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 […]
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 […]
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,” […]
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.
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, […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
Sunnyvale, California-based Simplify Medical Pty Ltd. has announced the completion of the “enrollment and treatment of all patients in its U.S. Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) pivotal trial evaluating the SimplifyDisc for two-level cervical disc replacement.” “The Simplify Disc is designed for biomechanical motion, anatomical height-matching, and MRI compatibility with a goal of simplifying the treatment […]
Mayo Clinic researchers tapped into their total joint registry to look at 22,243 consecutive primary total knee arthroplasties (TKA) in 16,106 patients to see what new outcome insights they might glean. What they found is very interesting and the subject of a new paper published in the November 7, 2018 edition of The Journal of […]
What information might help fellowship applicants and fellowship program directors tackle the field of the future? That is the question posed by researchers from the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Their study, “Trends in the Orthopaedic Surgery Subspecialty Fellowship Match,” appears in the November 7, 2018 edition of The […]
Vancouver, British Columbia-based Precision OS Technology has received $2.3 million in Series A funding led by AO Invest, based in Davos, Switzerland, alongside other undisclosed investors.AO Invest is a new investment fund backed by the renowned AO Foundation. The funds will be used to further orthopedic training efforts around the world. “Precision OS is delighted […]
A new multicenter study has found that using interspinous process decompression (IPD) to treat painful lumbar spinal stenosis can reduce the need for opioid medications in patients. The work, “Interspinous process decompression is associated with a reduction in opioid analgesia in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis,” appears in the November 20, 2018 edition of the […]
New work performed at the Stanford University Medical Center highlights the value of collaborating with obesity medicine and bariatric colleagues in order to achieve optimal total joint arthroplasty (TJA) outcomes. The review article, “Strategies for Weight Reduction Prior to Total Joint Arthroplasty,” appears in the November 7, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone and […]
Dr. Goel is receiving the award for his work in orthopedic mechanics.
Thirty eight percent of patients will have an injury of a geniculate artery. That’s one of the findings of new research from the Mayo Clinic. Researchers from Mayo Clinic wanted to dig into what happens when the geniculate artery (GA) is injured, when the injury occurs, and any associations with tourniquet use. Their work, “Geniculate […]
San Diego, California-based NuVasive, Inc. has announced the U.S. commercial launch of an interbody implant and instrumentation which is optimized for lateral anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) spine surgery. According to NuVasive, this is the first ever. Accessing L5-S1 from a lateral position for the purposes of performing a traditional ALIF is novel. According to […]
Alachua, Florida-based RTI Surgical, Inc. has announced that HealthPartners has issued a positive coverage decision for minimally invasive sacroiliac (SI) joint fusion surgery, effective November 1, 2018. This decision means that more patients needing treatment for SI joint pain or dysfunction can utilize RTI’s SImmetry System. “As a surgeon in the HealthPartners network who has […]
Scoliosis invariably brings on alterations in self-perception. Researchers in Germany set out to determine if certain assessment tools would be valid and helpful in refining diagnosis and offer psychotherapeutic support. Their work, “Reliability and validity of the Spinal Appearance Questionnaire (SAQ) and the Trunk Appearance Perception Scale (TAPS)”, appears in the October 30, 2018 edition […]
Dr. Paprosky is a renowned hip and knee surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in Chicago.
Houston, Texas-based SpinalCyte, LLC, released new data from an ongoing study of the cellular treatment of degenerative disc disease. According to the company, CybroCell, which is an off-the-shelf allogenic human dermal fibroblast (HDF) injection, improved disc height and reduced pain 12 months in patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD). The company said, “The trial assessed […]
The American Medical Association (AMA) is looking for up to eight health systems and residency programs to use $15 million and make systemic changes in graduate medical education. The goal? Bring physician training in line with the day-to-day realities of the health care environment. “The times they are a changin’” and the AMA wants physician […]
New work from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York focused on patient outcomes from “modular dual mobility” implants for revision hip surgeries. Geoffrey Westrich, M.D., with colleagues from HSS and other joint replacement centers, conducted the study and presented it at the recent American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) in Dallas. […]
Orthopedic Associates of Hartford (OAH), based in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, is aiming to revolutionize the patient experience. The 45,000 square foot facility, which will open its doors on January 7, 2019, features 25+ rooms for doctors to see patients and a full-service physical therapy center. “The future of orthopedics is moving surgeries to outpatient venues,” […]
What effect does one…or two…or three or more(!) adult spinal deformity surgeries have on revision surgery outcomes? Probably not good, right? The results of new study which looked at 137 revision adult spinal deformity surgeries may surprise you. Isador H. Lieberman, M.D., M.B.A. and Xiaobang Hu, M.D., Ph.D. of the Texas Back Institute,Texas Health Presbyterian […]
Dr. Patterson is an expert in limb salvage, complex fractures and adult reconstruction.
A new retrospective analysis sought to determine the most effective way of diagnosing unilateral sacroiliitis, a rare inflammatory disease. The study, “Unilateral sacroiliitis: differentiating infective and inflammatory etiology by magnetic resonance imaging and tissue studies,” appears in the October 23, 2018 edition of the European Spine Journal. Co-author Rishi Mugesh Kanna, M.S. (Orthopaedics), M.R.C.S. (Ed), […]
mediCAD Hectec GmbH, based in Landshut, Germany, has launched three preoperative planning tools, mediCAD 4.0 as well as mediCAD Hip 3D and mediCAD Spine 3D. According to the company, they have added several new key features that simplify things, including automatic repositioning in the hip planning; automatic recognition of the femur axis when measuring the […]
Centennial, Colorado–based JRF Ortho has been selected as one of OUTSIDE’s Best Places to Work 2018. A non-profit provider of fresh osteochondral allografts, JRF Ortho is being honored for its dedication to helping employees find balance between work and enjoying life in the great outdoors, while also respecting the environment. “We’re honored to be included […]
Dr. Engh founded Operation Walk Virginia in 2006, which has provided hip and knee replacements to people in Managua, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, and Bolivia.
A $1.5 million grant from the Department of Defense (DoD) has been awarded to Kevin Baker, Ph.D., director of Orthopedic Research at Beaumont Health in southeast Michigan. The funds will be used to further research that could help slow the arthritis that occurs after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury—known as post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Dr. […]
Irvine, California-based United Orthopedic Corporation, Inc. has announced that the U.S. launch of the UTS (United Tri-tapered Short Stem) hip stem and an extension of the U-Motion II Acetabular System. “The UTS hip stem and U-Motion II extension reflect our commitment to addressing some of the challenges in today’s hip replacement market—reducing dislocations and providing […]
University Orthopedics (UOI) will partner with The Center for Orthopaedics (CFO), both based in Johnston, Rhode Island, allowing Drs. A. Robert Buonanno, Michel Arcand, Michael Belanger, John Czerwein, David Moss and Vincent Yakavonis will bring their talents to the team at University Orthopedics. Commenting jointly, Dr. Edward Akelman and Dr. Mark Palumbo from University Orthopedics […]
Researchers in Canada are deep diving into the biologic mechanism of a certain antibody and how it works in the devastating condition known as osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). A disease without many treatment options, OI is a genetic condition that causes fragile bones to break extremely easily. A new study, “Effect of Anti‐TGF‐βTreatment in a Mouse […]
Dr. Martin is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in primary and revision total hip and knee replacement.
For the over-50 crowd, what are the mid-term outcomes of hip arthroscopy? Not finding many answers in the literature, researchers from the American Hip Institute in Chicago decided to go out and get them. Their work, “Hip Arthroscopy in Patients Ages 50 Years or Older: Minimum 5-Year Outcomes, Survivorship, and Risk Factors for Conversion to […]
Dr. Gibson,D.O. is a specialist in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the shoulder.
Houston, Texas-based SpinalCyte, LLC has announced updated data from its Phase 2 clinical trial measuring patient outcomes from using intradiscal injections of the company’s HDF [human dermal fibroblast] product CybroCell to treat degenerative disc disease (DDD). The company is reporting that the patients in the study had sustained pain relief and increased back mobility after […]
DJO Global, Inc. has new clinical evidence showing that its “EMPOWR 3D Knee technology reduces patient dissatisfaction and improves function and activity levels. Based on a multitude of studies on the biomechanics and kinematics of the knee joint, and more than 10 years of clinical heritage with DJO’s 3D Knee, the EMPOWR 3D Kneeis the […]
DePuy Synthes, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company headquartered in Raynham, Massachusetts, has announced that it will work with Draper, Utah-based Ortho Development Corporation to co-promote its KASM Knee Articulating Spacer Mold in the U.S. According to DePuy Synthes, the KASM is “a sterile, disposable cement spacer mold for patients who develop an infection after […]
A Leg To Stand On (ALTSO), a New York-based nonprofit providing free orthopedic care to children around the globe, has just initiated a partnership with Johnson & Johnson’s Donate a Photo app and campaign. J&J will be donating up to $20,000 to ALTSO’s CoolKids to provide 80 Joshi Prosthetic Limbs to children in need. “ALTSO is […]
Cindy Lynch, J.D. has assumed the position of vice president, general counsel at Simplify Medical Pty Ltd, based in the San Francisco Bay area. Lynch has nearly 15 years of experience providing strategic legal and intellectual property advice to medical device startups. Simplify Medical is the manufacturer of the Simplify cervical artificial disc. David Hovda, […]
Start spreading the news…Rothman Orthopaedic Institute has just opened in New York City. This new office, located at 176 3rd Avenue, features almost 4,000 square feet, six exam rooms, and x-ray imaging. Alexander R. Vaccaro, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., president of Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Richard H. Rothman Professor and Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics, and […]
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York has received a $10 million grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) to support HSS’s growing Complex Joint Reconstruction Center (CJRC). “This generous gift will improve the lives of countless patients who suffer from debilitating complications or need revision surgery due to failed implants,” said Thomas P. […]
The Board of Directors of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery has elected a new president, Douglas Lundy, M.D., M.B.A.
It may be the alarming rise in sedentary life, in the U.S., say researchers, but the data is pointing to a clear decline in bone mineral density in the U.S. population. The research, “Decreasing trend of bone mineral density in US multiethnic population: analysis of continuous NHANES 2005–2014,” appears in the November 2018 edition of […]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance for MedactaInternational’s Mpact 3D Metal Implants and Augments 3D Metal as enhancements to its MpactSystem for primary to complex hip revision procedures. The first surgery in the U.S. with the implant and augments was performed by Tyler Goldberg, M.D., of Austin-based Texas Orthopedics, Sports […]
Dr. Brighton is a specialist in pediatric orthopedic and spine surgery.
New research from Canada and Australia shows that finding the right model of exercise for vertebral fracture patients is tough…particularly at the recruitment stage. The study, “Build better bones with exercise (B3E pilot trial): results of a feasibility study of a multicenter randomized controlled trial of 12 months of home exercise in older women with […]
A team of scientists from Toronto and Calgary in Canada may provide a ray of hope for those experiencing the destruction of articular joints—whether knees or facet joints—by osteoarthritis (OA). The study, “microRNA-181a-5p antisense oligonucleotides attenuate osteoarthritis in facet and knee joints,” was published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Co-author Mohit Kapoor, Ph.D. […]
Dr. Brown is an orthopedic spine surgeon and treats patients with complex spine conditions.
Esteemed surgeon, inventor, and founder of the Rothman Institute, Richard Rothman, M.D., who guided thousands of surgeons and patients throughout his nearly 50 years as an orthopedic surgeon, passed away surrounded by family and friends on October 21. Here is (part of) his story.
Leesburg, Virginia-based K2M Group Holding, Inc. has announced an U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance for the company’s Dual Differential Correction (DDC) Philosophy & Technique, which, according to the company, “combines rod rigidity and degree of bend with the MESA Platform Technology to help achieve quality outcomes in patients with sagittal imbalance.” MESA can be used with […]
Dr. Ciaccia is an osteopathic board-certified physiatrist (physical medicine and rehabilitation) with a clinical focus on spine.
In a study of 3,956 Caucasian women aged ≥ 65 years researchers found that having one fracture significantly increases a patient’s risk of fractures in other locations. The study, “Incident fracture is associated with a period of accelerated loss of hip BMD (bone mineral density): the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures,” appears in the October 2018 edition […]
Elderly patients scheduling an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon may want to schedule with their ophthalmologist as well. New research has found evidence of an association between cataracts and increased risks of osteoporosis and fractures. The work, “Association Between Cataract and Risks of Osteoporosis and Fracture: A Nationwide Cohort Study,” appears in the October 3, […]
Hip and knee patients should certainly benefit from a new agreement between two powerhouse entities. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has announced a new collaboration with The Joint Commission to incorporate the wealth of AAOS clinical expertise “into standards development and performance measurement requirements for Total Hip and Knee Replacement (THKR) Certification. “ […]
Wake Forest, North Carolina-based Tobra Medical Inc. has announced the national launch of its Tobra Bone Basket. Brad Collins, founder and president of Tobra Medical Inc., told OTW, “The Tobra Bone Basket is ‘Bone Collection Made Easy.’” “Tobra Bone Basket is easy to set-up and hassle/error free for surgical techs. The unique mesh basket allows […]
Somerville, New Jersey-based Ethicon, LLC has just released the results of a new study which found that total knee replacement (TKR) patients and their surgeons were more satisfied with the cosmetic results and less concerned about after care and possible infections when the DERMABOND PRINEO Skin Closure System (as opposed to skin staples) was used. […]
Canadian researchers have attempted to find the best way of identifying axial inflammatory arthritis in patients with psoriatic arthritis. Their work, “Back pain in psoriatic arthritis: defining prevalence, characteristics and performance of inflammatory back pain criteria in psoriatic arthritis,” appears in the August 4, 2018 edition of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Co-author Vinod Chandran […]
Multicenter research has tried to sort out the complicated relationship between subclinical vascular disease and bone density/fractures.The work, “The associations of subclinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with hip fracture risk and bone mineral density in elderly adults,” appears in the October 2018 edition of Osteoporosis International. Co-author JoshuaBarzilay, M.D., with the Division of Endocrinology at Kaiser […]
San Diego, California-based Reflexion Health, Inc., in conjunction with the Duke Clinical Research Institute in Durham, North Carolina, has announced positive results from a (as yet unpublished) randomized controlled clinical trial, “Virtual Exercise Rehabilitation In-home Therapy: A Research Study (VERITAS).” The trial was designed to evaluate the cost and clinical non-inferiority of using a virtual […]
Researchers from Boston University and the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center have examined one solution for those experiencing failed back surgery syndrome (FBBS). The study, “The Simplified Epiduralysis After Laminectomy/Fusion (SEAL) Procedure for Postsurgical Radicular Low Back Pain,” appears in the October 10, 2018 edition of Pain Medicine. Michael D. Perloff, M.D., Ph.D., with the Department of […]
If you are irritable, isolating yourself, and a bit tired of your patients and/or staff, you may be burnout out. Read on to learn what experts say about this growing concern amongst orthopedic surgeons.
A new study has examined the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD), American Indian blood and type 2 diabetes. The research, “Relationship of American Indian blood quantum with osteoporosis risk: a cross-sectional study of American Indian women in Oklahoma,” was published in the October 2018 edition of Osteoporosis International. Brenda J. Smith, Ph.D., associate dean […]
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana, has just launched its Mobi-C Cervical Disc for cervical total disc replacement in Japan. The first Mobi-C surgery in Japan was performed in July 2018. Rebecca Whitney, General Manager of Global Spine, told OTW, “Mobi-C Cervical Disc is one of only two cervical discs available in Japan, […]
Based near Bordeaux, France, Implanet has announced that a surgery team at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital of Birmingham has just completed the first official surgery in the UK using Implanet’s JAZZ system. This first in UK surgery comes on the heels of “… the recent listing of Implanet UK and its Jazz platform on the […]
In a comprehensive evaluation of previous systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and trial-sequential analyses, researchers from New Zealand and Scotland have determined that vitamin D supplementation does not make much of a different when it comes to fractures, falls, and bone mineral density. Their work, “Effects of vitamin D supplementation on musculoskeletal health: a systematic review, meta-analysis, […]
Multicenter research is suggesting that surgeons might consider doing a unicompartmental knee arthroplasty in all patients. The study, “Cost-Effectiveness of Surgical and Nonsurgical Treatments for Unicompartmental Knee Arthritis: A Markov Model,” is published in the October 3, 2018 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Antonia Chen, M.D., M.B.A., with the department of […]
Stuart Kleopfer, a 30-year veteran of the ortho “universe,” is the new senior vice president of global sales at Gainesville, Florida-based Exactech. According to the company, “Kleopfer will provide leadership for Exactech’s global sales functions with responsibility for the United States sales organization and the company’s current international team. He had a distinguished career at […]
Vertos Medical Inc. has enrolled the first patient into its nationwide, multicenter study of its minimally invasive lumbar decompression (aka: mild®) procedure and will be using the popular device, Fitbit, to collect data. According to the company, “The novel, prospective, randomized controlled study will use clinically validated, patient-reported outcome measures to identify improvements in pain […]
A new retrospective review of 17 patients with thoracic scoliosis who underwent anterior spinal growth tethering (ASGT) has shed light on the subtleties involved in this technique. The study, “Anterior Spinal Growth Tethering for Skeletally Immature Patients with Scoliosis: A Retrospective Look Two to Four Years Postoperatively,” appears in the October 3, 2018 edition of […]
Following the curiosity of some visiting surgeons from Argentina, researchers from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, set out to examine the numbers on opioids and knee arthroscopy. Their work, “Opioid Consumption After Knee Arthroscopy,” appears in October 3, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Matthew V. Smith, M.D., with the […]
Medacta International, headquartered in Castel San Pietro, Switzerland, has announced that its MySpine Midline Cortical [MC] Pedicle Screw Placement Guide, a patient-matched technology for posterior lumbar fusions, is commercially available. MySpine MC, which the company says is a “patient-matched, 3D-printed MySpine MC which guides pedicle screws to a trajectory that evolved from the well-established cortical […]
Dr. Scannell is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon and has joined the OrthoCarolina practice.
Daniel Abromowitz is now at the helm as General Manager of the Spine Division for Medacta USA, a company headquartered in in Castel San Pietro, Switzerland. The former vice president of sales and business development at Captiva Spine, Abromowitz also served as vice president of sales and marketing at Aerobiotix, Inc. As VP of sales […]
Boston, Massachusetts-based ApiFix Ltd. has announced that its Minimally Invasive Deformity Correction (MID-C) technology has now been used to treat more than 250 young patients diagnosed with progressive scoliosis. Another milestone is that the earliest treated patients have reached their six-year follow-up milestone. According to the company, “ApiFix’s MID-C technology is a posterior dynamic deformity […]
Heraeus Medical LLC has announced the addition of the PALACOS R & R+G pro All-in-One Fixation System which integrates the “… PALACOS bone cement into a ready-to-mix closed vacuum system.” The company states that “By adding an efficient, sterile workflow to the gold standard in cement, PALACOS R & R+G pro brings a new level […]
With questionable “stem cell” clinics mushrooming around the country, OTW thought it best to go to the experts for the most accurate, up-to-date information. In this piece we hear from four seasoned biologics researchers and clinicians who help us determine what is real and what is not.
NuVasive, Inc. has announced the UK launch of MAGEC X, the newest product within the MAGEC pediatric portfolio that addresses early-onset scoliosis. MAGEC X has 5.0mm diameter patient rods which, according to NuVasive, deliver 68% better fatigue-strength as compared to traditional 4.5mm rods. MAGEC X also uses advanced rod mechanisms, most notably a robust actuator […]
Drs. Gonchikar and McMurtry have joined the burgeoning OrthoCarolina practice.
