the January 16, 2019 edition of The Journal of Bone and […]
It takes a certain level of insight to know how to shepherd a team AND let them be free. John Viscogliosi, chairman & CEO of Centinel Spine, has mastered that skill over the years. Here is the story of how he has brought this company to the top of its game.
New work from the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York has examined data from 3,898 total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) to determine if there were any outcome differences for patients living in immigrant communities. The study, “Living in immigrant communities does not impact total knee arthroplasty outcomes: experience from a high-volume center in the […]
A team of intrepid researchers have completed a study of 2,933 emergency room patients with vertebral fractures over a six-year time span—from 2008 to 2014. They found that a substantial percentage of those patients had NOT received a bone density scan prior to experiencing a vertebral fracture. Their work, “Rates of osteoporosis screening and treatment […]
Researchers from Japan have used a combination therapy on eight patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) utilizing traditional surgical treatment followed by autologous chondrocyte sheet transplantation for cartilage repair. More interestingly, the research team demonstrated that the expression of selected marker gene sets in autologous transplanted chondrocyte sheets derived from each patient may be effective predictors […]
Dr. Alexiades is an orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York.
Delving into the intersection of hip and spine, researchers have investigated how differences in pelvic orientation of patients who have undergone spine fusions can increase the risk of dislocation risk after total hip arthroplasty (THA). The research, “Lumbar fusion involving the sacrum increases dislocation risk in primary total hip arthroplasty,” was published in the January […]
How accurately can radiographic imaging assess anterior cervical fusion? Researchers from the U.S. and the Republic of Korea tackled that problem with a new study which looked at radiographic accuracy in 5 ways: extragraft bone bridging (ExGBB) intragraft bridging bone (InGBB) interspinous motion (ISM) superjacent ISM conventional bridging bone. The researchers looked at radiographic images […]
Synopsys, based in Mountain View, California, has announced the release of its new 3D medical image processing platform—Synopsys Simpleware ScanIP Medical edition. The system has FDA 510(k) clearance and CE and ISO 13485:2016 certification. From Synopsys, here are some of the systems key features and benefits. Workflow Highlights: “Import and anonymize patient DICOM tags from […]
Parsippany, New Jersey-based Onkos Surgical, Inc. has announced the launch of MyTray, a fully integrated personal surgical planning program that aims to save time and other resources. According to the company, MyTray leverages preoperative imaging and the precision of surgeon-specific procedural requirements, all delivered in the convenience of personalized instrumentation trays. “We continue to invest […]
Tuttlingen, Germany-based Aesculap Implant Systems, LLC funded a multicenter sheep study which compared the osseointegration capabilities of the company’s porous titanium coated polyetheretherketone (PEEK) surface to uncoated polyetheretherketone. The study and resulting paper looked at both in vitro and in vivo analysis. The paper, “Porous titanium-coated polyetheretherketone implants exhibit an improved bone–implant interface: an in […]
A team from Duke University Medical Center set out to prove that putting gloves on before donning a surgical gown would decrease or eliminate sleeve contamination. Their work, “Donning Gloves Before Surgical Gown Eliminates Sleeve Contamination,” appears in the January 16, 2019 online edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. Colin T. Penrose, M.D., a third […]
Dr. Czerwein, Jr. is an orthopedic spine surgeon and has been named Chief of the Division of Orthopedics at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital.
A new study of 42,300 patients explores the question of whether patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion (LSF) before total hip arthroplasty (THA)—versus after—have an increased risk of dislocation and revision. The study, “Does Timing of Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty Prior to or After Lumbar Spine Fusion Have an Effect on Dislocation and Revision Rates?” appears […]
Are patients waiting until Medicare kicks in to ask for total joint arthroplasty (TJA)? And, if so, how large is that pent-up demand? Those are the questions that a group of Mayo Clinic researchers tackled with new research that has just been published in the February 2019 edition of the Journal of Arthroplasty. The title […]
The Hannover, Germany-based iF International Forum Design GmbH has announced that Austin, Texas-based Genesys Spine has won this year’s iF DESIGN AWARD for its AIS-C Stand-Alone System. The AIS-C is a non-screw based, zero-profile, direct-anterior stand-alone interbody system for the cervical spine. As indicated by Genesys Spine, “The AIS-C Stand-Alone System won over the 67-member […]
A study of 476 total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients at three separate institutions found that costs could be reduced by as much as $1,215, length of stay could be cut by as much as 25%, home discharges could increase by 80% and, finally that 91% fewer TKA patients were discharged to a skilled nursing facility. […]
Fridley, Minnesota-based Medtronic announced that it has enrolled its first patient in the Embrace TDD (targeted drug delivery) clinical study. The purpose of this study is to measure the effectiveness of the SynchroMed II intrathecal drug delivery system (“Medtronic pain pump”). Intrathecal drug delivery systems are a comparatively new method of back pain management. Here’s […]
The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgery (AAHKS) has issued a new position statement titled, “Opioid Use for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Hip and Knee.” Mark Spangehl, M.D., associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and one of the surgeons who crafted the new statement, explained the […]
Much as it did with total knee arthroplasty, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) is gearing up to promote outpatient total hip arthroplasty. BUT not all Medicare patients should have large joint arthroplasty in the outpatient setting. How to predict which are best suited for outpatient, particularly among the Medicare population? That was […]
New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) will now have the capacity to do in-house additive manufacturing 3D printing facility for custom complex implants. Italy (and now HSS)-based LimaCorporate will be the manufacturer of all devices designed and produced at this facility, which will be located near HSS on the Upper East Side. These […]
A study 319 total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) has found that postoperative lab work has run amok. A retrospective review of cases performed at a single institution over a two-year period says “yes.” The study, “Re-evaluating the utility of routine postoperative laboratory tests after primary total knee arthroplasty,” appears in January 18, 2019 edition of The […]
In a study of 1,150 patients in Brazil who underwent total joint arthroplasty (TJA), researchers aimed to understand why some patients appear to be more at risk for postoperative infections and mechanical complications. The study, “Identification of high-risk groups for complication after arthroplasty: predictive value of patient’s related risk factors,” appears in the December 29, […]
Femoral nerve block or local infiltration (injection) anesthesia for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients—which works better? A team from the University of L’Aquila in Italy designed a study to answer that question and the full study, titled “Pain management after total knee arthroplasty: A prospective randomized study” appears online in the December 14, 2018 issue […]
A team from New York set out to compare the effectiveness of the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS)…
In the constant hunt for the most effective antibiotic prophylaxis for total knee replacement (TKR), a team of UK researchers performed a study titled “A comparative study of 5 different antibiotic prophylaxis regimes in 4500 total knee replacements.” This was published online December 18, 2018 in the Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma. Satish Babu, […]
Surgeons from Florida have come up with some specific suggestions as to how their colleagues can improve treatment metrics for arthroplasty revision patients. Their work, “Bundled Payment “Creep”: Institutional Redesign for Primary Arthroplasty Positively Affects Revision Arthroplasty,” was published in the February 2019 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. Chancellor Gray, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon […]
Surgeons in the UK set out to tease out reasons for readmission after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Their study, “Predictors of 30-Day Readmission After Total Knee Arthroplasty: Analysis of 566,323 Procedures in the United Kingdom,” appears in the February 2019 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. Alex Bottle, Ph.D. with the Faculty of Medicine at […]
A new study from the University of Louisville Adult Reconstruction Program has collected survivorship data for both cementless total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and cemented TKA in morbidly obese patients. The data is in a new study which appears in the February 2019 edition of the Journal of Arthroplasty. The retrospective study, “Increased Survivorship of Cementless […]
A failed joint replacement leaves patients and surgeons with big problems. Rutgers researchers homed in on the role of the immune system in the inflammation and bone loss that can occur after such as surgery. Their study, “Sterile particle-induced inflammation is mediated by macrophages releasing IL-33 through a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase-dependent pathway,” appears in the […]
Are the eligibility criteria used for hip and knee replacements color, income or sex blind? Perhaps not, says new work from Johns Hopkins. The study, “Eligibility Criteria for Lower Extremity Joint Replacement May Worsen Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities,” appeared in the November 14, 2018 edition of Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. Co-author Casey Humbyrd, M.D., […]
Dr. Fehring, a hip and knee surgeon with the OrthoCarolina Hip and Knee Center, has been awarded a grant by The Foundation for Arthroplasty Research and Education.