San Diego, California-based NuVasive, Inc. has announced that it is undertaking a new prospective, multicenter study which intends to evaluate advanced spinal implants used in XLIF (lateral lumbar interbody fusion) procedures and their long-term (2 years plus) effect on patient outcomes. The company intends to include at least 10 surgeon investigators and enroll approximately 300 […]
Medtronic plc has announced the U.S. launch of the Infinity Occipitocervical-Upper Thoracic (OCT) System which is designed to simplify posterior cervical spine surgery. According to the company, “The system has a full spectrum of implant materials and sizes—and when paired with the O-arm Imaging System and StealthStation Navigation System—provides a fully-enabled procedural solution designed to […]
New research from Canada (unpublished) has found that men had a 3x higher risk of a secondary fracture within one year of a first fracture compared to those who did not, while the risk for women with a prior fracture was only 1.8x higher compared to women without one. The study, titled, “Changes in the […]
William “Billy” Lapp is the new Director of Sales, East Coast at Foley, Minnesota-based Artoss, Inc. Lapp will be responsible for growing the sales of NanoBone Bone Graft from Maine to South Carolina and west to Ohio and for identifying, training, and managing independent distributors in that region. Paul Byerley, managing director of Artoss, Inc., […]
ImmersiveTouch, Inc. has launched ImmersiveView, a suite of integrated virtual reality (VR) real-time solutions for personalized surgical planning, patient engagement and surgical training using patented haptic technology. Pat Banerjee, Ph.D., founder and CEO of ImmersiveTouch, told OTW, “While physicians were previously limited to visualizing surgical options on 2D monitors, now they can use ImmersiveView to […]
NuVasive, Inc. has announced U.S. commercial launch of three new biologics offerings: a traditional bone allograft, an amniotic membrane DS implant and additional form factors for the current Propel DBM [demineralized bone matrix] product line. Here are the details for each new biologic product: Traditional Bone Allograft line will offer surgeons “… cancellous chips, demineralized […]
SpineVision, headquartered in Antony, France, has announced that it has received the CE mark for its next-generation Pivot Link Universal System (P.L.U.S.) spine deformity-correction system. SpineVision introduced the system to the 2018 EuroSpine meeting and 2018 North American Spine Society annual meeting in Los Angeles. “The introduction of our Pivot Link Universal System (P.L.U.S.) extends […]
Paris, France-based Safe Orthopaedics has “… announced the worldwide launch of its Kyphoplasty System: the SteriSpine VA.” According to Sjors Hermans, global sales director of Safe Orthopaedics, “The SteriSpine VA is one of the two first systems in the market to offer a high quality, high pressure balloon of 700 PSI. Safe Orthopaedics is now […]
lluminOss Medical, headquartered in East Providence, Rhode Island, has announced that its Photodynamic Bone Stabilization System has received additional clinical clearance and is now indicated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in skeletally mature patients in the treatment of traumatic, fragility, pathological, and impending pathological fractures of the humerus, radius and […]
The CORE Institute, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, will open its doors in Scottsdale starting November 5, 2018. This brings the CORE Institute’s number of clinics in Arizona to 10. The practice also has seven physical therapy locations, two spine centers and an orthopedic specialty hospital. “We are excited about expanding our presence in the Scottsdale […]
Dallas, Texas-based 4WEB Medical “… has entered into an exclusive partnership with both TeDan Surgical Innovations and Lattus Spine, LLC to market a turnkey, best in class, Total Lateral Solution.” 4WEB Medical President and CEO Jessee Hunt told OTW, “The 4WEB Lateral Spine Truss System is the most innovative interbody design on the market while […]
A new multicenter study has identified and quantified which factors are most likely to increase the rate of venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) after vertebral fractures. Their study, “Thromboembolic Events After Traumatic Vertebral Fractures: An Analysis of 190,192 Patients,” was published in the September 15, 2018 edition of Spine. Co-author Andre M. Samuel, M.D., a third-year […]
A team from Finland and the Netherlands may have improved on the process of evaluating tissue integrity. Their work, “Arthroscopic near infrared spectroscopy enables simultaneous quantitative evaluation of articular cartilage and subchondral bone in vivo,” appears in the September 7, 2018 edition of Scientific Reports. Co-author Jaakko Sarin, Ph.D., with the Department of Applied Physics […]
New work highlights the need for physicians to have a handle on the realistic outcomes of low impact car collisions. The research, “A Comprehensive Review of Low-Speed Rear Impact Volunteer Studies and a Comparison to Real-World Outcomes,” appears in the September 15, 2018 edition of Spine. Co-author Joseph Cormier, Ph.D. with the Biodynamic Research Corporation […]
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina’s (BCBS SC) new policy, titled, “Interspinous and Interlaminar Stabilization/Distraction Devices (Spacers)”, is the latest in a series of positive insurer announcements in support of distraction devices, notably New York-based Paradigm Spine LLC’s coflex. According to the company, “Traditional surgical treatment options for LSS [lumbar spinal stenosis] includes a decompression that […]
A team of researchers from Japan have assessed how 481 patients fared postoperatively if they were frail and had comorbidities. Their work, “Impact of Frailty and Comorbidities on Surgical Outcomes and Complications in Adult Spinal Disorders,” appears in the September 15, 2018 edition of Spine. Mitsuru Yagi, M.D., Ph.D., with the Department of Orthopedic Surgery […]
A new retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data is shedding light on the triage process when it comes to patients with low back pain. This topic was a project undertaken by first author Lauren M. Boden, M.D. as a fourth-year medical student. Boden is now a first-year orthopedic surgery resident at University of Pennsylvania hospital. […]
Antony, France-based SpineVision Inc. might just be opening the champagne these days. The company recently announced that it had received both an FDA clearance and a CE mark for its next-generation titanium 3D laser-printed Hexanium TLIF (transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion) cage. According to the company, “The HEXANIUM TLIF cage combines a roughened titanium surface designed […]
A new retrospective analysis from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago has tackled the topic of using a minimally invasive approach for iliac crest bone graft harvesting. The study, “Iliac Crest Bone Graft for Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Prospective Analysis of Inpatient Pain, Narcotics Consumption, and Costs,” appears in the September 15, […]
San Diego-based NuVasive, Inc. has announced the launch of its TLX 20-degree expandable spinal interbody implant with, says the company, a first-of-its-kind oblique profile designed for transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) procedures. According to NuVasive, “The TLX 20 expandable implant’s integrated auto-lock feature allows surgeons to incrementally customize expansion up to 20 degrees of oblique […]
No matter the level of a patient’s obesity, total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a cost-effective intervention, says new work from Canada. The study, “Cost-Effectiveness of Total Hip Arthroplasty versus Nonoperative Management in Normal, Overweight, Obese, Severely-Obese, Morbidly-Obese, and Super-Obese Patients: A Markov Model,” appears in the August 24, 2018 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. […]
Researchers from Stanford University set out to determine if patient-perceived involvement correlates with observed measurements of patient involvement in decision-making in orthopedic surgery. They also wanted to see if patient demographics are associated with perceived and observed measurements of patient involvement in decision-making. Their work, “Patient Perceptions Correlate Weakly with Observed Patient Involvement in Decision-making […]
SI-BONE, Inc., based in Santa Clara, California, announced that ”…23 commercial health plans have published exclusive positive coverage policies for the triangular iFuse Implant System.” This means that minimally invasive SI joint (sacroiliac joint) fusion using this system is now accessible to over 35 million health plan members in the following plans: 1. BCBS Florida […]
The luminaries at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute know a bit about math … especially multiplication. The famed Philadelphia practice is multiplying locations, the latest being its initial foray into New York. The office, in Tarrytown, New York, features over 6,000 square feet, 12 exam rooms and onsite X-ray. “This is a big first step out of […]
Philadelphia’s renowned Rothman Orthopaedic Institute continues to build its footprint in New Jersey and New York. In addition to establishing new clinics, the famed Rothman Orthopaedic Institute has recruited five of the top New Jersey and New York based spine, orthopedic, sports medicine and extremity surgeons. The new members of the ever-expanding Rothman Institute are: […]
A team from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) scientists in the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Denis Evseenko, M.D., Ph.D., working with colleagues at several institutions, has been able to shed light on how gene activity facilitates cartilage development. Their work, “Mapping molecular landmarks of human skeletal ontogeny […]
Their work, “Two Different Knee Rotational Instabilities Occur With Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Anterolateral Ligament Injuries: A Robotic Study on Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Extra-articular Reconstructions in Restoring Rotational Stability,” appears in the September 2018 edition of Arthroscopy. Co-author Lauren Huser, M.Eng., with the Noyes Knee Institute in Ohio, told OTW, “Publications in the recent […]
So close, they were … Histogenics Corporation, that is. When it comes to biologics, you want high standards—and that is where the Waltham, Massachusetts company started. Recently, they announced that their Phase 3 clinical trial of NeoCart—a restorative cell therapy—did not meet the primary endpoint of a statistically significant improvement in pain and function in […]
Dr. Macaulay is a his and knee expert and has been appointed Chief of the Division of Adult Reconstructive Surgery.
St. Petersburg, Florida-based Shukla Medical has just launched the Xtract-All Spine Universal Implant Removal System. “The system includes over 115 unique drivers and more than 40 implant-specific drivers,” states Nitin Chawla, Product Manager for Shukla Medical. Specifically, said Shukla Medical, “We have cases dedicated for both cervical and thoracolumbar [TL] revisions. There are 56 extractors […]
Florida Orthopaedic Institute (FOI) has formed the Orthopaedic Solutions Management (OSM) organization to provide a whole suite of new services for orthopedic practices. Florida Orthopaedic Institute CEO Joe Gordon told OTW; “Our management services organization [MSO] is the vehicle for all of our merger and acquisition [M&A] activity throughout the state of Florida and beyond. […]
Researchers are pointing the way toward safer opioids…via computer simulation. Their work, “Analgesic effects of a novel pH-dependent μ-opioid receptor agonist in models of neuropathic and abdominal pain,” appears in the July 2018 edition of Pain. Prof. Dr. Christoph Stein, medical director of the department of Anesthesiology and Operative Intensive Care Medicine at Charité Campus […]
At the July 2018 meeting of the International Consensus Meeting (ICM) hosted by Jefferson Health in Philadelphia, a team of specialists tackled vital issues regarding musculoskeletal infection. A particularly hot topic at this year’s meeting was the concept of antibiotic-impregnated cement. Javad Parvizi, M.D., co-host of the meeting and director of clinical research at the […]
A new retrospective study of 440 adults from a Level-1 trauma center has quantified the economics of treating trauma patients. The research, “Revenue for Initial Orthopaedic Trauma Care: Effects of Patient and Injury Characteristics,” appears in the September 2018 edition of the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma. Co-author Christopher D. Flanagan, M.D., with Department of Orthopaedics […]
At the July 2018 meeting of the International Consensus Meeting (ICM) hosted by Jefferson Health in Philadelphia, a team of infection specialists put the finishing touches on an updated, validated and published diagnostic criteria for infections. The new updates come, of course, in the form of an app and very helpful decision tree. And here’s […]
Should you worry about a screw or drill bit getting contaminated because of a glove tear? “Yes,” says a novel study on this topic. The paper, “Glove Perforation in Orthopaedics: Probability of Tearing Gloves During High-Risk Events in Trauma Surgery,” appears in the September 2018 edition of the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma. J. Todd Lawrence, […]
A recent study of nearly 42,230 Canadians has found that having hip fracture patients wait more than 24 hours for surgical treatment results in higher costs and longer hospital stays. The study, “Medical Costs of Delayed Hip Fracture Surgery,” appears in the August 15, 2018 edition of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Co-author […]
In a highly significant new study of 2,007 knees, UK researchers used compositional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to successfully detect early cartilage degeneration. How did they do it and what did they learn? The detailed answers are in their published work, “Systematic review and meta-analysis of the reliability and discriminative validity of cartilage compositional MRI […]
Sanjit Konda, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at NYU Langone Health in New York City and co-author on the study, told OTW, “This paper is a direct extension of the work I have been doing over the past six years dealing with risk stratification in middle-aged and geriatric trauma patients.” […]
The study, “Does the intensity of daily walking matter for protecting against the development of a slow gait speed in people with or at high risk of knee osteoarthritis? An observational study,” was published in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. Daniel K. White, P.T., Sc.D., M.Sc., assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University […]
This study is a head-to-head comparison of non-surgical treatment of knee osteoarthritis and total knee replacement surgery. Here is what they found. Søren Thorgaard Skou, P.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., associate professor in the Research Unit for Musculoskeletal Function and Physiotherapy at the University of Southern Denmark and his colleagues set out to extend their initial work […]
San Diego, California-based NuVasive, Inc. has a new strategic partnership with Erlangen, Germany-based Siemens Healthineers to advance operating room workflow efficiency and create increased precision in the delivery of minimally disruptive spine surgery technologies. According to the company, “In their Spine Precision Partnership the companies will join forces in advancing their proprietary technologies with the […]
Dallas, Texas-based Osseus Fusion Systems has announced that the FDA cleared its family of 3D-printed lumbar interbody fusion devices, brand named Aries. The 510(k) cleared devices are made of “highly porous titanium material, which is optimized for bone fusion and biological fixation using PL3XUS, Osseus’ innovative and proprietary 3D-printing technology.” CEO, Eric Hansen told OTW, […]
If you look only at the broken bone, you miss the whole picture, says new work from the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville. The study, “Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Outcome Measures and Mental Health in Orthopaedic Trauma Patients During Early Recovery,” appears in the September 2018 edition of the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma. […]
Yokneam, Israel-based Augmedics has begun a first-in-human clinical trial of its xvision-spine (XVS) augmented-reality surgical navigation system at Sheba Tel Hashomer Medical Center and Asaf Harofeh Medical Center, in Israel. Co-Principal Investigators Dr. Ran Harel and Prof. Yigal Mirovsky will lead the open label, prospective, single arm, multi-center study whose goal is to evaluate the […]
According to a new study, magnetic growing rods have higher rates of complications than conventional rods, but it may be a difference without a distinction. This interesting study, “Systematic review of the complications associated with magnetically controlled growing rods for the treatment of early onset scoliosis,” was published in the September 2018 edition of the […]
UK-based FundamentalVR has launched Fundamental Surgery, a first-of-its-kind SaaS software platform that combines virtual reality (VR) with the latest haptics (the sense of touch) so that surgical training involves a flight simulator experience. According to the company, Fundamental Surgery creates an authentic environment that allows users to experience and navigate the same visuals, sounds and […]
Dr. Thomas is an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and has received the inaugural Women’s Leadership Award.
UK-based imageHOLDERS, LTD, makers of iPad kiosks and tablet enclosures, has collaborated with MEDENT, a medical software company, to develop a really clever, ambulatory practice patient self-check-in kiosk. MEDENT is based in Auburn, New York. Using these kiosks patients can make appointments, check in at reception and even manage their insurance and make payments. Here’s […]
A comparison of interbody cages has resulted in the publication of new results on Allendale, New Jersey-based Stryker Spine’s 3D-printed Tritanium cages. The pre-clinical animal study, “Bony Ingrowth Potential of 3D Printed Porous Titanium Alloy: A Direct Comparison of Interbody Cage Materials in an In Vivo Ovine Lumbar Fusion Model,” was published in the July […]
Dr. Boden, M.D. has been named Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics and Chief of Orthopaedic and Musculoskeletal Medicine for Emory Healthcare.
While it makes sense intuitively that with an increase in depression you find a drop in physical performance, the mechanics of such a relationship merited investigation. A new multicenter study has done just that. The work, “Pain severity as a mediator of the association between depressive symptoms and physical performance in knee osteoarthritis,” appears in […]
“Incorporation and Remodeling of Structural Allografts in Acetabular Reconstruction: Multiscale, Micro-Morphological Analysis of 13 Pelvic Explants,” appears in the August 15, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Senior author Tim Rolvien, M.D., with the Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg‐Eppendorf in Germany, told OTW, “While structural allografts are […]
There are a lot of moving parts in the postoperative arena…and researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) wanted to get a handle on one, namely, do anticoagulants affect stiffness after total knee arthroplasty (TKA)? The resulting study, “Type of Anticoagulant Used After Total Knee Arthroplasty Affects the Rate of Knee Manipulation for Postoperative Stiffness,” […]
The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) shines again this year, with the recent recognition by U.S. News & World Report as the national leader in physical medicine and rehabilitation. It is the 28th year that this hospital has been #1 on the list. “Inspired by our patients, we have led the evolution […]
A team of researchers from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, wanted to see what hard science may exist behind the platelet rich plasma (PRP) craze. Their work, “Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma on Chondrogenic Differentiation of Adipose- and Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells,” appears in the July 23, 2018 edition of Tissue Engineering Part A. Rocky Tuan, Ph.D., Distinguished […]
When patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA) complain of lower back pain, what is happening with certain muscles in the spine? Investigators from Canada have just published new work that attempts to answer that question. “Altered erector spinae activity and trunk motion occurs with moderate and severe unilateral hip OA,” appears in the July 2018 edition […]
Norwegian researchers recently pitted “man versus machine” in the surgical arena. Their work, “Computer-Assisted Compared with Conventional Total Knee Replacement: A Multicenter Parallel-Group Randomized Controlled Trial,” appears in the August 1, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Co-author Gunnar Petursson, M.D., with The Norwegian Arthroplasty Register, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Haukeland […]
The study, “Postoperative Blood Glucose Levels Predict Infection After Total Joint Arthroplasty,” was published in the August 15, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Antonia Chen, M.D., M.B.A., with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, and co-author explained to OTW, “Much attention has been […]
With all of the patients awaiting an allograft size match, a team of researchers set out to determine if lateral femoral condyle (LFC) grafts could be used to restore the articular surface in patients that require osteochondral allograft transplantation of the medial femoral condyle (MFC). Their study, “Differences in the Radius of Curvature Between Femoral […]
While the results of this study may not surprise, 16 years of data covering more than 240,000 implants is worth adding to the decades of data on this particular issue. The study, “Cross-Linked Polyethylene for Total Hip Arthroplasty Markedly Reduces Revision Surgery at 16 Years,” appears in the August 1, 2018 edition of The Journal […]
A multicenter study has explored, among other things, several risk factors for prolonged opioid use after hip arthroscopy. The study “Perioperative Opioid Analgesics and Hip Arthroscopy: Trends, Risk Factors for Prolonged Use, and Complications,” appears in the August 2018 edition of The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery. Co-author Brian Werner, M.D., assistant professor of […]
Can telephonic coaching and financial incentives improve post-op rehab for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients? These are the questions researchers posed in their recent study “Cost-Effectiveness of Health Coaching and Financial Incentives to Promote Physical Activity after Total Knee Replacement.” This study appears in the July 2018 edition of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. Co-author, Elena Losina, […]
About time. A better rat model for posttraumatic joint stiffness. Researchers in Germany posed the following question: “Can we improve on the existing animal models of posttraumatic joint stiffness?” The answer, it seems, is “yes.” Complete details are available in their article: “A novel rat model of stable posttraumatic joint stiffness of the knee,” was […]
How, exactly, does obesity exacerbate osteoarthritis? Is it a factor of greater loading or is something more metabolic? A team from Austria tackled that question in a new study, “Is local or central adiposity more strongly associated with incident knee osteoarthritis than the body mass index in men or women?” appears in the August 2018 […]
Mayo Clinic researchers have extended their previous work on patellar tendon disruptions reconstructed with a step-wise surgical technique using Marlex mesh on an even larger series of cases. Their work, “Extensor Mechanism Reconstruction with Use of Marlex Mesh: A Series Study of 77 Total Knee Arthroplasties,” appears in the August 1, 2018 edition of The […]
Zimmer Biomet has partnered with the nonprofit Faith In Practice to deliver ongoing, tier-one orthopedic care to villages in Guatemala.
Researchers from Harvard University wanted to get a handle on the quality of online osteoarthritis (OA) information available around the world. While the researchers found some fascinating patterns in global OA information, probably the most unexpected outcome was how poorly physician websites communicate evidence-based medical information on their websites. Their study, “International assessment on quality […]
A new multicenter research study has attempted to find or disprove that a link exists between inflammation, osteoarthritis and total joint surgery. Interestingly, they could not find it. The study, “Prospective associations of C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and CRP genetic risk scores with risk of total knee and hip replacement for osteoarthritis in a diverse […]
Paragon 28, Inc., located in Englewood, Colorado, has announced the launch and release of an innovative Bone Graft Harvesting System, a product that, according to the company, was created to offer a means to effectively harvest autogenous bone with a straightforward technique, no matter the harvest site chosen. The surgical target is foot and ankle […]
San Diego-based NuVasive, Inc. has announced that its Pulse surgical automation platform has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA. According the company, “Pulse is the foundation for Surgical Intelligence, the Company’s ecosystem enabling better surgery. Pulse introduces 2D- and 3D-navigation and smart imaging capabilities while integrating the Company’s leading neuromonitoring, surgical planning, radiation reduction and […]
A team of researchers from the New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases and Columbia University set out to determine which was more effective: adductor canal blocks or periarticular anesthetic injections (PAI)—both with bupivacaine—for managing the pain associated with total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Their work, “Adductor Canal Block Compared with Periarticular Bupivacaine Injection for Total […]
Researchers from Japan came up with a new model of bone cancer—which starts by injecting cells into the caudal artery of a mouse tail. Their work, “A reliable murine model of bone metastasis by injecting cancer cells through caudal arteries,” appears in the July 30, 2018 edition of Nature Communications. Shinae Kondoh, Ph.D., professor in […]
What is the role of the thigh muscles and adipose tissues in the progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in women? This is the question researchers delved into with their recent study, “The role of thigh muscle and adipose tissue in knee osteoarthritis progression in women.” This study appears in the June 8, 2018 edition of […]
Peter Wehrly, CEO of Synaptive Medical, Inc., has been named to the Board of Directors of Titan Spine, Inc. Wehrly’s appointment “provides the company with extensive medtech market knowledge and experience for the deployment of its nanoLOCK surface technology.” According to Titan Spine, “Prior to his appointment as CEO of Synaptive in October 2017, Mr. […]
The load-sharing that occurs in the interbody space during an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) procedure can make a substantial difference in surgical outcomes. Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the Veterinary Specialties Referral Center in Pattersonville, New York, the corporate sponsor of the study, ReVivo Medical reported on the results of a study to […]
Dr. Shea has been selected as the next recipient of the Dr. Steven Gitelis Inspiration Award from AlloSource, one of the largest nonprofit cellular and tissue networks in the country.
Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York have identified a potential new therapeutic target for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Their research, “Huntingtin-interacting protein 1 (HIP1) regulates arthritis severity and synovial fibroblast invasiveness by altering PDGFR and Rac1 signaling,” was published on July 26, 2018 in the Annals of […]
Researchers from Australia set out to highlight how long the increased risk of dying exists from low trauma fractures—other than hip fractures. Their study, “Persistence of excess mortality following individual non-hip fractures: A relative survival analysis,” appears in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. The study used registry data to look at 21,123 women […]
Dr. Blank is an orthopedic oncologist who treats both malignant and benign tumors and specializes in sarcoma surgery, metastatic bone disease, and limb salvage involving complex joint reconstruction.
Dr. Shah has been honored with the IJS Innovation Trailblazer Award of Excellence acknowledging early adoption of intellijoint HIP into his practice.
How can methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) be avoided after revision surgery in orthopedics? This is a substantial problem that researchers were addressing in their recent study, “Immunotherapy synergizes with debridement and antibiotic therapy in a murine 1‐stage exchange model of MRSA implant‐associated osteomyelitis.” This study appears in the February 5, 2018 edition of The Journal […]
Can taking a “drug holiday” avoid future damage to your bones? This is the question researchers were asking in their recent study, “Bisphosphonate Drug Holiday and Fracture Risk: A Population‐Based Cohort Study.” This study appears in the March 29, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. According to the authors, “Our objective […]
Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York have identified a potential new therapeutic target for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Their research, “Huntingtin-interacting protein 1 (HIP1) regulates arthritis severity and synovial fibroblast invasiveness by altering PDGFR and Rac1 signaling,” was published on July 26, 2018 in the Annals of […]
Using a porcine model, a team of researchers from Chicago have injected magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) into the vertebral column to determine if they could treat the underlying causes of vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). Their study, “Magnetic kyphoplasty: A novel drug delivery system for the spinal column,” appears in the July 27, 2018 edition of PLOS […]
Cerapedics, Inc. has announced that the first patients have been enrolled in an investigational device exemption (IDE) clinical trial of its next-generation P-15L Peptide Enhanced Bone Graft in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). The prospective, single-blinded, multicenter, randomized, non-inferiority pivotal IDE study will compare this product to an autologous bone graft when applied in TLIF […]
Spare the muscles, but sacrifice the exposure quality? That shouldn’t have to be, says new work from Texas researchers. Their work, “A novel muscle-sparing high thoracotomy for upper thoracic spine resection and reconstruction,” was published in the European Spine Journal. The authors wrote, “A novel muscle-sparing, high thoracotomy approach is described, utilizing a midline posterior […]
A team from Rothman Institute in Philadelphia and Tel Aviv University in Israel have determined that controlling postoperative glycemic variability may reduce the risk for infection and death after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Their work, “Increased Postoperative Glucose Variability Is Associated with Adverse Outcomes Following Total Joint Arthroplasty,” appears in the July 5, 2018 edition […]
An international team of researchers has examined the question of how bone material strength is affected by mechanical loading. Their work, “High‐Impact Mechanical Loading Increases Bone Material Strength in Postmenopausal Women—A 3‐Month Intervention Study,” appears in the July 2018 edition of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. The authors wrote, “The aim of this […]
Hassan Mir, M.D., Director of Orthopaedic Trauma Research at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, has been awarded the American-British-Canadian Traveling Fellowship by the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA). According to the AOA, the fellowship recognizes young leaders for their early contributions to orthopaedics, identifying and promoting their leadership skills to the broader orthopaedic community. Since 1948, fellows have […]
A multicenter study has dug into the issue of whether two recommended serum markers (CTX and PINP) are truly indicative of hip fracture risk among postmenopausal women. Surprisingly, they may not be. The study, “Bone Turnover Markers Are Not Associated With Hip Fracture Risk: A Case‐Control Study in the Women’s Health Initiative,” appears in the […]
The MRI shows joint changes in the knee…are those due to normal aging or a developing pathology like osteoarthritis? Researchers from Sweden and Estonia set out to answer those and other questions. Their study, “A naturally aging knee, or development of early knee osteoarthritis?” was published in the July 21, 2018 edition of Osteoarthritis and […]
Finnish researchers may have come up with a quantitative tool that could estimate risks for the onset and progression of osteoarthritis before it begins. “New algorithm for simulation of proteoglycan loss and collagen degeneration in the knee joint: Data from the osteoarthritis initiative,” appears in the June 2018 edition of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research. […]
Bonnie Clothier, Ph.D., R.N. is the new associate director of payor relations at Musculoskeletal Clinical Regulatory Advisers, LLC (MCRA). According to the firm, Clothier will be responsible for providing internal and customer support to help identify specific payor issues and develop plans for gaining or improving U.S. coverage with health plans for new and innovative […]
Dr. Dorr will receive an award at the Operation Walk annual gala, the volunteer medical organization he founded in 1996.
Memphis, Tennessee-based Active Implants LLC has announced that the final patient has been treated in the two clinical trials evaluating its NUsurface Meniscus Implant for the treatment of persistent knee pain caused by injured or deteriorated meniscus tissue. The trials are being conducted as part of the process to obtain U.S. Food and Drug Administration […]
Cerapedics, based in Westminster, Colorado, has announced that the company has completed a $22 million financing led by KCK Group, a family investment fund. “We are pleased to announce that we have successfully completed an equity financing that will continue to accelerate the commercial release of i-FACTOR Peptide Enhanced Bone Graft and support the execution […]
Researchers from New York have examined the role of the adductor canal block in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Their study “Adductor Canal Block Compared with Periarticular Bupivacaine Injection for Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Prospective Randomized Trial” appears in the July 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. According to the study authors, […]
The International Geriatric Fracture Society (IGFS) has published a Global Call to Action on fragility fractures and is receiving substantial support because of the changing global population. According to the organization, “By 2010, the global incidence of one of the most common and debilitating fragility fractures, hip fracture, was estimated to be 2.7 million cases […]
Dr. Lotus is the first chiropractic physician to join Chicago, Illinois-based Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.
Do people with or have high risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA) need to walk more to avoid developing a slow gait speed? This is one of the questions researchers were asking in their recent study, “Does the intensity of daily walking matter for protecting against the development of a slow gait speed in people with […]
Brian Burke, former general manager for Zimmer Biomet Dental in North America, is the new chief operating officer of Mequon, Wisconsin-based Titan Spine. According to the company, Burke “will have broad cross-functional responsibility for the company’s main business functions of sales, marketing, operations, hospital contracting, research and development, human resources, and legal, all to further […]
A team from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) have gone where few orthopedic researchers have dared to go. Their work, “Position of the Hip in Yoga,” appears in the July 2018 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. Co-author Simon Mears, M.D., Ph.D., professor at UAMS, told OTW, “I became interested in this […]
Scott Smith is the new president and CEO of Three Rivers Provider Network (TRPN), a nationwide network of facilities that includes Acute Care Hospitals, Surgery Centers, Network Physicians, Ancillary Facilities, MRI Centers, Laboratories, etc. According to the company, “Smith, an accomplished executive, brings extensive knowledge of the healthcare industry in both insurance and provider businesses, […]
He brings over 30 years of senior-level operations and business development experience in healthcare.
Mahe Medical USA has just launched a Spine Emergency Screw Removal System that, according to the company, is “the most comprehensive and flexible system available in the market.” Interestingly enough, it is available on Amazon.com. “According to the company, the system has: The ability to remove broken or stripped screws without purchasing additional kits or […]
Zipline Medical has announced that the company has closed on $9 million of new growth financing. According to the company, “Proceeds from the financing will be used to continue worldwide commercialization activities for its Zip Surgical Skin Closure products, and support the launches of ZipStitch, an over-the-counter laceration closure device, and PreLoc Wound Closure for […]
How do we predict the presence of rheumatoid arthritis in at-risk patients and prevent it with early interventions? These are the question researchers were asking in their recent study “Gene Signatures and Biomarkers Predict Onset of Rheumatoid Arthritis in At-Risk Individuals.” The study appears in the June 2018 Annual European Congress of Rheumatology. According to […]
Simplify Medical Pty Ltd has a new eagle eye to ensure that things keep running smoothly. Mark Alvis, DVM, has been promoted to Vice President of Quality Assurance & Operations. According to the company, “Dr. Alvis has been part of Simplify Medical since 2007, serving as Director, Quality Assurance. Prior to joining Simplify Medical, Dr. […]
Multicenter research is mapping the pathological fingerprint of osteoarthritis and its subtypes. The study, “C1M, C2M, C3M, PRO-C2, and CRPM in serum reflect different potential pathogenetic domains of osteoarthritis, data from check,” appears in the April 2018 edition of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. Co-author Anne-Christine Bay-Jensen, Ph.D. told OTW, “Osteoarthritis (OA) is actually a group of […]
Kyocera Corporation’s Aquala technology has received Japan’s “Prize of the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry” during the 2018 National Invention Awards held in Tokyo June 12 by the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation (JIII). The honor recognizes Kyocera’s Aquala surface-processing technology, which has been demonstrated to cut artificial hip joint wear by 99% […]
A new study has pitted customized knee implants against off-the-shelf implants. The resulting paper, “In Vivo Tibial Fit and Rotational Analysis of a Customized, Patient-Specific TKA versus Off-the-Shelf TKA,” appears in the May 25, 2018 edition of the Journal of Knee Surgery. Gregory Martin, M.D., with the department of orthopedic surgery at Preferred Orthopaedics of […]
New work tackles the daunting task of illustrating fracture lines in complex cases. This important study: “Surgically Relevant Patterns in Triplane Fractures: A Mapping Study,” in the June 20, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, does the difficult work of illustrating fracture lines in the axial plane and bringing order to […]
It’s corporate rearrangement time at Simplify Medical Pty Ltd. Beth Neil, a 20-year veteran of the medical device industry, has been promoted to Vice President of Clinical Affairs at the company, makers of the Simplify cervical artificial disc. Neil specializes in clinical research. “Prior to joining Simplify Medical as the Director of Clinical Affairs, she […]
A recent study from the University of California, San Francisco has resulted in new suggestions for clinicians working with bypass patients who are postmenopausal. Their work, “Effects of Gastric Bypass Surgery on Bone Mass and Microarchitecture Occur Early and Particularly Impact Postmenopausal Women,” was published in the June 2018 edition of the Journal of Bone […]
Researchers studying 551 Veteran Affairs (VA) patients on long-term opioid therapy for chronic, non-cancer-related pain found that halting such treatment does not make this type of pain worse—in some cases, things actually got better. Their work, “Changes Ii [sic] Pain Intensity Following Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain,” appears in the June […]
A slap on the wrist may not get post-op patients moving, but a fitness tracker on the wrist just might. Australian researchers have found that for patients undergoing knee or hip arthroplasty a fitness tracker may improve post-op activity levels. The study, “Feedback from Activity Trackers Improve Daily Step Count after Knee and Hip Arthroplasty: […]
According to NuVasive, Inc., a study published April 25, 2018 in the Journal of Spine & Neurosurgery has found that the company’s “patented porous polyetheretherketone (PEEK) technology is a clinically viable alternative for improving osseointegration and fusion rates of interbody implants to treat degenerative cervical disc disease.” The study is titled, “Early Outcomes of Anterior […]
Researchers from Denmark and Germany have looked at the power of an investigational growth hormone (Sprifermin) and found something very interesting. Their work, “Articular cartilage from osteoarthritis patients shows extracellular matrix remodeling over the course of treatment with Sprifermin (recombinant human fibroblast growth factor 18),” was published in the April 2018 edition of Osteoarthritis and […]
HSS has honored Dr. Pellicci, chief emeritus of the Hip Service, with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Shay Soker, Ph.D. is the newest member of the advisory board for Ness Ziona, Israel-based CollPlant Ltd. According to the company, “Prof. Soker brings over 25 years of expertise in the areas of tissue engineering, stem cells, tissue scaffolds, cell differentiation and bioengineering to CollPlant. He currently serves as Professor of Regenerative Medicine and the […]
Researchers from the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia think we can come up with a better spine surgery outcome measure and maybe it’s time to update the venerable Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Their recent study “Which Domains of the ODI Best Predict Change in Physical Function in Patients After Surgery for Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis?” appears in […]
Brian Polonet is the new Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Simplify Medical Pty Ltd, based in Sunnyvale, California. According to the company, “Polonet will lead the Company’s sales and marketing initiatives to drive increased adoption in Europe and prepare for expected commercial launch in the U.S. following requisite regulatory approval.” “Polonet joins the […]
Researchers from Texas took a look at the existing research on mental well-being and its relationship to musculoskeletal conditions…then they dug deeper. Their article, “Are Self-Reported Medication Allergies Associated With Worse Hip Outcome Scores Prior to Hip Arthroscopy?” appears in the June 2018 edition of Arthroscopy. Co-author Joshua D. Harris, M.D., with Houston Methodist Orthopedic […]
When it comes to reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, is gender associated with differences in measures like the Simple Shoulder Test (SST) and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Shoulder score? How about age? A new multicenter study set out to answer these questions and more. The paper, “Are Age and Patient Gender Associated with […]
Dr. Cohen is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in adult reconstruction surgery of the hip and the knee.
San Diego, California-based NuVasive, Inc. has announced the U.S. launch of AttraX Scaffold, the company’s absorbent ceramic-collagen bone graft with an optimized surface. According to the company, “Unlike traditional ceramic materials that do not by themselves generate bone formation when implanted in an intramuscular site, AttraX Scaffold has unique microstructure and microporosity that are optimized […]
Kim Norton is the new Vice President of Reimbursement at Sunnyvale, California-based Simplify Medical Pty Ltd. According to the company, “Norton will manage payer relations and oversee the development and execution of the Company’s reimbursement strategy as it continues to expand the number of covered lives for both one and two-level implantation.” “Norton has worked […]
A new technique from the UK could help physicians assess osteoarthritis (OA) on a whole new, detailed level. The researchers undertook a study titled, “A new quantitative 3D approach to imaging of structural joint disease.” The study appears in the June 18, 2018 edition of Scientific Reports. Co-author Tom Turmezei, Ph.D. of the Cambridge University […]
Castel San Pietro, Switzerland-based Medacta International has announced the first surgery utilizing its Medacta Unconstrained Screw Technology Sacro-Iliac Joint Screw System (M.U.S.T. SI) for sacroiliac (SI) joint fusion surgery. According to the company, “The M.U.S.T. Sacro-Iliac Joint Screw System is designed for sacroiliac joint fusion for patients suffering from degenerative sacroiliitis, sacroiliac joint disruptions and […]
Orthopedic surgeons and anesthesiologists have teamed up to examine which types of anesthesia have the lowest mortality rate and fewest complications. Their study, “Is Anesthesia Technique Associated With a Higher Risk of Mortality or Complications Within 90 Days of Surgery for Geriatric Patients With Hip Fractures?” was published in the June 2018 issue of Clinical […]
RTI Surgical, Inc., based in Alachua, Florida, has announced the launch of a new platform of 3D printed, polymer based interbody fusion devices, Fortilink-TS and -L IBF Systems. According to the company, “…The Fortilink-TS and -L Systems are intended for use in lumbar interbody fusion procedures at one or two adjoining levels in patients with […]
How does the use of opioids affect patients after surgery for degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS)? This was the question researchers were asking in their recent study, “Health care utilization and overall costs based on opioid dependence in patients undergoing surgery for degenerative spondylolisthesis.” The study appears in the May 2018 edition of Journal of Neurosurgery. According […]
Researchers from the University of Michigan and University of Aberdeen in the UK used functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine whether higher levels of peripheral inflammation were associated with brain connectivity and structure in 54 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Their work, “A multi-modal MRI study of the central response to inflammation in […]
When key fusion study indices are based on certain national databases, and then the underlying data is changed, what happens to these indices which are used by researchers to conduct studies? Yes, things change over time. But when it comes to national databases like the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), this is a big […]
Clinical depression can exacerbate just about everything. New research from Mayo Clinic has found that treating depression with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors resulted in a reduced risk of revisions in total joint arthroplasty (TJA). The study, “Perioperative inpatient Use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors Is Associated With a Reduced Risk of THA and TKA Revision,” […]
Does the revision rate for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) because of post-op prosthetic joint infections vary between tropical and non-tropical areas…or seasons? Are the winter months safer than summer? These questions and more were addressed in the study, “Is Climate Associated With Revision for Prosthetic Joint Infection After Primary TKA?” The article was published in […]
A retrospective cohort study has found that when it comes to spine tumors, the location is critical. Their work, “The Impact of Metastatic Spinal Tumor Location on 30-Day Perioperative Mortality and Morbidity After Surgical Decompression,” appears in the June 1, 2018 edition of Spine. Co-author Samuel K. Cho, M.D., chief of Spine Surgery at Mount […]
Dr. McKellop was honored with the Award for his work which has resulted in 12 patents to date on novel methods to reduce polyethylene wear in orthopedic implants.