Patients who smoke present physicians and hospitals with a whole range of costly issues. Would a smoking cessation program, which itself is also expensive, save money in the long run? A team of New York University researchers looked at that specific issue and published the results of their study, “Cost-Effectiveness of Preoperative Smoking Cessation Interventions […]
Martha Shadan, who has more than 30 years of medical device executive, marketing and commercialization expertise, has moved from her executive chairwoman position of Miach Orthopaedics to the president and CEO of the company. Westborough, Massachusetts-based Miach Orthopaedics, Inc. has its first product under development—the Bridge-Enhanced ACL [anterior cruciate ligament] Repair (BEAR) technology, currently being […]
In females, says a multicenter team of California researchers, it is possible to alter brain signaling and have it increase (or decrease) bone density. The study, “Estrogen signaling in arcuate Kiss1 neurons suppresses a sex-dependent female circuit promoting dense strong bones,” appears in the January 11, 2019 edition of Nature Communications. Holly A. Ingraham, Ph.D., […]
Can an air decontamination system effectively reduce periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) by attacking airborne bacterial onslaughts? A team of Tennessee-based researchers designed a retrospective observational study to try to answer that question. Their study, “The Impact of Supplemental Intraoperative Air Decontamination on the Outcome of Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Pilot Analysis,” appears in the December […]
There is nothing like the personal touch and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) can actually improve the patient experience in addition to providing valuable data to orthopedic care givers. Researchers from New York have assessed all patient visits to an orthopedic surgery clinic at a single academic medical center between February 2015 and September 2016. Their […]
An entirely unique mobile, at-home exercise therapy and behavioral coaching program reduced patient low back pain by 62%, disability by 55%, improved daily life impact by 64%, and, like a cherry on an ice cream sundae, it also chopped interest in spine surgery dramatically. The study, “Randomized controlled trial of a 12-week digital care program […]
It might seem logical that preoperative opioid use is linked to postoperative use. But researchers set out to dig into the details. Their study, “Prescription Opioid Use Before and After Hip Arthroscopy: A Caution to Prescribers,” was published in the January 4, 2019 edition of Arthroscopy. Co-author Kyle Duchman, M.D. an orthopedic surgeon with the […]
Why is the most studied spinal implant in history considered to be “experimental”? Researchers from the U.S. and Brazil completed a massive review of the cervical disc arthroplasty literature. The team leader, Dan Riew, M.D., director of cervical spine surgery at Columbia University in New York, also hoped to refine the criteria for patient selection. […]
To state the obvious, the biologic factors underlying osteoarthritis (OA) are complex. Could one of those factors be a more important determinant of eventual OA and future total knee replacement surgery than previously thought? A team of Ohio State University researchers designed a study to tease out the answers to that question. Their work, “Full-Thickness […]
Oxford, Harris, WOMAC, or iHOT? For hip arthroscopy, which patient outcome measures would you choose? In a retrospective review of prospectively collected data on hip arthroscopy patients, Duquesne University and University of Pittsburgh researchers focused on the iHOT system and tightened up the scoring for Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) and Substantial Clinical Benefit (SCB), […]
If you want to learn how to join a class. To cook, speak or potter in brass. An apple for the teacher. May help you reach’er. And, if you’re lucky, you might rate a pass! Or, for orthopod seeking improved patient outcomes, maybe pre-op education is the ticket! A research team from Limerick, Ireland, decided […]
An entirely new type of knee implant to treat osteoarthritis (OA) has been surgically implanted for the first time in the U.S. Known as the Calypso Knee System, the device was developed by Hayward, California-based Moximed, Inc. According to the company, the CalypsoKneeSystem treats OA in the inner knee and is designed to provide support […]