St. Louis based spinal implant and instrument company, CoreLink, LLC, has announced the acquisition of an innovative Israeli spinal implant and product design firm, Expanding Orthopedics, Inc. (EOI). EOI is best known for its FLXfit articulating and expanding interbody implant. The purchase also includes a vast portfolio of patents for other expandable spinal implants. According […]
A multicenter, soon-to-be-published study has examined the long-term effects of acromioplasty to see whether it had an effect on rotator cuff re-tear or on patient-reported outcomes. The authors wrote, “Between 2007-2011, prospectively-enrolled patients undergoing arthroscopic repair for full-thickness rotator cuff tears were previously randomized into either acromioplasty or non-acromioplasty groups. Patients who’d died or had […]
Marc Rosenbaum, who already knows the accounting ropes at NuVasive, Inc. has been promoted to Corporate Controller. According to the company, “Rosenbaum has been with NuVasive for more than four years and expands his senior accounting duties to now include serving as the corporate controller for the Company.” “He began his accounting career at Deloitte […]
Veteran finance expert Tristan Ribar is the new vice president of corporate finance and treasury at NuVasive, Inc. According to the company, “Ribar oversees the NuVasive Corporate Finance and Treasury functions, including financial planning and analysis, treasury operations, along with supporting investor relations.” “Mr. Ribar has strong finance and financial planning and analysis experience in […]
Lisa Pecora is bringing her talents to NuVasive, Inc. as the new vice president of Global Commercial Finance. According to the company,” As the head of Global Commercial Finance, Pecora manages the U.S. and International Commercial finance functions with a focus on driving revenue growth and go-to-market strategy.” “Pecora is a seasoned finance professional who […]
Researchers from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, have determined that complete blood count (CBC) tests are not always necessary after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Their work, “When Should Complete Blood Count Tests Be Performed in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty Patients?” appears in the May 28, 2018 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. […]
K2M, Inc. based in Leesburg, Virginia, has announced its U.S. launch of the first 3D-printed expandable fusion device that features infinite adjustment within its expandable range to help restore sagittal balance in spine deformity patients. According to the company, “Designed with K2M’s Lamellar 3D Titanium Technology, MOJAVE PL 3D incorporates a porous structure in conjunction […]
San Diego-based NuVasive, Inc. has announced that the company’s SpineTRACK Registry has reached a major enrollment milestone of 10,000 patients from more than 50 surgeons in the U.S. “We are proud to be a part of this important spine outcomes registry,” said Adam S. Kanter, M.D., University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Chief of Spine. […]
Paradigm Spine, headquartered in New York City, has announced that the North American Spine Society (NASS) has issued a coverage policy recommendation for Lumbar Interlaminar Device without Fusion and with Decompression. The company points out the particular significance for its product, coflex, a lumbar motion preservation solution. Marc Viscogliosi, chairman and CEO of Paradigm Spine, […]
When you read about the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in the literature, can you trust it? Researchers from Australia and Norway set out to dig into that question. Their work, “A quantitative metric for knee osteoarthritis: reference values of joint space loss,” appears in the May 26, 2018 edition of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. Chuck […]
Rick Epstein, formerly president and CEO of Sonoma Orthopedic Products, is the new CEO of Raynham, Massachusetts-OMNIlife science, Inc. Prior to Sonoma, Rick held several executive leadership positions in prominent organizations including Baxter International and Cardinal Health. “We are pleased that Rick is joining the OMNI team as our CEO and member of our Board […]
Westminster, Colorado-based Cerapedics, Inc. has announced results from the IVANOS study evaluating the company’s i-FACTOR Peptide Enhanced Bone Graft in lumbar posterolateral spine surgery. Results were presented by Mikkel Andersen, M.D., from the Sector for Spine Surgery and Research at Middelfart Hospital in Denmark, at the 7th Annual Global Spine Congress held May 2-5 in […]
Does quality of life vary widely for those whose scoliosis began in adolescence? That was one of the questions researchers from Sweden set out to answer in their recent study, “Health-Related Quality of Life in Adulthood in Untreated and Treated Individuals with Adolescent or Juvenile Idiopathic Scoliosis.” The study appears in the May 16, 2018 […]
What constitutes a meaningful difference when it comes to outcomes after arthroscopy for femoral acetabular impingement? Researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York recently delved into this question. Their work, “Minimal Clinically Important Difference and Substantial Clinical Benefit After Revision Hip Arthroscopy,” was published in the June 18, 2018 edition of Arthroscopy. […]
New research has looked into how the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) clinical practice guidelines have affected the use of hyaluronic acid and corticosteroid injections for knee osteoarthritis (OA). The study, “Impact of Clinical Practice Guidelines on Use of Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid and Corticosteroid Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis,” was published in the May 16, […]
Patient-reported pain and function can vary widely during the years prior to knee replacement. New multicenter research decided to tease out several details. The study, “Pain Medication Reporting and Patient-Reported Outcomes in the Years Prior to Knee Replacement: Challenges to Assessing Symptomatic Experiences,“ appears in the April 2018 edition of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. The authors […]
Researchers from Virginia have published a new study using the PearlDiver Technologies database to assess patients who underwent knee arthroscopy from 2007 to 2015. Their work, “Narcotics and Knee Arthroscopy: Trends in Use and Factors Associated with Prolonged Use and Postoperative Complications,” appears in the June 2018 edition of Arthroscopy. Brian C. Werner, M.D., an […]
NuVasive, Inc. has officially unveiled MAGEC X, the newest offering in its Early Onset Scoliosis (EOS) procedural solutions portfolio, at the recent annual meeting of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America. According to NuVasive, the new MAGEC X features a strong, smart and sleek design with a new 5.0mm rod option that offers 68% […]
San Diego, California-based NuVasive, Inc. has announced the first use of the new PRECICE STRYDE system from NuVasive Specialized Orthopedics (NSO). The system was used by Dror Paley, M.D., a limb lengthening and reconstruction expert with the Paley Orthopedic and Spine Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida. According to the company, PRECICE STRYDE is NSO’s […]
New research from the University of Pennsylvania has found that younger total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients can do well with a biologic fixation using an uncemented design. The study, “Uncemented Tantalum Monoblock Tibial Fixation for Total Knee Arthroplasty in Patients Less Than 60 Years of Age: Mean 10-Year Follow-up,” appears in the May 16, 2018 […]
Dr. Parks is the clinical director of Orthopedic Surgery and Vice Chair for Quality at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York.
M. Kathleen Donald is the new Chief Marketing Officer of Tampa, Florida-based Laser Spine Institute. According to the company, “Donald brings an impressive mix of strategic marketing, digital media, thought leadership and advertising savvy to the role. Her natural ability to consume and process large amounts of complex information, and then visualize, implement and drive […]
Raynham, Massachusetts-based DePuy Synthes is launching in the U.S. a novel line of titanium integrated interbody implants for spine surgery. Brand named PROTI 360°, this is a family of integrated titanium interbody devices for patients with degenerative disc disease in the neck and back. According to DePuy Synthes, PROTI 360° is the only titanium-integrated Polyetheretherketone […]
Mayo Clinic researchers have learned that using a gastrocnemius flap in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can provide reliable coverage. Their work, “Long-Term Outcomes of Pedicled Gastrocnemius Flaps in Total Knee Arthroplasty,” appears in the May 16, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. The authors wrote, “Deficient soft tissue following total knee […]
The Zurich, Switzerland-based International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) has officially changed its name to the “International Cartilage Regeneration & Joint Preservation Society.” “We needed to update our group’s branding to more accurately address our new mission, vision statement and core values that we approved at the last ICRS Sorrento world congress,” said Kenneth R. Zaslav, […]
Take silk, add microRNAs (miRNAs) and you have a delivery system that can improve bone growth and mineralization at the site of the repair. Researchers from Tufts University have used bioresorbable, silk-based medical devices such as screws and plates, and combined them with bioactive miRNA-based therapeutics. Their work, “Silk Biomaterials‐Mediated miRNA Functionalized Orthopedic Devices,” is […]
Physicians can have a huge impact on patients. But when it comes to talking to arthritic, overweight, and obese patients about losing weight, some opportunities are being lost. “Health Care Provider Counseling for Weight Loss Among Adults with Arthritis and Overweight or Obesity — United States, 2002–2014,” appears in the May 4, 2018 Morbidity and […]
Eliminate opioid use in spine, cut length of stay to mere 4 hours, reduce complication rates and raise patient satisfaction with spine surgery. Sound like a crazy dream? Here’s what HSS learned when they applied the lessons learned from a Danish Professor of Surgery.
Implanet, based in Bordeaux, France, has announced the launch of JAZZ Evo®, a new addition to the JAZZ line of implants which address the constraints of vertebral fusion indications in adults. Developed primarily to facilitate the treatment of degenerative pathologies in adults, JAZZ Evo is the first implant of a new range of JAZZ connectors. […]
He exuded benevolence and wit, say his friends and colleagues. Dr. Stamm, founder of the pediatric cardiology department at Seattle Children’s Hospital, has passed away.
DePuy Synthes, based in Warsaw, Indiana, has announced updated clinical data for its ATTUNE Knee System. According to the company, a multicenter study of 200 cases presented at the 2nd World Arthroplasty Congress in Rome on Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) reported a statistically significant improvement in knee physical function at six months with the […]
To meet its growing needs, the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) has welcomed a new management team. According to the spine surgeon society, the organization has contracted with the Management Services Program of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The new management team will operate under the direction of the […]
Oxford Performance Materials, Inc. (OPM), an advanced materials science and high performance additive manufacturing (HPAM) company based in South Windsor, Connecticut, has partnered with Tokyo, Japan-based JSR Corporation (JSR), a materials supplier, to advance OPM’s poly-ether-ketone-ketone (PEKK)-based 3D-printed orthopedic devices and biomedical and dental materials businesses throughout Asia. The two companies “…will establish operations in […]
Dr. Kelly has received the Special Effort and Excellence Award from the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America.
The Rothman Institute has joined forces with Aria Orthopedics in Northeast Philadelphia and added six new physicians. The new Rothman Institute physicians are: Daniel Bronsnick, M.D., Shoulder & Elbow Surgeon Thomas Corcoran, M.D., Non-operative Sports Medicine Mark Desmond, M.D., Generalist Orthopedics Matthew McLean, M.D., Sports Medicine Surgeon Christopher Selgrath, D.O., Joint Replacement Surgeon Paul Steinfield, […]
Implants, cocktails, and networking—all in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. From June 6-7, 2018 in Paris thought leaders in orthopedic technology will gather to discuss up-to-the-minute topics, including: How can collaboration between OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and contract manufacturers yield innovation? Which technology/equipment supplier will be dominant? How is robotic assisted and navigation changing […]
Researchers have compared decellularized muscle matrix (DMM) to an autologous muscle graft and found that DMM enhanced muscle function recovery, muscle regeneration, and the formation of new neuromuscular junctions. The article, “Decellularized Muscle Supports New Muscle Fibers and Improves Function Following Volumetric Injury,” appears in the March 27, 2018 edition of Tissue Engineering Part A. […]
Japanese researchers have identified a novel, highly specific biomarker for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The new biomarker is citrullinated ITIH4 protein. According to the University of Tsukuba, where the discovery was made, “Most RA patients are positive for anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA), and these antibodies are highly specific for RA diagnosis.” “ACPA recognizes various citrullinated proteins, […]
Salt Lake City-based DiscGenics, Inc. has announced that the first patient has been treated in its Phase I/II U.S. clinical trial of IDCT for mild-to-moderate degenerative disc disease (DDD). Domagoj Coric, M.D., the study’s principal investigator, led the treatment at Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates (CNSA) in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to the company, “IDCT […]
Raynham, Massachusetts-based DePuy Synthes has agreed to promote the FIBERGRAFT Family of synthetic bone graft materials for Warren, New Jersey-based Prosidyan, Inc. According to DePuy Synthes, these bone graft products are “ultra-porous, easy to use and have been engineered for optimal resorption in clinical use during spine fusion surgery.” “Prosidyan was founded in 2009 to […]
SpineCraft, LLC, based in Westmont, Illinois, has launched a novel retractor for minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS). The PANORAMA has a patent-pending design and, according to the company, allows increased instrument angulation and versatility and expands the surgeon’s ability to access the entire disc space including difficult to reach contralateral locations. According to the company, […]
Using a large primary care database, Keele University researchers have determined that patients with the inflammatory arthritis condition that often occurs in the big toe—gout—were not at an increased risk of fracture. Their work, “Risk of fragility fracture among patients with gout and the effect of urate-lowering therapy,” was published in the May 14, 2018 […]
By simulating the textured surface of cartilage, researchers from Arkansas and the Czech Republic have found that using prostheses with square micro-dimples could extend the life of hip implants. The study, designed by Dipankar Choudhury, a post-doctoral fellow in the Center for Advanced Surface Engineering at University of Arkansas (U of A), appears in the […]
An international team of researchers has conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate adverse events associated with the use of alendronate in hip fracture patients and found that the drug actually lowers the risk of cardiovascular events. The study entitled ”Association of Alendronate and Risk of Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Hip Fracture” was published […]
Johns Hopkins researchers have completed a prospective cohort study which shows that patients are underutilizing over-the-counter medications. Their work, “Opioid Oversupply After Joint and Spine Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study,” appears in the April 17, 2018 edition of Anesthesia & Analgesia. The authors set out to determine if patients are using non-opioid pain medications in […]
Phoenix-based OrthoArizona has launched its new Foot & Ankle Institute, which includes a team of fellowship-trained orthopedic and podiatric specialists treating patients in 10 locations throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area. Jason Lake, M.D., senior vice president of operations for OrthoArizona, told OTW, “When I moved back to Phoenix in 2010, I noticed a large variation […]
Oakland, California-based OrthoTrophix, Inc. has reported 6- and 12-month clinical outcomes in mild to severe knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients treated with TPX-100. The results were announced at the 2018 Osteoarthritis Research Society International annual meeting in Liverpool, UK from April 26-29, 2018. According to the company: “OrthoTrophix previously presented the results of a Phase 2 […]
Well, it seems that inflammation is linked to everything these days. Now a new study has found that middle aged adults experiencing chronic inflammation may be at increased risk of frailty, which as we all know, can result in a fall. The study, led by Johns Hopkins Medicine investigators, included nearly 6,000 Americans followed for […]
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. (ZBH) has announced an agreement with Oregon Surgical Institute (OSI), a new ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in Beaverton, Oregon, to implement Zimmer Biomet Signature Solutions Outpatient Program. Oregon Surgical Institute, a joint venture between Regent Surgical Health and West End Surgical, LLC, is designed specifically to treat complex cases and procedures […]
Have a radial head fracture? No time for formal physical therapy (PT)? According to a new study that might be just fine. The research, “Minimally Displaced, Isolated Radial Head and Neck Fractures Do Not Require Formal Physical Therapy: Results of a Prospective Randomized Trial,” appears in the April 18, 2018 edition of The Journal of […]
New work from Brazil has added to the literature on the use of balloon kyphoplasty. The study, “Balloon Kyphoplasty in the Treatment of Neoplastic Spine Lesions: A Systematic Review,” appears in the April 24, 2018 edition of the Global Spine Journal. Co-author Nelson Astur, M.D., M.Sc., orthopedic surgeon with the Santa Casa de Sao Paulo […]
Hanger, Inc. has launched a unique virtual reality (VR) tool so that patients with limb loss and limb differences can have an enhanced prosthetics experience. Vinit Asar, president and CEO of Hanger, told OTW, “The initial MIGO 360-degree immersive video experience offers users an opportunity to interact with fellow amputee Cameron Clapp. Users are able […]
Water as a contrast agent—which lowers the price of an MRI dramatically—and can be used in the field? Really? YES. Researchers at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (National MagLab) at Florida Stat University in Tallahassee, Florida, have discovered a superior contrasting agent which could increase the contrast of smaller, low powered magnetic resonance imaging […]
A new analysis of 53 randomized controlled trials compares outcomes for the most common NSAID as treatments to lower pain and improve function in osteoarthritic (OA) knees. The study, “Mixed Treatment Comparisons for Nonsurgical Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Network Meta-analysis,” was published in the May 1, 2018 edition of the Journal of the American […]
The first large randomized study of denosumab is done and the results over 12 months of a 24-month international study, indicate that denosumab increased bone density in the lower spine at a superior rate to risedronate. The research, “Denosumab versus risedronate in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, active-controlled, double-dummy, non-inferiority study,” appears in the […]
New work from Sweden collected 12-14 year follow up data on distal radial fracture malunions and their impact on quality of life. The study, “Association Between Distal Radial Fracture Malunion and Patient-Reported Activity Limitations: A Long-Term Follow-up,” appears in the April 18, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. Co-author Muhanned Ali, […]
Swedish researchers have developed a new biomedical adhesive that can be used for fracture fixation. Their work, “High‐Performance Thiol–Ene Composites Unveil a New Era of Adhesives Suited for Bone Repair,” was published in the April 2018 edition of Advanced Functional Materials. Michael Malkoch, Ph.D., professor in Functional Organic Nanomaterials and a senior researcher in Biomedical […]
Mayo Clinic’s Mark Pagnano, M.D. and his research team collected, analyzed and, now, reported the results of 10-year follow up on patients diagnosed with primary osteonecrosis and were treated with unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). The study was presented in the April 9, 2018 edition of The Bone and Joint Journal in a paper titled; “Reliable […]
UK researchers have found a way to activate stem cells via remote control to repair bone and cartilage. Their work, “Translation of remote control regenerative technologies for bone repair,” was published in the April 17, 2018 edition of Nature. The authors wrote, “The role of biomechanical stimuli, or mechanotransduction, in normal bone homeostasis and repair […]
Jonathan Isenburg is the new Chief Financial Officer at Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Conventus Orthopaedics, Inc. “Isenburg brings corporate finance and executive experience to Conventus spanning both entrepreneurial and public company settings. Since April 2015, Mr. Isenburg served as CFO at Infraredx, Inc., where he led the cardiovascular imaging start-up through a dual-track IPO and M&A process […]
New National Institutes of Health-funded research in mice has uncovered a tantalizing clue regarding how mesothelial cells on the spleen may be antigenic to inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and, potentially, other autoimmune diseases. This research was conducted by a team from the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) and their results, “Oral NaHCO3 Activates a […]
Javad Parvizi, M.D. and his team at The Rothman Institute have reported an important breakthrough in the identification and treatment of periprosthetic joint infections. Call it ’23 and me’ for bacteria. It could well revolutionize treatment of these notoriously difficult infections.
A series of one-legged jumps has led to a substantial increase in the material strength in the loaded leg, say the authors of a new study. The research, “High‐Impact Mechanical Loading Increases Bone Material Strength in Postmenopausal Women—A 3‐Month Intervention Study,” appears in the April 27, 2018 edition of the Journal of Bone and Mineral […]
Hip surgeons take heart…novel research has found a way to help patients suffering with pain related to partial thickness tear of the gluteus medius. The new study, “Endoscopic Repair of Partial-Thickness Undersurface Tears of the Abductor Tendon: Clinical Outcomes With Minimum 2-Year Follow-up,” was published in the April 18, 2018 edition of Arthroscopy. Benjamin Domb, […]
New research appearing in the April 23, 2018 edition of HIP International asked the burning question, which is safer, 32-mm or 28-mm ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC) liners in total hip arthroplasty (THA)? The answer came in the form of a paper which is titled, “32-mm ceramic-on-ceramic total hip arthroplasty versus 28-mm ceramic bearings: 5- to 15-year follow-up […]
A new multicenter study has ruled out a newer allograft technology in the fight against cartilage injuries. The study, “Comparison of Juvenile Allogenous Articular Cartilage and Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate Versus Microfracture With and Without Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate in Arthroscopic Treatment of Talar Osteochondral Lesions,” is published in the April 2018 edition of Foot […]
Could stereovision change spine surgery? A new study, “Stereovision Co-Registration in Image-Guided Spinal Surgery: Accuracy Assessment Using Explanted Porcine Spines,” published in the March 6, 2018 edition of Operative Neurosurgery raises that intriguing possibility. Co-author and professor of engineering at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, Keith D. Paulsen, M.S., Ph.D., told OTW, “We had […]
Researchers from France and India have just published a study indicating that the rate of rupture of latissimus dorsi transfer is much higher than previously thought. The study, “Arthroscopically-Assisted Latissimus Dorsi Transfer for Irreparable Rotator Cuff Insufficiency: Modes of Failure and Clinical Correlation,” appears in the April 2018 edition of Arthroscopy. Jean-David Werthel, M.D., orthopedic […]
Researchers from Stanford University have presented the first technique that simultaneously assesses a variety of early metabolic and cellular markers of joint tissue health in patients at risk for early knee osteoarthritis (OA). Their work, “Quantitative imaging of bone–cartilage interactions in ACL-injured patients with PET–MRI,” appears in the April 12, 2018 edition of Osteoarthritis and […]
Columbia Engineers have crafted the first device that measures 3D stiffness of the human torso, providing hope for children with spine deformities such as idiopathic scoliosis and kyphosis. The related study, “Robotic Spine Exoskeleton (RoSE): Characterizing the Three-dimensional Stiffness of the Human Torso in the Treatment of Spine Deformity,” appears in the March 30, 2018 […]
New work from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) pegs complication rates for rotator cuff repair. The study, “Risk Factors for Short-term Complications After Rotator Cuff Repair in the United States,” appears in the April 2018 edition of Arthroscopy. William W. Schairer, M.D., orthopedic surgery resident at Hospital for Special Surgery and co-author, told OTW, “Rotator […]
A new retrospective economic analysis from Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center suggests that lumbar fusion in those with chronic preoperative opioid use should be approached with caution. The study, “Pre-operative Chronic Opioid Therapy: A Risk Factor for Complications, Readmission, Continued Opioid Use and Increased Costs After One- and […]
Study finds patients using substantial preop opioids were more likely to have higher levels of disability. Vitamin D therapy can improve muscle strength and other metrics of physical performance, says new work from Stanford. An online dashboard allows clinicians to match a clinical message to the patient’s readiness for behavioral change.
Researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) have conducted the first-ever study on the impact of the gut microbiome on the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Their study, “Targeting the gut microbiome to treat the osteoarthritis of obesity,” was published in the April 19, 2018 edition of JCI Insight. First author Eric Schott, Ph.D., […]
Upper Nyack, New York-based CreakyJoints, part of the nonprofit Global Healthy Living Foundation, along with New York City-based Pfizer, Inc., have announced that they have chosen Mayo Clinic and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to each receive a $500K research award funded by Pfizer Independent Grants for Learning & Change (IGLC). Both facilities […]
Asia and Latin America are especially low in calcium intake, according to a new interactive tool published by the Steering Committee of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF). According to the IOF, the “…Global Map of Dietary Calcium Intake in Adults reveals that many populations are not getting enough calcium in their diets. The Map reflects […]
A team of researchers from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, has found that regardless of tibial treatment, patients with bipolar chondral defects of the knee who are treated with femoral osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) will have clinically meaningful improvements in functional outcomes, as well as excellent graft survivorship. Their work, “Does Treatment of […]
Titan Spine, headquartered in Mequon, Wisconsin, has announced that a review of nanoLOCK surface technology titled “Spine Implant Surface Technology State of the Art: Separating Fact From Fiction” has been published in the journal Spine. According to the company, “nanoLOCK is the company’s next-generation surface technology featuring enhanced micro and nano-scaled architecture, proven to significantly […]
Dr. Ghavam is an orthopedic spine surgeon and has joined Hope Orthopedics in Salem, Oregon.
St. Louis, Missouri-based CoreLink, LLC, a spinal implant company, has announced the full commercial release of its Foundation 3D Interbody Cage Systems for cervical and lumbar fusions. According to the company, “The titanium devices utilize additive manufacturing to create Mimetic Metal™ technology that mimics key characteristics of natural bone, featuring 100% open-pore architecture and micro […]
Finally…surgeons can achieve x-ray vision—courtesy of an Israeli company with an augmented-reality (AR) surgical navigation system. The company, Augmedics, is reporting on the completion of its second cadaver study using its xvision-spine system (XVS). Surgeons from Johns Hopkins Hospital, as well as two surgeons from hospitals in Israel, placed 120 pedicle screws in five separate […]
Safe Orthopaedics, a spine company based in Eragny-sur-Oise, France, has announced that it has now sold more than 10,000 surgical kits worldwide since they were first launched. Safe Orthopaedics’ sterile kits all include single-use instruments and at least one vertebral implant. According to the company, “The number of surgeries performed using Safe Orthopaedics’ kits in […]
Rick D. Wilkerson, D.O., a West Point graduate who dedicated decades of his life to training orthopedists and providing orthopedic services to patients in Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti and other far flung corners of the world, is the 2018 AAOS Humanitarian Award Winner.
Dr. Andarawis-Puri has been presented with the 2018 Kappa Delta Young Investigator Award for her research in tendon disease or injury and the healing response.
Warsaw, Indiana-based Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. has announced that a new study (seven-year follow up) has affirmed earlier studies that Mobi-C Cervical Disc fares better than anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). The study, “Long-term Evaluation of Cervical Disc Arthroplasty with the Mobi-C® Cervical Disc: A Randomized, Prospective, Multicenter Clinical Trial with Seven-Year Follow-up,” appears […]
Just in case you feel the need to climb the world’s highest mountain, your advanced medical care just got a lot closer. Rochester, New York-based Carestream Health has installed an imaging system that medical personnel can use to diagnose injuries and determine if someone needs to go to the closest hospital. According to the company, […]
Texas-based 4WEB Medical recently announced at the annual meeting of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) that the company has exceeded 30,000 implants of its Truss Implant Technology worldwide. Jessee Hunt, 4WEB President and CEO, said, “We are extremely excited to reach the 30,000-implant milestone with over 650 surgeons having utilized […]
So how have different bearing surfaces “trended” of late? Researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles set out to determine how selection of such total hip arthroplasty (THA) surfaces has varied from 2007 through 2014. The study was titled, “Total Hip Arthroplasty Bearing Surface Trends in […]
Paradigm Spine, LLC has a new leader to guide U.S. sales of the company’s lead product—coflex Interlaminar Stabilization. Tim Hein, a 20-year veteran of the medical device industry, has prior leadership experience at Zimmer Biomet Spine, LDR Spine, Medtronic, DePuy Spine, and Ethicon Endo-Surgery. Hein earned his B.S. in Engineering from the United States Military […]
The winner of the best implant poster award at the 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) Annual Meeting was “Total Knee Arthroplasty Using a Contemporary Computer-Assisted Surgical System: A Review of Resection Alignment on 8,000 Clinical Cases”. The supplier of the implant, Exactech, Inc. said: “The study was based on a large collection of technical reports […]
Dr. Magee is one of the pioneers in motion preservation spine technologies and a 30+ year veteran of the science and art of medical device development.
Key insights into stem cell survivability reported. Mark C. Gebhardt, M.D. has won the 2018 Diversity Award from AAOS. Harvard researchers find that using a silver nylon dressing reduces prosthetic joint infections following TJA.
Charlie Gilbride, formerly vice president of U.S. product marketing for LDR Spine, is now the executive vice president of Sales & Marketing at Paradigm Spine, LLC. “…Gilbride has more than 20 years of experience in medical device sales, marketing and reimbursement…,” wrote Paradigm Spine in its news release. “Previously, he held positions in the spine […]
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., based in Warsaw, Indiana, has announced that the first surgical case utilizing its Comprehensive Augmented Baseplate was performed by John W. Sperling, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic. According to the company, “This newly cleared baseplate boasts a simplified circular design at three augment heights (3mm, 5mm and 7mm buildup), […]
NuVasive, Inc., based in San Diego, California, has launched the ALIF (anterior lumbar interbody fusion) Access, the company’s first-ever MAS (maximum access surgery) ALIF retractor platform for both lateral and supine spine surgery approaches. According to the company, “The retractor system’s features retain the characteristics of a traditional ALIF while giving surgeons options for either […]
Lisa Denison is the new leader of marketing at Paradigm Spine, LLC. Denison, now the company’s Vice President of Marketing, and has held positions at Sulzer Orthopedics, Abbott Spine, and LDR Spine. As Paradigm wrote in its March 26, 2018 news release, “…Denison has worked in orthopedic and spine marketing and medical education for more […]
Dr. Menmuir has joined the team at the Laser Spine Institute LLC, and will be based out of the company’s Scottsdale, Arizona, facility.
Thomas Linton, who brings 20 years of executive roles from companies such as AT&T, Bank of America and General Electric, is the new Chief Patient Empowerment Officer at Tampa-based Laser Spine Institute LLC. Linton is the company’s first person to be in this role. “We look forward to leveraging Thomas’ expertise to further facilitate the […]
Researchers drive standardization of the evaluation and treatment of adult spinal deformity (ASD). Belgian researchers have found that the level of the medial joint line is the key prerequisite for normal joint stability. Japan “beats” U.S. when it comes to the expense of adult spinal deformity surgery.
Mequon, Wisconsin-based Titan Spine has just opened a grand distribution facility in Memphis to meet the growing demand for the its nanoLOCK surface technology. According to the company, “nanoLOCK is the company’s next-generation surface technology featuring enhanced micro and nano-scaled architecture, proven to significantly improve the osteogenic response it creates.” “The new distribution facility increases […]
With a substantial portion of the U.S. population living near water, it would seem natural to look into orthopedic injuries occurring from watercraft-related accidents. A team of researchers from Florida has done just that. Their work, “Orthopaedic Watercraft Injuries: Characterization of Mechanisms, Fractures, and Complications in 216 Injuries,” appears in the April 2018 edition of […]
How to ensure patients are surgery-ready? Text them the night before! “Please do not eat or drink anything after 8PM” is a text that healthcare providers can now easily send to their patients. StreaMD, a Chicago-based health tech company, creates physician chatbots that send personalized messages to maximize patient engagement and care. StreaMD was founded […]
Spinal Resources, Inc. (SRI), based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has announced that its Swedge Pedicle Screw System was implanted for the first time. According to the company, “The Swedge is the first of four landmark products in SRI’s implant development pipeline. It features three different rod diameters which can be conveniently and easily interchanged for […]
The poorer the nutrition, says a new retrospective, multicenter study of hip fracture surgery, the worse the outcomes. Researchers looked at 12,373 patients who underwent hip fracture surgery from 2006 to 2013 (National Surgery Quality Improvement Project data). Their work, “Increasing Severity of Malnutrition Is Associated With Poorer 30-Day Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Hip Fracture […]
A team of international researchers has just published work titled, “Higher Dairy Food Intake Is Associated With Higher Spine Quantitative Computed Tomography (QCT) Bone Measures in the Framingham Study for Men But Not Women.” The study appears in the March 30, 2018 edition of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. Shivani Sahni, Ph.D., assistant […]
Three new studies of a novel treatment for osteoarthritis (OA) knee pain (ZILRETTA) report that the injection provided effective pain relief and health-related quality of life that exceeded that of intra-articular corticosteroid injections. According to the company, Flexion Therapeutics, Inc., one of the studies, which had enrolled 586 patients with knee OA, compared the duration […]
Dr, Bach has joined the elite few physicians who have been elected into the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine Hall of Fame.
CoRehab, based in Trento, Italy, and developer of an innovative patient rehabilitation system, has entered into a distribution agreement for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) with Zimmer Biomet. According to CoRehab: “The accord means that Zimmer Biomet will distribute modules of CoRehab’s physical therapy and sports medicine platform, with marketing and sales of the […]
New research has found that traditional methods of using alignment guides and bone landmarks for cup placement in total hip arthroplasty (THA) fall short. The study authors wrote, “[We] evaluated the position of the acetabular component in primary total hip replacement was more accurate with a direct anterior approach or a posterior approach and whether […]
In the complicated world of orthopedics, Jon J.P. Warner, M.D. has led a team that examined something very fundamental…but not easy. Patient happiness. Dr. Warner, chief of the Harvard Shoulder Service and director of the Boston Shoulder Institute Fellowship, recently presented his work at the annual meeting of the Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). Commenting […]
The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR), part of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) registries portfolio, has conducted a novel (unpublished) study analyzing the correlation between hospital size, the reason for revision (or re-do) surgery, and where total joint arthroplasty (TJA) revision surgery is performed. Lead study author and adjunct professor of orthopedic surgery, […]
What happens when patients with periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) undergo irrigation and debridement (I&D) instead of a two-stage exchange procedure? A new unpublished study, “Outcomes of Irrigation and Debridement of Unresectable Revision Arthroplasty in Periprosthetic Joint Infection”, attempts to find an answer. Co-author John R. Martin, M.D. told OTW, “The following study was performed to […]
New study finds possible association between mental health disorders and complications in patients with thoracolumbar, cervical spinal pathologies. Research from NYU Langone Health indicates that youth and amount of weight loss can predict pain reduction in knee OA. And younger female patients without labral repairs are more likely to require revision arthroscopy.
Kalamazoo, Michigan-based Stryker has just launched Cobra, its reusable suture passing technology for use in rotator cuff repair. According to the company, this first-of-its-kind technology “leverages novel needle manufacturing and an innovative jaw design to produce the first reusable needle technology.” According to Stryker, “Compared to other suture passers on the market, Cobra offers improved […]
Austin, Texas, will be the site of the first Lower Extremity Interactive Education Program (IEP) Fellows & Young Surgeons’ Course, an annual event that will provide education on the latest topics related to foot and ankle surgery. The course, hosted by Magnifi Group, Inc., a San Diego-based developer of dynamic online training solutions, will be […]
Using the large Fluid Lavage of Open Wounds (FLOW) trial (2,447 records), a team of researchers organized a study to determine which factors are most often associated with a higher risk of nonunion after open fracture surgery. The unpublished research, led by Paul Tornetta III, M.D. and Mohit Bhandari, M.D., incorporated baseline patient characteristics, injury […]
Dr. Maletis is chief of orthopaedics at the Kaiser Baldwin Park Medical Facility in California and clinical professor of orthopaedic surgery in the Keck/USC School of Medicine.
Study says overdosing on food with Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) negatively impacts bone quality. Traditional ‘red flags’ not so predictive of serious pathology as previously thought, says work from HSS and Emory. And low vitamin D in mothers could mean elevated kyphosis risk for offspring.
Dr. Jimenez is the recipient of the 2018 William W. Tipton Leadership Award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
DePuy Synthes is making happier hips possible, with its recent launch of the ACTIS Total Hip System at the 2018 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) annual meeting. According to the company, “…this is the first DePuy Synthes hip system designed to be utilized with tissue-sparing approaches such as the minimally invasive Anterior Approach, as […]
Long-term glucocorticoid therapy dangerous for adolescent bone health. Which THA patients may be at higher risk for an implant dislocation? Researchers at NYU Langone Health have some thoughts. And Rush researchers find that low volume hospitals had a higher mean hospital-specific charges for hip, knee revision.
Foothill Ranch, California-based Össur has launched its Rebound Post-Op Knee brace. According to the company, the brace is “… for patients who require controlled range of motion for a variety of knee-related issues, including ligament or meniscal repairs, tibial plateau fractures, patellar tendon or osteochondral repairs, condylar fractures, knee sprains and strains, as well as […]
Dr. Beaulé is professor and head of the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery in the Department of Surgery at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa.
Steven Gitelis, M.D. and Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, are the inaugural contributors to a landmark Surgical Oncology Research Team (SORT) Registry. The sponsor of the registry, ONKOS Surgical, told OTW that this is the first registry of its kind and is designed to function as a multicenter platform to prospectively collect functional, […]
New work from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has determined that patients under 55 years old receiving a dual mobility hip replacement had zero—ZERO—dislocations. Those who received a traditional fixed bearing hip implant had a dislocation rate of 5%. The study, “Dual-Mobility vs Fixed-Bearing Total Hip Arthroplasty in Patients Under 55 Years of Age: A […]
New research finds that the problem of undiagnosed neurocognitive dysfunction (NCD) in total joint arthroplasty patients is high and may impact the recovery period. “Prevalence of Neurocognitive Dysfunction and Its Effects on Postoperative Outcomes in Total Joint Arthroplasty,” appears in the February 2018 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. James Slover, M.D., an associate professor […]
Dr. Wittig has been appointed Chairman of the Department of Orthopedics, Morristown Medical Center, and Medical Director, Orthopedic Oncology, Atlantic Health System, in Morristown, New Jersey.
San Diego, California-based DonJoy, a brand of the DJO Global, Inc. family, has launched the first knee brace for total knee arthroplasty that monitors patient recovery and compliance in real time. The product, the X4 Smart Brace with Motion Intelligence, is a cloud-based system. According to the company, the X4 Smart Brace “…records patient data […]
Santa Clara, California-based Benvenue Medical, Inc. has announced positive interim results of a retrospective analysis of its Luna 3D Multi-Expandable Interbody Fusion System. The study, which included 31 patients, evaluated the safety and efficacy of the Luna device when placed from a standard minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) approach. “The brilliance of Luna […]
Researchers assessed the cost effectiveness of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) versus cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA). Their findings: both methods are acceptable, but CDA is a bit less expensive overall. Samuel K. Cho, M.D. is associate professor of Orthopaedics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Chief of Spine Surgery and co-author […]
DePuy Synthes, the orthopedics business of Johnson & Johnson, has reached an agreement to add a dual-mobility acetabular cup to its portfolio of hip replacement implants, instruments and biologics. This move comes as a result of an agreement between DePuy Ireland Unlimited Company (based in Ringaskiddy) and Société d’Etude, de Recherche et de Fabrication (SERF), […]
There is a new software tool which has the ability to calculate a patient’s mortality risk at the moment of hospital admission. This is a tool, say the developers, which can be used to guide the care of older patients who may have higher risks of complications. Researchers from NYU Langone Health are tackling the […]
Stryker Corporation, based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, has just launched the industry’s first-ever, post-free hip distraction system, Pivot Guardian Distraction System, which, says the company in its March 6, 2018 news release, is “…designed to mitigate groin complications and heel slip associated with hip arthroscopy and improve patient outcomes.” Stryker cites a recent study titled, “Hip […]
Craig Della Valle, M.D., the Aaron G. Rosenberg Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and chief of the section of adult reconstruction at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, is the new president of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS). According to Rush University, Dr. Della Valle “…specializes in primary and revision total […]
New research from Mount Sinai in New York has found that orthopedic surgeons performing shoulder arthroplasty may want to consider tranexamic acid (TXA). The research, “Utilization and Real-World Effectiveness of Tranexamic Use In Shoulder Arthroplasty: A Population-Based Study,” was presented at the recent meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in New Orleans. Shawn […]
Wow. San-Diego, California-based Reflexion Health’s innovative virtual assistant for exercise rehabilitation—named “VERA”—is now hard at work at North Carolina-based Greensboro Orthopaedics. VERA will be part of Greensboro’s postoperative rehabilitation team for total-joint replacement patients. According to Reflexion, “VERA is a digital platform that brings the guidance of a physical therapist into the home along with […]
New York-based Paradigm Spine, LLC has announced publication of the ESCADA two-year trial results (European Study of coflex And Decompression Alone) in the January 2018 issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery Spine. The article is titled, “Prospective, randomized, multicenter study with 2-year follow-up to compare the performance of decompression with and without interlaminar stabilization.” According […]
A recent retrospective review from a Level 1 academic trauma center has found that there is no difference in one-year mortality rates between the younger and older patient cohorts in high energy trauma cases. The study, “Mortality After High-Energy Pelvic Fractures in Patients of Age 65 Years or Older,” appears in the March 2018 edition […]
John A. DeFord, Ph.D. now has a seat on the NuVasive, Inc. board of directors. Dr. DeFord is 25-year veteran of the medical device industry. “We are pleased to welcome John to the NuVasive Board,” said Gregory T. Lucier, chairman and chief executive officer of NuVasive, Inc. “We expect John’s experience driving innovative products and […]
Yardley, Pennsylvania-based Heraeus Medical LLC has announced the addition of new products to its current PALACOS product portfolio. Now introducing…the medium viscosity bone cement PALACOS MV variations, along with two mixing systems, PALAMIX and PALABOWL. According to the company, “The innovative PALAMIX and PALABOWL, while created for use with PALACOS bone cement, can be effectively […]
Multicenter work finds an alarming rise in older folks experiencing high-energy trauma. Hopkins researchers find little/no use for arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. And we now have evidence of how surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis affects body shape and body image.