Using the American College of Surgeons National Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, George Washington University researchers studied 14,415 trauma patients to determine whether there were any outcome differences between sliding hip screws and cephalomedullary nails in intertrochanteric hip fractures. The study, “Comparison of Short-term Complication Rates Between Cephalomedullary Hip Screw Devices and Sliding Hip Screws: […]
New multicenter work set out to compare arthroscopic labral reconstruction with labral repair. The study, “Arthroscopic Reconstruction of the Irreparable Acetabular Labrum: A Match-controlled Study,” appears in the January 4, 2019 edition of Arthroscopy. Co-author Benjamin Domb, M.D., founder of the American Hip Institute in Chicago, Illinois, told OTW, “Arthroscopic reconstruction of the labrum has […]
Mayo Clinic researchers have compared the long- and short-term risks of reinfection and mechanical failure in total hip arthroplasty using a contemporary 2-stage exchange protocol. Their study, “Long-Term Results of a 2-Stage Exchange Protocol for Periprosthetic Joint Infection Following Total Hip Arthroplasty in 164 Hips,” appears in the January 2, 2019 edition of the Journal […]
Warfarin. Aspirin. Something else? Where do you stand regarding prophylaxis to lower risks of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) with your total hip or knee patients? A group of researchers have critically reviewed what we know and what we don’t in a very notable study titled, “Venous Thromboembolism Chemoprophylaxis in Total Hip […]
Overlapping surgeries are efficient, but are they safe? A new study of 22,220 operations at an ambulatory surgery center tries to answer that question. The study, “Complications Following Overlapping Orthopaedic Procedures at an Ambulatory Surgery Center,” appears inThe Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. In 2015, the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team reported on a case […]
A multi-disciplinary team from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, unveiled a revised version of its standardized multimodal analgesia (MMA) protocol for patients undergoing spinal fusion. The original version, “Multimodal Analgesia Versus Intravenous Patient-Controlled Analgesia for Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion Procedures,” appeared in the August 1, 2017 edition of Spine. Kern Singh, […]
A group of Finnish researchers have dug into the issue of how surgeons determine if low back pain is actually a serious spinal condition. Their study, “Specific spinal pathologies in adult patients with an acute or subacute atraumatic low back pain in the emergency department,” was published in the December 2018 edition of International Orthopaedics. […]
In what way and how extensively do prior hip arthroscropy interventions and hip preservation surgeries affect total hip replacement surgeries? A new, retrospective study titled: “Does Prior Hip Arthroscopy Affect Outcomes of Subsequent Hip Arthroplasty? A Systematic Review” appearing in the January 4, 2019 edition of Arthroscopy attempts to answer those questions. John P. Salvo, M.D., […]
A new study looked into the impact of the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) program—also known as the bundled payments program—on total joint replacement costs. The study, “Two-Year Evaluation of Mandatory Bundled Payments for Joint Replacement,” was published in the January 2, 2019 edition of The New England Journal of Medicine. Michael L. Barnett, […]
A new review article has found that the existing literature does not support preoperative metal hypersensivity testing. The article, “Metal Hypersensitivity in Total Joint Arthroplasty,” appears in the December 2018 edition of JBJS Reviews. Nima Eftekhary, M.D., study co-author and resident at the NYU Langone Department of Orthopaedic Surgery told OTW, “The available literature regarding […]
A team from Mayo Clinic has advanced our knowledge of how to assess patients at high risk for recurrent instability after an initial patellar dislocation. Their work, “The Recurrent Instability of the Patella (RIP) Score: A Statistically Based Model for Prediction of Long-Term Recurrence Risk After First-Time Dislocation,” was published in the January 4, 2019 […]
New research examining 88,985 opioid-naive patients with shoulder, neck, knee, or low back pain has found that early physical therapy (PT) could steer patients away from opioids. The study, “Association of Early Physical Therapy With Long-term Opioid Use Among Opioid-Naive Patients With Musculoskeletal Pain,” appears in the December 14, 2018 edition of Anesthesiology. Co-author Eric […]