New research in the March 2018 edition of the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma has found that when it comes to tibial plateau fracture fixation, ligament ruptures did not significantly affect clinical outcomes. The study was entitled, “The Effect of Soft Tissue Injuries on Clinical Outcomes After Tibial Plateau Fracture Fixation.” Stephen J. Warner, M.D., Ph.D., […]
Elderly folks wheeled into the emergency room may fare better by avoiding general anesthesia, says new work published in the March 2018 edition of the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma. The study is titled, “Impact of Anesthesia on Hospital Mortality and Morbidities in Geriatric Patients Following Emergency Hip Fracture Surgery.” Chunyuan Qiu, M.D., with the Department […]
Double doors, double trouble…new research finds that opening two operating room (OR) doors simultaneously may allow contaminated air into the operating room. The study, “The Effect of Door Opening on Positive Pressure and Airflow in Operating Rooms,” was published in the March 1, 2018 edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. […]
Appearing on the red carpet at the 2018 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting in New Orleans this week is the DePuy Synthes ATTUNE Revision Knee System. The product is another part of the ATTUNE Knee portfolio and features the ATTUNE GRADIUS Curve, which addresses the unnatural sliding of the femur on the […]
A team of researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York and Yale University Medical Center in New Haven, Connecticut set out to determine whether using 50 mg of pregabalin on a daily basis would reduce narcotic requirements and improve outcomes after posterior lumbar fusion (PLF). Their work, “Pregabalin Did Not Improve Pain […]
Blood transfusion, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE)…how are they affected by tranexamic acid in Asian patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA)? Those were the issues addressed in a recent study published in the January 2018 edition of Archives of Orthopaedic Trauma and Surgery. The study was entitled, “Does tranexamic acid increase the […]
Dr. LaPrade is a complex orthopedic knee and sports medicine surgeon at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado.
Simplify Medical Pty Ltd, based in Sunnyvale, California, has announced that it has completed a $23.25 million fund raise. The funds are a second tranche of its Series B financing of $23.25 million, completing the oversubscribed round totaling $44.25 million. As the company wrote in the February 9, 2018 news release, “The lead investor for […]
Use anterior/posterior approach with a Lenke 5C curve? Its’ complicated, says a new study. Japanese researchers examine the role of steroid intake and other things that influence saggital balance in RA patients. THA patients treated with the anterior approach had less pain, lower narcotic usage, and better hip function than those undergoing the posterior approach.
Dr. DiFiori, director of Sports Medicine for the National Basketball Association, is the new chief of the primary care sports medicine service at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
Dr. Montgomery, a much-adored hand surgeon, was taken from his friends, families and colleagues in the recent California mudslides.
During a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is it effective and safe for a surgeon to use a saphenous nerve block? Yes, says new research from Duke University and Hospital for Special Surgery. “Saphenous Nerve Block From Within the Knee Is Feasible for TKA: MRI and Cadaveric Study,” appears in the January 2018 edition of Clinical […]
Now that Medicare is on board with outpatient total knee arthroplasty (TKA) reimbursement, researchers wanted to explore the issue of safe discharge in this population. Their work, “Can Total Knee Arthroplasty Be Performed Safely as an Outpatient in the Medicare Population?” was published in the January 15, 2018 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. P. […]
Spinal device company TranS1, based in Denver, Colorado, has announced that the U.S. Patent and Trade Office has allowed three new patents for the company. The patents, related to presacral interbody fusion, include two new expandable cages designed to create lordosis at L5-S1, along with a new technique to perform sacroiliac (SI) fusion. “TranS1’s patent […]
Dr. Millett has been awarded the Orthopedic Technology & Innovation Research Award from Arthrex, Inc. for his significant research contributions.
Don’t forget femoral version when working up patients with hip pain, says new multicenter research. The study, “Femoral Version Abnormalities Significantly Outweigh Effect of Cam Impingement on Hip Internal Rotation,” was published in the February 7, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Omer Mei-Dan, M.D. co-author on the study with the […]
A team of researchers from Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis has determined that given the right conditions, the Bernese periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is an effective treatment for symptomatic acetabular dysplasia. Their work, “Intermediate-Term Hip Survivorship and Patient-Reported Outcomes of Periacetabular Osteotomy: The Washington University Experience,” appears in the February 7, 2018 edition of […]
MedShape, Inc. is announcing the first surgeries using the DynaNail XL TTC Fusion System. According to the company, “The DynaNail XL represents the longer counterpart to the already commercially available DynaNail, the only internal fixation system that uses patented superelastic nickel titanium (NiTiNOL) technology to maintain post-operative active compression like an external fixator and offer […]
According to a new study, digital imaging can be effectively applied during total hip arthroplasty (THA). The study, “Digital Radiography in Total Hip Arthroplasty: Technique and Radiographic Results,” appears in the February 7, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Co-author on the study, Brad L. Penenberg, M.D. with the Department of […]
Study finds ketamine can reduce need for morphine. Resident involvement in posterior cervical fusion can work—if properly managed. And new research indicates that only a small percentage of surgically treated patients had a parent or child with surgically treated scoliosis.
Researchers in Germany looked at spinal loads before and after spinal fusion. Their finding? It’s important to examine each level individually to avoid sagittal imbalance. The study, “Regarding loads after spinal fusion, every level should be seen separately: a musculoskeletal analysis,” appears in the January 19, 2018 edition of the European Spine Journal. Achim Benditz, […]
Your choice…have an injection or undergo surgery. While we’re not there yet, a group of researchers have highlighted a promising molecule that is opening up those possibilities. The international team includes scientist Denis Evseenko, M.D., Ph.D. of the University of California Los Angeles Keck School of Medicine. Their work,” Drug-induced modulation of gp130 signaling prevents […]
Researchers are beginning to shake things up with respect to hip arthroscopy for dysplasia. New multicenter research indicates that, among other things, borderline to mild hip dysplasia without the presence of significant arthritis may be a reasonable indication for hip arthroscopy. Dean K. Matsuda, M.D. is with the DISC Spine and Sports Center in Marina […]
Don’t forget about the immunological component of pain and other outcome measures that are important to patients, says new work from Canada. The study, “Monocyte activation is elevated in women with knee-osteoarthritis and associated with inflammation, BMI and pain,” is published in the November 8, 2017 edition of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. Dawn Bodish, Ph.D., associate […]
California researchers demonstrate how impedance spectroscopy can be used to detect bone healing and nonunion. And PROMIS is found to be more efficient legacy PRO scores. A new RCT shows that the wearable sensors are effective at monitoring patient position and activity.
A new longitudinal study has found that race makes a difference when it comes to pain and disability among knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients. The research, “Natural History of Pain and Disability among African-Americans and Whites With or At Risk For Knee Osteoarthritis: A Longitudinal Study,” appears in the February 2, 2018 edition of Osteoarthritis and […]
It looks like we are inching closer to personalized spine disorder diagnosis. Researchers from the United Kingdom have published new work indicating that motion sharing is more unequal in nonspecific low back pain patients than in healthy patients. “Uneven intervertebral motion sharing is related to disc degeneration and is greater in patients with chronic, non-specific […]
A study set to be published in the February 2018 edition of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (“Dietary Advanced Glycation End Products Have Sex- and Age-Dependent Effects on Vertebral Bone Microstructure and Mechanical Function in Mice”) has found a possible connection between back injuries and diet. Bottom line? Another reason to avoid fast […]
“Patients Living Alone Can Be Safely Discharged Directly Home After Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Prospective Cohort Study,” is published in the January 17, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Co-author Andrew Fleischman, M.D., with the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, commented to OTW, “There has been a growing interest in value-based care […]
For patients with limb sarcomas, less may well be more with respect to post treatment surveillance. The work, “Does a less intensive surveillance protocol affect the survival of patients after treatment of a sarcoma of the limb?” appears in the January 31, 2018 edition of The Bone and Joint Journal. Ajay Puri, M.S. (Orth), co-author […]
According to a new study, classifying acetabular structures may require an updated system. The study, “There Is No Column: A New Classification for Acetabular Fractures,” was published in the January 17, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Amir Herman, M.D., Ph.D., with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Sheba Medical Center […]
According to a new study, two weeks may be the magic window for avoiding periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). The research, “Irrigation and Debridement for Early Periprosthetic Knee Infection: Is It Effective?” appears in the January 9, 2018 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. The authors found that patients with early PJI who underwent irrigation and […]
Preoperatively reducing bacterial count sounds smart, right? Well, it isn’t supported by the latest research. A team from New York, including K. Daniel Riew, M.D., director of Cervical Spine Surgery at the Spine Hospital at New York-Presbyterian in Manhattan, has found that using chlorhexidine gluconate wipes at home before surgery wasn’t particularly beneficial. Their work, […]
Surprising new study of astronauts uncovers the major role soft tissue plays in back pain. Best to screen and clear nasal passages of joint patients preoperatively, says a new study. New work from Anderson Orthopaedic Clinic finds that running two rooms during TJA doesn’t affect outcomes or safety.
San Jose, California-based SI-BONE, Inc. has announced that Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) has assigned triangular implants for sacroiliac (SI) joint fusion a “Moderate” quality evidence recommendation. According to SI-BONE, “The BCBSA rating system encompasses a four-level rating scale of Substantial, Moderate, Low to None and Uncertain. In order for a technology to receive […]
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) versus cervical disc replacement (CDR)…anyone know which is more cost-effective? Now we do. The study, “The 5-year cost-effectiveness of two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion or cervical disc replacement: a Markov analysis,” appears in the January 2018 edition of The Spine Journal. (http://www.thespinejournalonline.com/article/S1529-9430(17)30310-8/fulltext) Sheeraz A. Qureshi, M.D., author of […]
A group of Boston researchers set out to determine volume benchmarks for the four commons lumbar spine surgeries—discectomy, decompression, lumbar interbody fusion, and lumbar posterolateral fusion. The study, “Establishing benchmarks for the volume-outcome relationship for common lumbar spine surgical procedures,” is published in the January 2018 edition of The Spine Journal. Co-author Andrew J. Schoenfeld, […]
One type of surgery, above all others, appears to be uniquely suited to training residents. It is geriatric hip fracture surgery. The study which determined this—”Resident Participation in Fixation of Intertrochanteric Hip Fractures: Analysis of the NSQIP Database”—was published in the January 17, 2018 edition of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. Co-author Samir […]
A team of Australian researchers examining data from hundreds of thousands of primary total knee replacements (TKRs) has found that cross linked polyethylene (XLPE) stands out when it comes to reducing the risk of revision for infection. The study,” The Effect of Alternative Bearing Surfaces on the Risk of Revision Due to Infection in Minimally […]
Working with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients, Mayo Clinic researchers set out to see how preoperative opioid use would affect opioid prescriptions, refills, and clinical outcomes. To do so, they performed a retrospective review of 53 patients who took opioids before surgery. Their work, “Patients at Risk: Preoperative Opioid Use Affects Opioid Prescribing, Refills, and […]
Researchers from the University of California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles and the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Phoenix have found that a “defined approach” to debriding open tibia fractures is safe and can reduce the need for flap coverage. Their work, “Use of a Defined Surgical Approach for the Debridement […]
Researchers from New York have examined data from 1,808 patients who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and discovered that eliminating patient-controlled analgesics (PCAs) and femoral nerve blocks are viable ways to help these patients. The study, “Can Multimodal Pain Management in TKA Eliminate Patient-controlled Analgesia and Femoral Nerve Blocks?” appears in the January 2018 […]
Orthopedic researchers from Thailand have dug into one test’s ability to assess whether patients recovering from total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can perform certain movements and tasks. The team compared the 2-minute walk test (2mwt) to the modified Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Oxford Knee Score (OKS), modified Knee Score (modified KS), Numerical […]
Mr. Wilton, president and CEO of the American Association of Tissue Banks, is the new chair of the Donate Life America Board of Directors, representing the first time a representative from AATB has served in this role.
Sectra, a medical imaging and cybersecurity company based in Linköping, Sweden and Shelton, Connecticut, has announced that Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has ordered Sectra’s 3D pre-operative planning solution. “The software will provide HSS orthopedic surgeons with advanced tools to enhance visualization of complex cases with the goal of improving patient outcomes.” “Sectra’s innovative 3D […]
Researchers from Canada have developed the first set of indicators for total joint replacement (TJR) rehabilitation which define what exact quality indicators (QI) are important and valid in rehabilitation care. Their study, “Development of quality indicators for hip and knee arthroplasty rehabilitation,” appears in the December 29, 2017 edition of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. Marie Westby, […]
New tool allows patients to compare their personal information with nationwide data to help decide if and when to undergo TJR. CreakyJoints publishes OA guidelines for patients. New J&J Health Partner platform combines behavior science and technology to help patients prepare physically, mentally and emotionally for surgery.
Alachua, Florida-based RTI Surgical, Inc. has purchased Minnesota-based Zyga Technology, Inc. as of January 4, 2018. Zyga Technology, a private company with approximately 30 employees and approximately $4 million in annual revenue, is known for SImmetry Sacroiliac Joint Fusion. Its primary product line is directed at conditions including sacroiliac joint disruptions and degenerative sacroiliitis. “Acquiring […]
When a wearable device and a smartphone team up, doctors and patients benefit from a quicker, smoother surgical recovery.
ConforMIS, Inc., based in Billerica, Massachusetts, has announced the publication of a study in The Journal of Knee Surgery on December 14, 2017 (“Accuracy of Coronal Plane Mechanical Alignment in a Customized, Individually Made Total Knee Replacement with Patient-Specific Instrumentation”) that investigated the ability of the iTotal CR Knee Replacement System to restore coronal plane […]
A new not-for-profit global organization has been established in Warsaw, Indiana. The WishBone Orthopaedic Foundation (WBOF) was established to “support pediatric orthopaedic missions. Through donations from individuals and corporate sponsors, WBOF purchases the necessary implants and instruments to be used during medical mission trips throughout the world. The foundation’s commitment is to focus the attention […]
Hanau, Germany-based Heraeus Medical, inventor and manufacturer of PALACOS bone cement products, is announcing that is has begun selling these products direct in the U.S. through its affiliate Heraeus Medical LLC. “The company is extremely excited about the opportunity to support total joint surgeons directly in the U.S. in providing consistent, predictable outcomes with the […]
KLAS Research, an independent research organization that monitors healthcare vendor performance based in Orem, Utah, has recognized Carestream Health’s Radiology PACS (picture archiving and communication system) module of the Clinical Collaboration Platform as a top performer in the KLAS PACS 2017 Report. The highlight? More than 90% of hospitals with a Carestream PACS said they […]
Dr. Lorich was associate director of the Orthopedic Trauma Service at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and director of the Orthopedic Trauma Service at New York Presbyterian Hospital.
San Diego, California-based NuVasive, Inc. has announced the launch of the its COALESCE Thoracolumbar Interbody Fusion Device as well as FDA 510(k) clearance for expanded indications of its COHERE Cervical Interbody Fusion Device. According to Gregory T. Lucier, chairman and chief executive officer of NuVasive, “Our strategy in building our AMS [advanced materials science] portfolio […]
New unpublished research from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York compared the HipAlign navigation system and traditional methods of acetabular cup placement, taking into account the time required for fluoroscopy as well. HipAlign is manufactured by OrthAlign, based in Aliso Viejo, California. The authors wrote, “Data was prospectively collected for a group of […]
New research has found that patients who spend time on phone counseling sessions improve their engagement in physical therapy and improve outcomes among patients recovering from lumbar spine surgery. The study, “Telephone-Based Intervention to Improve Rehabilitation Engagement After Spinal Stenosis Surgery: A Prospective Lagged Controlled Trial,” was published in the January 8, 2018 edition of […]
New research from The Steadman Philippon Research Institute has found that arthroscopic rotator cuff repair can be ideal for patients with symptomatic partial thickness rotator cuff tears. The study, “Five-Year Outcomes After Arthroscopic Repair of Partial-Thickness Supraspinatus Tears,” was published in the January 2018 edition of Arthroscopy. Peter Millett, M.D., partner at The Steadman Clinic […]
Elderly female non-Caucasians…plan for the unexpected, says a new study. Research from Rothman Institute in Philadelphia indicates that certain patients are more likely to have an unanticipated stay in an inpatient rehab or skilled nursing facility (SNF). The study, “Who Goes to Inpatient Rehabilitation or Skilled Nursing Facilities Unexpectedly Following Total Knee Arthroplasty?” was published […]
Dr. Robb has been appointed orthopedic director, chief medical officer of Illinois Bone & Joint Institute (IBJI).
Study finds vast reduction in allogeneic transfusion usage. When diagnosing PJI, no ‘holy grail,’ but α-defensin does shine. ALIF burdened with increased odds of complications and high cost as compared to patients undergoing PLIF/TLIF.
A multicenter study has found that when it comes to anterior shoulder instability, surgeons aren’t always “spot on” in determining the ideal surgical treatment. The research, “Accuracy and Reliability of a Simple Calculation for Measuring Glenoid Bone Loss on 3-Dimensional Computed Tomography Scans,” appears in the January 2018 edition of Arthroscopy. Co-author Stephen A. Parada, […]
Major new spine study specifies what to do when radiographic images don’t match clinical symptoms. Researchers from the Spine Hospital at New York Presbyterian document that tobramycin eradicates Escherichia coli (E. Coli) in a rabbit model. New study incorporated advanced machine learning finds that it transforms meniscal imaging and diagnosis.
Stiffness that requires manipulation under anesthesia postoperatively is a problem for patients with bilateral knee arthritis. Turns out, says new research, that it’s more of an issue for those who undergo staged bilateral total knee arthroplasty (B-TKA) or unilateral TKA than for those who have simultaneous bilateral TKA. The study, “Postoperative Stiffness Requiring Manipulation Under […]
Working backwards, researchers have found that using calcitonin receptor fragment peptides (CRFP) with living cells in 3D printed trabecular bone scaffolding could change the game in orthopedics. The study, “Biomechanical properties of 3D-printed bone scaffolds are improved by treatment with CRFP,” appears in the December 22, 2017 edition of the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and […]
Researchers from the UK have determined that trabecular metal (TM) implants could be an alternative to open reduction and internal fixation with bone grafting when it comes to ulnar nonunions. Their case study, “Novel use of a trabecular metal spacer in the treatment of a long-standing ulnar fracture non-union,” appears in the December 7, 2017 […]
Vanderbilt and Emory Universities’ researchers have found that for the right patients, laminoplasty is the better surgical option than fusion-based alternatives for treating neck pain. The study, “Laminoplasty Does Not Lead to Worsening Axial Neck Pain in the Properly Selected Patient With Cervical Myelopathy: A Comparison With Laminectomy and Fusion,” appears in the December 15, […]
New work appearing in the December 14, 2017 edition of the Journal of Arthroplasty might make surgeons question the utility of wearing space suits into operating theatre. The study is entitled, “Surgical space suits increase particle and microbiological emission rates in a simulated surgical environment.” Ross William Crawford, D.Phil (Oxon.), professor of orthopedic research with […]
A new retrospective cohort study on adult deformity surgery suggests that the amount of time surgeons spend in the operating room correlates with perioperative morbidity. The research, “After Posterior Fusions for Adult Spinal Deformity, Operative Time is More Predictive of Perioperative Morbidity, Rather Than Surgical Invasiveness: A Need for Speed?” was published in the December […]
Stem cells, BMP, PRP and, recently, DNA are collectively known as ‘biologics’ and, for several decades, they have represented the brave new future of orthopedic medicine. In terms of allograft tissue forms, biologics are a basic element in the surgeon toolbox. But what about stem cells or PRP or other living tissue implants—even if sourced […]
A new UCLA study reveals that outpatient TKA is associated with a higher risk of postoperative complications. AAOS has released Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for hip osteoarthritis, including possible scenarios and treatments. A new meta-analysis from Tufts finds that bisphosphonates don’t work in knee OA.
A talented team of researchers led by Scott Rodeo, M.D., and Christopher Mendias, Ph.D. at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York has been awarded the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) Clinical Research Grant in Cellular Therapy in honor of James Urbaniak, M.D. in collaboration with National Stem Cell Foundation (NSCF). The $800,000 […]
FH Orthopedics has announced that sales of its Cervical Prosthesis (CP-ESP) and Lumbar Prosthesis (LP-ESP) have exceeded 6,000 units. According to the company, “ESP discs combine two titanium end plates with an elastomeric cushion made of polycarbonate urethane. This structure imitates the natural disc, in which bony segments are connected by a spongy disc that […]
Fremont, California-based THINK Surgical Inc. has announced that the European Authority had awarded the CE Mark to TSolution One Surgical System for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). “We are pleased to offer one of the most advanced technologies in Total Knee Replacement through the TSolution One Surgical System to the European market and other countries that […]
Englewood, Colorado-based Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that the Phase 3 clinical trial of Ampion has met its primary endpoint, with 71% of Ampion treated patients meeting the OMERACT-OARSI (Outcome Measures in Rheumatology-Osteoarthritis Research Society International) responder criteria. According to the company this “…exceeds the physician reported threshold of 30% for a meaningful treatment in […]
Danish study finds fermented red clover extract can halt or lessen bone loss. Rush, UNC find close association between albumin level, mortality risk. Danish study finds that RA rates decline when biological DMARDs are introduced.
Michael Piccirillo, a seasoned designer of spine educational curricula, is the new leader of NuVasive’s Clinical Professional Development (CPD) global platform for surgeons that integrates surgical training with professional development. For more than 30 years, Piccirillo has built educational platforms and designed management solutions. As San Diego, California-based NuVasive wrote in its December 14, 2017 […]
NuVasive, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, California, is all set to acquire New York-based SafePassage, manufacturer of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) services. According to NuVasive, SafePassage complements their current NCS (NuVasive Clinical Services) business in part because it has a limited geographic overlap with NuVasive’s existing healthcare accounts. Buying SafePassage also helps NuVasive grow its […]
For a subset of women—older ladies—taking bisphosphonates may help avoid future knee replacement. The study, “Effect of bisphosphonates on knee replacement surgery” appears in the December 11, 2017 online edition of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Tuhina Neogi, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Medicine and of Epidemiology at the Boston University School of Medicine and co-author […]
Raime Leeby Muhle, who has worked in a variety of industries including technology, distribution, manufacturing, and telecommunications for 18 years, is the CFO of Centennial, Colorado-based AlloSource. According to the company, “With over 18 years of experience, Leeby Muhle’s background spans from emerging high growth businesses to large and mature organizations. She has worked in […]
Mainstay Medical International plc, manufacturers of ReActiv8, an implantable restorative neurostimulation system for chronic low back pain (CLBP), has received positive results of an interim analysis in its U.S. Pivotal ReActiv8‑B Study. According to the company, “The Study utilizes an adaptive trial design, inclusive of an Interim Analysis, to determine the definitive size of the […]
Imagine if medical samples such as bone, blood or surgical equipment could also be transported over 160 miles by drone. The time is here…Johns Hopkins researchers have succeeded in flying blood samples across 161 miles of Arizona desert.
Paris-based EOS imaging has announced that the Galien Foundation has awarded it the Prix Galien in the Medical Device category. According to the company, “The Galien Foundation fosters, recognizes and rewards excellence in scientific innovation that improves human health. The Prix Galien recognizes excellence in the future of medicine and is based on a jury […]
Researchers from Chicago have found a way to improve traditional teaching methods via a program involving didactic and simulation-based education. Their study, “Simulation-Based Educational Module Improves Intern and Medical Student Performance of Closed Reduction and Percutaneous Pinning of Pediatric Supracondylar Humeral Fractures,” appears in the December 6, 2017 edition of The Journal of Bone and […]
In Indiana, a new effort is underway to advance understanding between university-based researchers and “the market.” Indiana University (IU) and its affiliate, the Indiana University Research and Technology Corporation (IURTC), are partnering with AcceLINX, the business accelerator developed and launched by OrthoWorx. The goal? Develop new or more cost-effective therapies for musculoskeletal diseases. Tony Armstrong, […]
Implanet, based in Bordeaux, France, has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Korean company L&K BIOMED, a move that should eventually lead to a strategic partnership. L&K BIOMED designs, develops and markets an extensive range of high-end implants for spine surgery in Asia and the United States. As Implanet wrote in […]
A multicenter case-control study has tackled the issue of defining clinically meaningful outcomes after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). The study, “Hip Arthroscopic Surgery for Femoroacetabular Impingement with Capsular Management: Factors Associated With Achieving Clinically Significant Outcomes,” was published in the November 21, 2017 edition of The American Journal of Sports Medicine. Shane Nho, […]
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) Board of Trustees has announced the selection of Elizabeth A. Thompson as its next Chief Executive Officer.
Researchers from the Biomedical Engineering Institute, Polytechnique Montreal, Canada, have found that Ortho Regenerative Technologies, Inc.’s “Ortho-R” implants release more growth factors and stay in the body longer than platelet rich plasma (PRP) alone. The article, “Chitosan inhibits platelet-mediated clot retraction, increases platelet-derived growth factor release, and increases residence time and bioactivity of platelet-rich plasma […]
Merck KGaA, based in Darmstadt, Germany, has announced results of the two-year primary analysis of FORWARD, a five-year, multicenter Phase II study of sprifermin in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Luciano Rossetti, executive vice president, global head of research and development at the biopharma business of Merck KgaA, told OTW, “FORWARD is a five-year, multicenter […]
A group of 16 surgeons from Greece received high-level training at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) during an annual seminar dedicated to teaching the latest techniques and innovations in complex primary total hip and knee replacement. The event, which commenced in 2006, is known as the HSS Stavros Niarchos Foundation Orthopaedic Seminar Program. […]
curasan AG, based in Kleinostheim, Germany, has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Implantcast GmbH, based in Buxtehude, Germany. Implantcast will market curasan AG’s bone regeneration materials (CERASORB) in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “For many years Implantcast has established itself as a specialist for orthopedics in the DACH-region, especially in the field of endoprosthesis.” “The […]
Researchers have found no clinical difference between BHA and THA, but they do advise caution. Rush researchers find that outpatient arthroplasty is as safe as staying in the hospital. New research found that MS was associated with a much higher risk for perioperative complications—and a host of other problems.
Dr. Soslowsky has been named as the recipient of the H.R. Lissner Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Emerging Implant Technologies GmbH (EIT), based in Wurmlingen, Germany, is announcing that it has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA to commercialize its spinal interbody products for ALIF (anterior lumbar interbody fusion), TLIF (thoracic lumbar interbody fusion), PLIF (posterior lumbar interbody fusion) and cervical procedures. According to the company, “EIT Cellular Titanium is a porous […]
A group of researchers led by Mohit N. Gilotra, M.D., will receive the 2018 Charles S. Neer Award from the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES).
The last thing a surgical team wants is a germy OR. To the rescue is San Antonio, Texas-based Xenex Disinfection Services LLC’s Germ-Zapping Robot. A new study from MD Anderson indicates that a system known as the Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robot can help rid the OR of the pathogens that can lead to surgical site […]
According to a new single center study, total joint replacement (TJR) patients receiving treatment with PREVENA were four times less likely to have surgical site infections (SSIs) and complications than those who received a traditional gauze dressing. According to the company, the trial of 600 patients found that using a closed incision negative pressure therapy […]
While vitamin D supplementation may be important for arthritis patients, the ‘how’ of such supplementation remains a bit unclear. New work from the UK attempts to shed light on this topic. The new study, “Decreased sensitivity to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in T cells from the rheumatoid joint,” was published in October 21, 2017 edition of the […]
New research has found that patient education materials are written at too high of a reading level for patients. The study, “Readability of Patient Education Materials From the Web Sites of Orthopedic Implant Manufacturers,” appears in the December 2017 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. Paul H. Yi, a radiology resident at the Johns Hopkins […]
Ready to use intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) injections for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA)? Hold on, says new research from The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Their work, “Comparative Effectiveness of Intra-Articular Hyaluronic Acid and Corticosteroid Injections on the Time to Surgical Knee Procedures,” appears in the December 2017 edition of The Journal […]
A new study from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock has tackled the topic of whether surgeons should wait until modifiable risk factors improve so as to help prevent joint revision surgery. The retrospective review, “Modifiable Risk Factors Are Common in Early Revision Hip and Knee Arthroplasty,” was published in […]
Researchers from Mount Sinai in New York have new research which seems to indicate that the national rate of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) has increased from 13% of all joint revisions to more than 16%—this, despite huge efforts to prevent infection. Calin Moucha, M.D., chief of adult reconstruction and joint replacement surgery at Mount Sinai […]
Are hysterectomies the missing link for degenerative spondy? Telephus Medical has received a $6 million NIH grant for translational research on bone infection. And OrthoCarolina continues to expand, now adding its 40th location.
NYU Langone Health, based in New York, New York, has an additional $1.3 million or so to put towards caring for patients. The source? A gala known as the annual Musculoskeletal Ball, this year held on November 14, 2017 at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. Chairing the event was Steven Yang, M.D., […]
Minimus Spine Inc., headquartered in Austin, Texas, has signed its first European distribution agreement and completed its first commercial order. The agreement was signed with MOSS S.p.A., an Italian company that has been granted exclusive distribution rights for Italy, Germany, Switzerland and the UK. According to Minimus Spine’s CEO and President David M. Hooper, Ph.D., […]
This week, Rochester, New York-based Carestream Health is demonstrating its new optional advanced metal artifact reduction software for its CARESTREAM OnSight 3D Extremity System at the Radiological Society of North America tradeshow. “Carestream’s second generation of software takes our state-of-the-art original metal reduction software to a new level. It provides enhanced flexibility depending on the […]
Invibio Biomaterial Solutions, based in Thorton Cleveleys, UK, has announced investment in a series of strategies to improve product development, including clinical-study expertise, component manufacturing facilities and component testing. In addition, the company has launched a new website that, “…efficiently provides information on materials and applications to OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] and Health Care Professionals […]
Diamond Orthopedic, LLC, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, has closed its $3.5 million seed round of equity funding, an effort led by MagnaSci Fund L.P. According to the company, “Diamond’s signature technology is a faceted threadform that has been deployed in an FDA cleared faceted bone screw. As evidenced by significant bench testing, the new […]
Turns out that the U.S. is in much worse shape than we thought when it comes to arthritis. Traditional estimates have been based on a one-question survey, asking patients if they recall having been told by a healthcare provider that they have arthritis. New research, however, takes into account doctor-diagnosed arthritis, chronic joint symptoms, and […]
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc., based in Burlington, Massachusetts, has announced the full commercial launch of Zilretta (triamcinolone acetonide extended-release injectable suspension), for use in managing the pain of knee osteoarthritis (OA). “We have assembled a remarkable team of Musculoskeletal Business Managers, and last week they concluded their training at the Zilretta national launch meeting,” said Michael […]
AAOS has launched a better organized, souped up version of OrthoInfo.org. Review article finds that lean processes reduced spine surgery complications by 36%. And researchers in Japan find that waterless hand scrubbing is equal to traditional methods in terms of surgical site infection prevention.
San Francisco-based PeerWell, Inc. has launched a “prehab” specifically for outpatient joint replacement centers. This announcements coincides with new reimbursement coverage from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS] for knee replacement surgery in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). According to the press release, “PeerWell’s outpatient pre-operative preparation [PreHab] program means that more patients can […]
ZipLine Medical, Inc., headquartered in Campbell, California, has announced results from the first study to assess Zip Surgical Skin Closure versus surgical staples for closure in the same patients. The results of the randomized, controlled, prospective study were presented as a poster at the American Academy of Hip and Knee Surgery Annual Meeting (AAHKS) by […]
Numerate, Inc., based in San Bruno, California, has received a grant from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The funds will be utilized to expand drug options for orthopedic surgery patients. The project is titled, “EZH2 inhibitors as endoprosthetic device coatings that induce […]
SpineGuard has announced that XinRong Medical Group has launched the Classic PediGuard product range in China during the Chinese Orthopedic Association (COA) annual meeting. Patricia Lempereur, SpineGuard’s head of international marketing & sales, told OTW, “The Classic PediGuard was officially presented at the annual COA meeting in Zhuhai during a workshop moderated by Professor Zhongqiang […]
Whew…some good news for a change. According to work from researchers at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, California, femoral neck fractures in the geriatric population are actually declining. Their work, “Nationwide Analysis of Femoral Neck Fractures in Elderly Patients: A Receding Tide,” appears in the November 15, 2017 edition of The Journal of Bone & Joint […]
Three new, five-year follow-up studies are giving powerful weight to lumbar total disc replacement (TDR) as a standard of care for patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD). The studies and their data were presented from NASS’ (North American Spine Society) podium during the society’s October 2017 Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. The first study, sponsored […]
Australian researchers are going right for the root cause of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in their quest for a new treatment for the disease. The University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane has just begun human trials of DEN-181, a vaccine-style treatment referred to as an “immunotherapy,” that targets the underlying cause of the disease rather than […]
Certain monkeys and their powerful peptides could hold great promise for reversing joint disease. New work from the University of Southern California (USC) has found that in a rat model, a peptide found only in Old World monkeys—θ-defensin 1 (RTD-1)—totally reversed rheumatoid arthritis. Co-author Michael Selsted, M.D., Ph.D., chair and professor of pathology at the […]
The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) has just released its 2017 Annual Report on hip and knee arthroplasty data at the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) 2017 Annual Meeting. According to AJRR, “The 2017 Annual Report analyzes data on 860,080 hip and knee replacement procedures from 4,755 surgeons at 654 institutions.” “It […]
New research finds that the two critical factors for cervical realignment are sagittal vertical axis and T1-slope. Fascinating work! Other new research finds a link between air pollution and bone density and rising rates of fracture. Finally, J&J and Texas Medical Center team up to promote orthopedic innovation.
Musculoskeletal Clinical Regulatory Advisers, LLC (MCRA) is trying to clear things up when it comes to industry, device costs, and innovation. The group announced that it has recently delivered the second of three training workshops for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the folks at MCRA, “This workshop was focused on innovation, […]
Earlier this year, New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and Stamford Health began offering outpatient orthopedic services at Stamford, Connecticut’s Stamford Health’s Tully Health Center. Now, they have instituted a new inpatient surgical unit of HSS Orthopedics at Stamford Health. An opening ceremony was led by Stamford Health President and CEO Brian G. Grissler […]
Stryker’s Spine division has just launched its innovative Serrato pedicle screw. For those who attended the recent North American Spine Society (NASS) meeting in Orlando, the new design was prominently displayed in the booth. According to Stryker, “The Serrato pedicle screw is the first dual-thread screw with enhanced cutting flutes (serrations) that are designed to […]
New research from Australia is pointing towards answers to the question, “Exactly how will a given patient respond to treatment for low back pain?” Their study, “Who Benefits Most from Individualized Physiotherapy or Advice for Low Back Disorders? A Preplanned Effect Modifier Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial,” appears in the November 1, 2017 edition […]
Improve patient compliance and save time and money…that’s the goal of the latest device from Claris Healthcare, based in Vancouver, Canada. The new device is Claris Reflex and it helps orthopedic practices monitor patient recovery after total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. According to the company, “Designed specifically for patients aged 65+, Claris Reflex is a […]
Bob Lay, a professional with over 20 years of experience in finance and operations, is the new Chief Operating Officer of AlloSource. “The Chief Operating Officer role at AlloSource is critical to creating the cellular and tissue products surgeons need to help restore mobility in more patients,” said Thomas Cycyota, AlloSource president and chief executive […]
Physical therapy is challenging enough without scheduling hassles. Now, New York City’s Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and its Global Innovation Institute (GII) have established a partnership with a new digital physical therapy (PT) platform, BetterPT that should make things a bit easier. According to HSS, “BetterPT is a digital resource and platform that builds […]
Dr. Wilde has joined OrthoArizona as a Foot and Ankle Hospitalist. He will provide acute foot and ankle care within the hospital systems in the East Valley.
Don’t mix multiple antiseptics when irrigating a wound, says research…it could be toxic! Patients with prosthetic joint infection have a mortality risk more than double that of patients without such an infection and Troy Wilde joins OrthoArizona.
Dr. Wolf has joined Bluetail Medical Group, based in Chesterfield, Missouri. He is a sports medicine and regenerative orthopedic specialist.
San Diego-based NuVasive, Inc., has always been one of the more innovative companies in the spine industry and, at October’s annual meeting of the North American Spine Society (NASS), their booth showed the rise of expandables, new materials and systems in the company’s portfolio of surgeon solutions. “Now more than ever, NuVasive is expanding our […]
Jennifer Mitzner, recent senior vice president and CFO of St. Joseph Hoag Health, is the new CEO of Hoag Orthopedic Institute (HOI) in Irvine, California. Mitzner will succeed Dr. Carlos Prietto, a founding partner and practicing orthopedic surgeon at HOI who was acting as Interim CEO. As Dr. Prietto said in the November 6, 2017 […]
Some post-surgical knee patients at the Campbell Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee, will have another pain management option going forward. That’s because the clinic is now enrolling patients in a clinical trial to study the effect of the iovera° system, a non-opioid, non-systemic treatment that blocks pain signals from peripheral nerves in knee arthroplasty patients. Fremont, […]
Orlando, Florida-based 4WEB Medical has announced the results of a new study demonstrating reduced subsidence for its Lateral Spine Truss System (LSTS) as compared to annular interbody implant designs at the recent annual meeting of the North American Spine Society. The study was led by Vijay Goel, Ph.D. at the University of Toledo. According to […]
A new, prospective, comparative, multi-center study sponsored by Israeli based Mazor Robotics Ltd provides quantitative evidence that robotic assist devices like the Mazor system, can reduce complications five-fold and revision surgeries seven-fold. Mazor, which has a strategic distribution agreement with Medtronic Spine, announced the results of this significant new study on October 25. According to […]
There are new faces around the table of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) these days…the Board has just selected its 2017-2018 Officers and elected two new Directors-Elect.
San Diego, California-based NuVasive, Inc. has launched its Modulus XLIF titanium implants. According to NuVasive’s October 18, 2017 news release, “The new 3D-printed, fully porous device provides a differentiated offering for the company’s flagship XLIF [lateral lumbar interbody fusion] procedure, highlighting a continued commitment to innovation in developing first-of-its-kind technology to support its leading lateral […]
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. has announced the U.S. launch of its Avenue T TLIF Cage. As the company wrote in its news release, “Avenue T advances posterior lumbar cage technology by incorporating VerteBRIDGE plating, which facilitates simplified cage insertion and zero-profile, intradiscal fixation through a direct, minimally invasive surgical (MIS) approach.” “Avenue T is the […]
Medacta International, headquartered in Castel San Pietro, Switzerland, has announced the introduction of a new cementless stem called the MiniMAX Hip. As the company wrote in its October 12, 2017 news release, the MiniMAX is “an anatomical cementless stem that is engineered to provide enhanced fit and fill in the metaphyseal femur by following the […]
Matthew Miller growing market share and more as a new VP at Atlas Spine. HSS research finds the incidence of myocardial ischemia higher than expected. New hip OA study finds dose recommendations from ACSM are critical when it comes to assigning exercise therapy.
Let the European marketing begin…spine and knee company Implanet, based near Bordeaux, France, has announced the receipt of CE regulatory clearance to market the new JAZZ Passer, a product devoted to posterior fixation in spine surgery. Ludovic Lastennet, CEO of Implanet, said in the October 19, 2017 news release. “This innovation will accelerate the adoption […]
Dr. Hsu is a foot and ankle specialist and has joined University Orthopedics, a practice based in Rhode Island.
Exton, Pennsylvania-based DSM Biomedical has announced a new partnership with Cerapedics, Inc. to develop and manufacture a new peptide enhanced bone graft. Cerapedic’s i-FACTOR Peptide Enhanced Bone Graft, which is based on the biological activity of the synthetically derived 15-amino acid peptide found naturally in type I human collagen, was the winner of the Best […]
Ron Tavlin has been named the first-ever Vice President, Business Development at Mazor Robotics Ltd. Tavlin will report directly to Ori Hadomi, Mazor’s Chief Executive Officer. The company is based in Caesarea, Israel. “Last year, we began an effort to expand the use of Mazor’s core proprietary technology beyond our current indications to further develop […]
New research examines who is at risk for “typical” versus accelerated knee OA. A subset of lumbar prolapse patients are at risk for neurological problems. And researchers have created a sticky surgical sealant that is versatile and effective in demanding situations.
When Steve Meyer, M.D. decided not to commit suicide in 1995 he had no idea the extraordinary life he would give to others. After 45 trips to Tanzania, Dr. Meyer and his wife have sent 10,000 children to school, facilitated surgeries on over 1,000 individuals, and much more.