A multicenter study from Northwestern University, the University of California-Davis, and the OLVG Hospital in Amsterdam, has looked into the costs associated with employing an annular closure device for patients who are at high risk for recurrent herniation after a discectomy. Their work, “Cost-effectiveness of a Bone-anchored Annular Closure Device VersusConventional Lumbar Discectomy in Treating […]
A team of researchers has undertaken a study looking at spine patient reported outcomes measurement systems—(ODI) and SF-36 specifically. They then compared those well understood and validated measures against a new approach—the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information SystemPhysical Function (PROMIS PF) computer adaptive test (CAT). The study, “Physical function computer adaptive test outcomes in diabetic lumbar […]
Electric cautery vs the scalpel. Which works better? Here’s a new double-blind study of 80 patients which found that electric cautery did not perform as well as one might have expected. The study, “Electric cautery does not reduce blood loss in primary total knee arthroplasty compared with scalpel only surgery: A double-blinded randomized controlled trial,” […]
A new retrospective study involving 202 patients has found that if a preoperative allograft culture is positive, there is not necessarily a higher probability that the person will develop a knee infection. The new study, “No association between positive intraoperative allograft cultures and infection rates after reconstructive knee ligament surgery,” was published in the December […]
A new retrospective study has tried to quanitify the effectiveness (or not) of oral prophylactic antibiotics on the risk of postoperative infection for high risk total hip or total knee patients. The study researchers were able to look at 2,181 primary total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) and primary total hip arthroplasties (THAs) in an attempt to […]
Is there actually a study showing that something doesn’t get worse as we age? Yes! New work indicates that patients over the age of 40 don’t fare worse than those under 40 when it comes to meniscal repair. The study, “Meniscal repair in patients age 40 years and older: A systematic review of 11 studies and […]
The world recently lost a great figure in the pantheon of orthopedic surgeons. Dr. Mankin was a world-renown tumor surgeon.
A prospective case series involving researchers from Scotland, England, and Texas has compared the costs of magnet-driven growing rods with those of traditional growing rods for children with early onset scoliosis (EOS). Their work, “Cost Analysis of Magnet-driven Growing Rods for Early-onset Scoliosis at 5 Years,” appears in the January 1, 2019 edition of Spine. […]
The winner of the 2018 Outstanding Paper in Surgical Science, presented by The Spine Journal, is a study that documented 90-day spine surgery morbidity, mortality and readmission rates at Medicare Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) and then compared that data with similar outcomes at non-ACO facilities. Their conclusion? On the basis of three measures ONLY, ACOs […]
A 109 patient study concludes that anterior cervical discectomy (ACD) with or without fusion, provides an equivalent outcome to anterior cervical disc arthroplasty (ACDA). This study, “The NECK trial: Effectiveness of anterior cervical discectomy with or without interbody fusion and arthroplasty in the treatment of cervical disc herniation; a double-blinded randomised controlled trial,” appears in […]
Funds a Single-Use, Digital Electronic Depth Gauge. Better Screw Placement EDGe Surgical, Inc. has announced $4 million in new, Series A funding. The round is structured as an equity plus convertible note, bringing total Series A financing to date to $5.7 million, all from angel investors. “Proceeds will be used to pay for increased manufacturing, […]
Researchers from Canada have examined the costs and outcomes of total hip arthroplasty (THA) among patients in different weight categories and concluded that physician pay should be tied to the costs and efforts required to treat overweight patients. Their work, “Ninety-Day Costs, Reoperations, and Readmissions for Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty Patients of Varying Body Mass […]
To a significant extent, modern orthopedics was made in France. In honor of the 100th anniversary of one of the most important orthopedic conferences in the world, SOFCOT, OTW put together this review of 100 years of French contributions to modern orthopedics.
Can being overweight, coupled with an unstable meniscus, spontaneously bring on osteoarthritis (OA)? Looks like a possibility, says new research. The study, “The role of excessive body weight and meniscal instability in the progression of osteoarthritis in a rat model,” was published in the December 2018 edition of The Knee. Co-author Peter E. Kondrashov, Ph.D., […]
New work from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, is shining a light on the trends in articular cartilage treatments. The study, “Management of Chondral Lesions of the Knee: Analysis of Trends and Short-Term Complications Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Database,” was published in the November 22, 2018 edition of Arthroscopy. Adam […]
Approximately two months ago, Zimmer Biomet announced the mymobility app which is meant to walk patients through pre- and post-op large joint arthroplasty care. Joshua Carothers, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at New Mexico Orthopaedics in Albuquerque, is one of the first users of this Zimmer Biomet/Apple product. He shared his early experiences with OTW. “While our […]
In an attempt to address the economic barrier that arthritis patients often encounter, a team of researchers has looked into the viability of manufacturing adaptive aids (i.e., cane holder aid, sock aid, zipper pull aid, pen holder) using low-cost desktop 3-D printers. The study, “Economic Potential for Distributed Manufacturing of Adaptive Aids for Arthritis Patients […]
BoneSmart, headquartered in Solana Beach, California, and Maxx Orthopedics, Inc., based in Norristown, Pennsylvania, have joined forces to provide surgeons with information regarding the Freedom Knee platform, as well as in-depth knee replacement surgery educational content. According to BoneSmart CEO Mark Sacaris,“Maxx is bringing education and information around their Freedom Knee System to our community. […]
Claudette Lajam, M.D., an adult reconstructive surgeon at New York University Langone Orthopedics, has joined the Global Medical Panel of FundamentalVR, a haptically-enabled immersive training technology company based in London, UK. Dr. Lajam will be in charge of developing additional orthopedic training modules. Dr. Lajam, Chief Safety Officer and an Associate Professor of Orthopedics at […]
A team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is helping out in an area where there aren’t a lot of treatment options: osteoarthritis. Their study, “Cartilage-penetrating nanocarriers improve delivery and efficacy of growth factor treatment of osteoarthritis,” appears in the November 28, 2018 edition of Science Translational Medicine. Brett Geiger, a Ph.D. candidate at […]
A new Journal of Arthroplasty study of more than 200 unilateral cemented total knee arthroplasty (TKA) cases found that using CO2 bone preparation (CarboJet from Kinamed, Inc., in Camarillo, California) cuts pain and opioid use in tourniquetless cases. The study, “Tourniquetless Total Knee Arthroplasty With Modern Perioperative Protocols Decreases Pain and Opioid Consumption in Women,” appears in […]
A new study, with more than a 10-year follow-up of nearly 1,000 patients, was able to identify how osteoarthritic knee pain moves along three trajectories in older patients. The study,“Predictors of pain severity trajectory in older adults: a 10.7-year follow-up study,” was published in December 2018 edition of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. Co-author Feng Pan, Ph.D. […]
Mequon, Wisconsin-based Titan Spine, Inc. has announced the closure of a “substantial round” of Series B financing with its investment partner, Southlake Equity Group. According to Titan, the company will use the proceeds to drive the next stage of growth of the company through product line additions, sales team expansion, and accelerated research and development. […]
ZygoFix Ltd., a spine company based in Misgav, Israel, is off to a promising start with the successful debut of a human clinical study for the zLOCK spinal facet joint fixation system. The clinical study involved several procedures and a 6-month follow-up of the initial case. “The first case, a fusion procedure using the zLOCK […]
When it comes to knee osteoarthritis and its associated pain, are there novel, non-surgical treatments still available? A new study found, in fact, that there is an effective, non-surgical treatment for OA pain which is not widely known or used. The study, “Reallocating time spent in sleep, sedentary behavior and physical activity and its association […]
Using data from nearly 75,000 hip fractures, Danish researchers tackled the issue of postop infection and antibiotic use after discharge following hip surgery. The study, “Increasing Risk of Hospital‐Treated Infections and Community‐Based Antibiotic Use After Hip Fracture Surgery: A Nationwide Study 2005–2016,” appears in the December 4, 2018 edition of the Journal of Bone and […]
When you’re applying tension to a graft during an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction does that affect tunnel widening? The recent study addressing this question, “Tibial tunnel widening following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A retrospective seven-year study evaluating the effects of initial graft tensioning and graft selection,” appears in the December 2018 edition of The […]
A group of researchers in Japan set out to determine if different total knee arthroplasty (TKA) insert design influenced patient outcomes. Their work, “No differences in patient-reported outcomes between medial pivot insert and symmetrical insert in total knee arthroplasty: A randomized analysis,” was published in the December 2018 edition of The Knee. Co-author Kohei Nishitani […]
From December 3-9, 2018, roughly 30 patients received free joint replacements from 40 volunteer orthopaedic surgeons at 25 hospitals as part of Operation Walk USA. Lawrence Dorr, M.D., the visionary founder of Operation Walk, co-founder of Operation Walk USA, and professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, […]
New research has found that employing liposomal bupivacaine as part of an overall pain management program for knee arthroplasty patients can optimize clinical andeconomic outcomes. The study, “Impact of treatment with liposomal bupivacaine on hospital costs, length of stay, and discharge status in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty at high-use institutions,” appears in the November […]
Researchers from the University of Miami (UM) have developed a peer-reviewed model that, they say, addresses all outpatient scheduling issues at once. Their work, “Multimodularity in the Stochastic Appointment Scheduling Problem with Discrete Arrival Epochs,” has been accepted for publication in Management Science. Regarding appointment scheduling, co-author Christos Zacharias, Ph.D., assistant professor of Management Science at […]
Warsaw, Indiana-based Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. has announced the first surgery using its ROSA Knee Robot for a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The case was performed by Dr. Dugal James at St. John of God Bendigo Hospital in Bendigo, Australia. ROSA Knee, which is pending 510(k) review in the U.S., is designed to help surgeons […]
A curious researcher from Croatia has dug into 80 studies to uncover some of the reasons spine and neuro surgeons are occasionally reluctant to perform a total disc replacement (TDR). The study, “Failure of lumbar disc surgery: management by fusion or arthroplasty?” appears in the November 13, 2018 edition of International Orthopaedics. Dr. Vladimir Kovač, […]
Dr. Kaplan is the Isaac & Rose Nassau Professor of Orthopaedic Molecular Medicine and Chief of the Division of Molecular Orthopaedic Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine of The University of Pennsylvania.
A new prospective observational study of 120 patients undergoing elective knee or hip arthroplasty sheds light on hypothermia in the perioperative period of lower extremity arthroplasty. How, the researchers wondered, can surgeons maintain appropriate temperatures while also minimizing infection risk. The study, “Examination of intra-operative core temperature in joint arthroplasty: a single-institution prospective observational study,” […]
Evaluating 350 hips, researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, found that 10-year survival was about 94%. Their work, “Five to Ten-Year Results of the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing Implant in the U.S.: A Single Institution’s Experience,” appears in the November 7, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint […]