Given the confusing world of the internet, doctors are often left to contend with inaccurate or incomplete information brought to them by their patients. A team of Virginia researchers set out to clarify what kind of information patients are accessing and how doctors can proceed. “Patient Perceptions and Current Trends in Internet Use by Orthopedic […]
In a retrospective study of 550 amputees, the largest such study to date, researchers from Hanger Clinic, based in Austin, Texas, have advanced evidence-based care for amputees. The results of their study in lower limb amputees, known as the Mobility Analysis of Amputees (MAAT I), measured the correlation of mobility to quality of life and […]
Over 2,000 patients have spoken…or at least their condyles have. New research from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York indicates that condyle-specific matching for osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) is not especially helpful. Their work, “Condyle-Specific Matching Does Not Improve Midterm Clinical Outcomes of Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation in the Knee,” appears in the October […]
DePuy Synthes has launched the first 3D simulation-assisted orthopedic external circular fixation device for limb deformity patients. As the company wrote in its October 11, 2017 news release, “Unlike other computer-assisted external circular fixation systems, the MAXFRAME System’s 3D planning software creates accurate patient treatment plans using advanced algorithms, which eliminates the need for manual […]
South Louisiana has lost an icon of orthopedic excellence. Richard E. Robichaux, Jr., M.D., known by friends as “Dickie,” passed away on October 17, 2017 at the age of 65. Dr. Robichaux is survived by his wife, Denise D. Robichaux; daughters, Estelle S. Robichaux, Emily M. Robichaux and husband, Joe Guinan; and Eugenie R. Rogers […]
Ontario-based Intellijoint Surgical has announced the approval of the CE Mark (Conformité Européenne) for its intellijoint HIP System in Europe. As noted in the company’s October 4, 2017 news release, “A 3D Mini-Optical Navigation System, intellijoint HIP provides surgeons with precise measurements for cup position, leg length and offset for Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA). Requiring […]
In a new retrospective cohort study from New York, researchers teased out the question of whether a patient’s socioeconomic status affects treatment outcomes when caring for patients who have tibial plateau fractures. The study, “Race and Ethnicity Have a Mixed Effect on the Treatment of Tibial Plateau Fractures,” was published in the October 3, 2017 […]
Dr. Krohn is a rheumatologist who specializes in non-surgical management of knee osteoarthritis, fracture healing, and complex metabolic bone diseases.
Dr. Podesta, a sports medicine and regenerative orthopedic specialist, has joined the Bluetail team and will spearhead its new office in Naples, Florida.
Thomas Cycyota, president and chief executive officer of Centennial, Colorado-based AlloSource, has been honored with the Jeanne C. Mowe Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB). AlloSource provides cartilage, bone, skin, soft-tissue and cellular allografts for use in surgical procedures and wound care. Cycyota has served as the president and chief […]
Reno, Nevada-based Orthopaedic Implant Company (“OIC”) has just launched the OIC External Fixation System at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association in Vancouver. “External fixators are one of the most expensive devices in use today. Furthermore, they provide provisional fixation which means additional device expenses follow. Helping alleviate these costs will have […]
A system invented by a surgeon at The Johns Hopkins Hospital uses a real-time, image-guided robot to insert pedicle screws into a patient’s spine. “We are really excited to be able to offer this to our patients,” says Nicholas Theodore, M.D., professor of neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and director of […]
University of Hong Kong researchers are advancing our understanding of the etiology of spinal stenosis. OA Study: intra-articular corticosteroid injections give less pain, better function…for some. UK researchers find that Cognitive Task Analysis furthers surgical training.
New research from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess and Weill Cornell Medical College/Presbyterian Hospital adds more support for tranexamic acid (TXA) for orthopedic trauma patients. Their work, “Tranexamic Acid in Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery: A Meta-Analysis,” appears in the Ocotber 2017 edition of The Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma. Elizabeth […]
Dr. Willem Zeegers was a pioneer of total disc replacement (TDR)/artificial disc replacement (ADR). He has passed away at the age of 72.
Horsham, Pennsylvania-based Flower Orthopedics has two important additions to its extensive line of Ready-for-Surgery kits—an instrument kit and Headless Compression Screws. “With these latest additions to our portfolio, we continue our commitment to establish the most comprehensive offering of sterile, surgical, efficiency-based products, producing cost savings for our partners,” said Oliver Burckhardt, president and chief […]
You just don’t hear about as many options for orthopedic oncology as you do for spine, hips, etc. But Parsippany-based Onkos Surgical, Inc. is changing that. The company has just announced that it is launching a new service platform focused on preoperative surgical planning called Precision Oncology. The company showcased the new platform at the […]
Israel-based Augmedics has announced that it has received $8.3 million in Series A funding to complete its augmented-reality visualization system. AO Invest, which is fully funded by the non-profit AO Foundation, was the lead investor; as Israeli Innovation Authority, Terra Venture Partners and other undisclosed investors also participated. As the company wrote in its September […]
Two marketers are better than one…JointPoint, Inc., based in Belleair Bluffs, Florida, has signed an exclusive agreement with DePuy Synthes to co-market its intraoperative software platform. As the company indicated in its September 25, 2017 news release, “JointPoint integrates easily into the Direct Anterior Approach hip replacement technique.” “With over 1,000 cases completed over the […]
Study: it’s imperative to manage comorbidities in order to boost outcomes. Oxford Phase 3 UKA holds its own against TKA. And the Anand Spine Group is one of 30 centers selected to evaluate the TOPS System for degenerative Grade I spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis.
Mazor Robotics has announced the first international PROlat case, performed by Associate Professor Wicharn Yingsakmongkol, M.D. in Bangkok, Thailand. As the company wrote in its September 18, 2017 news release, “PROlat is a single-position solution for placing pedicle screws and other spinal hardware in the lateral decubitus position with the Renaissance Guidance System.” “Lateral approaches […]
The Leon Root, M.D. Motion Analysis Laboratory (LRMAL) at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has received full accreditation by the Commission for Motion Laboratory Accreditation (CMLA). According to the September 28, 2017 HSS news release, “It is the first motion analysis laboratory in New York and the 11th in the U.S. to earn this distinction […]
Workplace violence isn’t getting any better. Past OTA president Paul Tornetta, M.D. and corporate security expert Bryan Warren detail the situation and what needs to change for healthcare workers to be safe.
TranS1, a Denver-based spine innovation company, has announced a partnership with CU (Colorado University) Innovations and Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus to develop innovative spinal implant products. “It’s a remarkable demonstration of forward thinking and adaptability by CU Innovations to leverage the strengths and resources of local industry partners, and […]
Chad Kolean, a 25-year veteran of the bioscience industry, is the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Mequon-Wisconsin-based Titan Spine, LLC. As the company wrote in its September 12, 2017 news release, “Prior to joining Titan, Mr. Kolean served as the CFO for Cellectar Biosciences, a life sciences company, where he drove a management restructuring […]
It’s cheaper…and prettier than other options…Zipline Medical, Inc., based in Campbell, California, has announced results from an economic study which was presented at the recent Knee Society Members Meeting. The study, which was unveiled at the recent meeting by Roger Emerson, M.D. of the Texas Center for Joint Replacement in Plano, Texas, provided evidence that […]
ManaMed Inc., based in Santa Ana, California, is pleased to announce that its first FDA-approved portable and tubeless DVT (deep vein thrombosis) prevention device is now available throughout the United States. “We at ManaMed are thrilled that our innovative PlasmaFlow DVT prevention device is available to help mitigate the risk to 600,000-plus new cases of […]
Össur, headquartered in Iceland, has launched its latest bracing technology: Unloader One Lite. As the company says in its October 2, 2017 news release, this brace “…is specifically intended for patients suffering from mild-to-moderate knee pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA) and degenerative meniscal tears.” “Össur’s Unloader brand is synonymous with osteoarthritis knee bracing because we […]
Manipulating the gut microbiome can help obese patients with OA. Patients receiving OCAs pretreated with autogenous BMC showed better bone integration and faster recovery. New postop spine anesthesia decreases and/or eliminates need for narcotics.
Miami-based TissueTech Inc. has announced that it has been awarded four patents by the U.S. Patent Trademark Office. As the company wrote in its September 15, 2017 news release, “Two of the patents cover methods of promoting bone formation and the others cover methods for lyophilizing and sterilizing placental tissue.” “TissueTech continues to maintain its […]
The belly button may not seem to be a dynamic participant in the workings of the body. It has a new life purpose, however, thanks to a visionary entrepreneur and a talented spine surgeon. Raymond Cloutier is founder and president of NovApproach Spine, LLC. Seven years ago he attended a meeting where he observed a […]
The foot and ankle experts at Englewood, Colorado-based Paragon 28 have announced the expansion of the company’s Baby Gorilla 5th Metatarsal Plating System. As the company wrote in its September 21, 2017 news release, “The Baby Gorilla 5th Metatarsal Plating System includes multiple styles of hook plates as well as non-hooked compression style plates specifically […]
NuVasive, Inc. is trying to bring down the level of radiation exposure in the operating room (OR), and has just announced the commercial launch of its LessRay software technology system. “The launch of LessRay (Winner of OTW’s Best Technology in Spine 2015) is a significant milestone for NuVasive, as we begin to sell capital equipment […]
Dosing with warfarin (Coumadin) is not always clear. A new study, however, has found that genetic testing can help determine the safest dose of the blood thinner warfarin, with fewer side effects, in patients undergoing joint replacement surgery. Their work, “Genetics Informatics Trial (GIFT) of Warfarin to Prevent Deep Venous Thrombosis: Benefit of Pharmacogenetic Dosing,” […]
To what extent can computed tomography (CT) be used to determine bone quality? And what is the relationship between dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and diagnostic CT? A team of researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic and New York Presbyterian Hospital joined forces to dig into these topics. Their work, “Opportunistic Use […]
Quebec City-based Bodycad has announced that the first personalized restoration procedures using its Unicompartmental Knee System in patients have been successfully performed. “The personalized restoration enabled me to perform the procedure in an exact manner with minimal bone resection,” said Brian Hamlin, M.D., co-director of the Bone and Joint Center of Magee-Womens Hospital of University […]
University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers are priming the immune system to fight soft-tissue sarcomas, combining two immunotherapy drugs with radiation therapy to stimulate the immune system to destroy the main tumor and tiny, leftover cancer cells that may cause additional tumors to grow. Vincent Y. Ng, M.D., an assistant professor of orthopedics at […]
Novel app empowers patients to track their symptoms and research participation. Research shows that the state of other affected major joints and spine should be assessed and documented before hip surgery. And a study from New Zealand finds that periprosthetic joint infection is the #1 culprit in primary TKA failure…out to 15 years.
OrthoArizona, with more than 70 physicians in 25 Phoenix metropolitan area locations, has announced that it has added four new specialists to its orthopedic team.
Artoss, Inc. has announced that the full line of NanoBone Bone Graft products is available through a Defense Acquisition Purchasing Agreement (DAPA) with the Prime Vendor, Owens & Minor. This agreement means that surgeons in any U.S. Department of Defense healthcare facility can purchase NanoBone Bone Graft. Paul Byerley, managing director of Artoss, the exclusive […]
Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. has launched the Persona Partial Knee System, the latest addition to its portfolio of personalized and anatomically designed knee implant systems. “The global introduction of the Persona Partial Knee System is the combined Company’s first major product launch and fills a significant gap in our knee portfolio,” said Daniel Florin, Interim […]
EOS imaging, headquartered in Paris, France, is set to introduce a new version of spineEOS, the company’s online 3D planning software for spine surgery. As the company wrote in its September 5, 2017 news release, “spineEOS is the first software to incorporate biomechanical patient data into treatment simulation and planning to help physicians optimize the […]
Dr. Dare is a fellowship trained orthopedist specializing in sports medicine and shoulder surgery.
“Big data” study defines the rate of repeat discectomy surgery. Investigators find that the New Knee Society score is interchangeable with WOMAC. And in ream-and-run surgery, medialization did not have a negative impact on short-term results.
San Diego-based NuVasive, Inc. has announced the expansion of its San Diego global headquarters and creation of an innovation center of excellence. Surgeons from around the globe will be able to visit the center to train on the latest NuVasive spine technology and procedures. As the company wrote in its August 29, 2017 news release, […]
Bordeaux, France-based Implanet has announced the publication of a White Paper that, as the company wrote in its September 5, 2017 news release, highlights the JAZZ System’s “safety and efficacy in the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis.” Entitled “How to optimize axial correction without altering thoracic sagittal alignment in hybrid constructs with sublaminar bands: description of […]
Karl Neuberger has taken the helm at Millstone Medical Outsourcing, headquartered in Fall River, Massachusetts. As the company wrote in its September 12, 2017 news release, “Most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer, Karl began his career at Millstone as Vice President, Operations of Millstone’s Olive Branch, Mississippi loaner kit and distribution facility. “Karl has […]
Atlanta-based Resurgens Orthopaedics has recently added seven physicians, bringing its total number of orthopedic surgeons to 102.
NuVasive, Inc. has announced the acquisition of Vertera Spine. Gregory T. Lucier, chairman and CEO of NuVasive, commented to OTW, “NuVasive is continually looking for strategic acquisitions and partnership opportunities. With this acquisition, NuVasive now has the industry’s leading offering of innovative porous interbody material technologies across both PEEK and titanium.” As the company wrote […]
A new clinical trial has shown how a bone tumor known as osteoid osteoma can be safely and successfully treated using an incisionless surgery method called magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU). Physicians from the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C. have published their work, “Comparison […]
Todd Albert, M.D. is surgeon-in-chief and medical director and Korein-Wilson Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York. Dr. Albert, president-elect of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), knows that as a surgeon, it’s good to control what you can control. One way of doing this that incorporates the value of […]
J.W. Thomas Byrd, M.D. and Tania A. Ferguson, M.D. have joined their talents and experience and formed the Nashville Hip Institute (formerly known as Nashville Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center). As the Nashville Hip Institute wrote in its September 6, 2017 news release, “…She [Dr. Ferguson] launched her career under the tutelage of two of […]
Scientists at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have found that an existing drug candidate blocks abnormal protein signals and is a promising step toward creating the first pharmacologic treatment for hereditary multiple exostoses (HME). In an August 29, 2017 news release, CHOP said, “HME causes multiple, disabling bone outgrowths (called exostoses or osteochondromas) and skeletal […]
Medacta International, based in Castel San Pietro, Switzerland, is known for its training and support of surgeons. Now, the company and the Medacta Orthopaedic Research and Education (M.O.R.E.) Institute have announced the 250the M.O.R.E. AMIS (Anterior Minimally Invasive Surgery Learning Center). The event, to be held September 15-16, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois, will be followed […]
Dr. McKee, a trauma and upper extremity surgeon, has joined the Arizona-based CORE Institute’s Orthopedic and Spine Institute.
MicroPort Orthopedics, based in Arlington, Tennessee, has launched its Procotyl Prime Acetabular Cup System. “At MicroPort Orthopedics, we embrace the constant advance in orthopedic medicine, and have a deep commitment to creating products that make patients’ lives better,” said company President Aurelio Sahagun, in the company’s August 29, 2017 news release. “The Procotyl Prime Acetabular […]
Invibio Biomaterial Solutions, based in Thornton Cleveleys, UK, was pleased to see the latest strong showing of PEEK (polyetheretherketone) at the recent International PEEK Meeting in Washington, D.C. According to the company’s August 29, 2017 news release, the meeting, “…highlighted the increasing adoption of PEEK implants in clinical practice as well as the material’s established […]
Strong association found between osteoarticular infection by K kingae and its presence in the throat of young children. Pain and injury mechanisms point toward clinically distinct OA phenotypes. New data show exercise frequency matters when it comes to preventing low back pain.
Exactech, Inc. has announced that the new Truliant Knee System’s surgical instrumentation has been honored with bronze award in the 2017 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA). The annual event is sponsored by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). As the company wrote in its August 21, 2017 news release, “The designs embody Exactech’s brand […]
What happens to cartilage development if there is no pressure such as gravity or mechanical loading? University of Missouri bioengineers have found out. According to their new study, “Comparison of Simulated Microgravity and Hydrostatic Pressure for Chondrogenesis of hASC,” microgravity may inhibit cartilage formation. Their work was published in Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance. “Cartilage […]
A practice is born…and it’s a big one. Actually, the newly created Orthopedic Centers of Colorado (OCC), created from seven existing practices, is the largest orthopedic practice in the state. OCC encompasses 56 orthopedic physicians in 19 offices. The seven practices coming together as Orthopedic Centers of Colorado, LLC are: Advanced Orthopedic & Sports Medicine […]
Dr. Samad is an orthopedic spine surgeon specializing in scoliosis, complex revisions and adult spinal reconstruction cases.
gSource, LLC, based in Emerson, New Jersey, has announces the opening of an Instrument Repair Center located within their company headquarters. The gSource Repair Center offers instrument sharpening, spring and screw replacement and refurbishing repair services to ensure quality performance during the entire life of an instrument. Highly skilled in-house repair technicians will expertly sharpen, […]
Mequon, Wisconsin-based Titan Spine is on a roll, recently announcing that it continues its strong revenue acceleration for the second quarter of 2017. According to the company’s August 2, 2017 news release, this success is driven by the increasing demand for the company’s nanoLOCK surface technology. The company reported that more than 50,000 Endoskeleton interbody […]
SI-BONE, Inc. has announced that Highmark, Inc., the nation’s 4th largest Blue Cross and Blue Shield-affiliated insurer, has approved coverage—exclusively—for SI-BONE’s iFuse, MIS (minimally invasive surgery) SI (sacroiliac) joint fusion system. As the San Jose, California-based company wrote in its August 23, 2017 news release; “Based on the more than 50 peer-reviewed clinical studies and […]
Expanding Orthopedics Inc. (EOI), based in Or-Akiva, Israel, has announced that it has been granted two additional U.S. patents covering its expandable cage technology. Mark M. Levy, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon, founder and chief technology officer of EOI, said in the company’s August 14, 2017 news release, “These new patents recognize the innovation of our […]
Dr. Ricci is the new chief of the Combined HSS (Hospital for Special Surgery) /NYP (NewYork-Presbyterian) Orthopedic Trauma Service.
New study documents under-reporting of adverse events in orthopedics, the causes and a solution. UCLA researchers found that OREF funding leads, often, to later NIH funding. Go OREF! Finally, kudos to Brad Bruns, M.D. who was recognized by The Phoenix Business Journal as 2017’s Healthcare Hero.
Fortunately for those suffering from low back pain (LBP), a team of researchers has just published work that discloses a novel imaging biomarker which is found inside the spinal disc, called the UTE (Ultra-Short Time-to-Echo) Disc Sign (UDS) on MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). The marker was found to be highly correlated to degenerative spine changes, […]
St. Louis-based spinal implant supplier, CoreLink LLC, has just announced the release of the Scaltoff Wire, a patent pending, stackable guide wire for its Entasis Sacroiliac Joint (SI) Fusion System. The convertible length wire enables constant control during drilling, tapping, and insertion steps yet can be quickly shortened to accommodate the C-arm in lateral view […]
Mayo Clinic researchers in Rochester, Minnesota, have found that targeting senescent cells—aging cells—led to an increase in bone mass and strength. The findings, titled “Targeting cellular senescence prevents age-related bone loss in mice” appear online in the August 21, 2017 edition of Nature Medicine. “While we know from previous work that the accumulation of senescent […]
AOFAS has just marked its 16th annual volunteer trip to Vietnam. Researchers have developed a new, improved method of risk stratification in OP TJA settings. And the grapefruit (yes, grapefruit) shows researchers that it is a viable alternative arthroscopic training model.
Is tourniquet use during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) de riguer? Time to re-think that, says new research. The study, “Use of a Tourniquet in Total Knee Arthroplasty Causes a Paradoxical Increase in Total Blood Loss,” appeared in the August 16, 2017 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Harold Rees, M.D., co-author on […]
Is it “back to the operating room” if you use barbed sutures in primary TKA (total knee arthroplasty)? That’s what researchers from Dartmouth and the University of Texas at Austin sought to determine. The research, “Are Barbed Sutures Associated With 90-day Reoperation Rates After Primary TKA?” appears in the August 11, 2017 edition of Clinical […]
Since 1991—and again this year—the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) has been named as the number one in rehabilitation in the U.S. News & World Report! “Inspired by our patients, we have led the evolution of physical medicine and rehabilitation for more than a quarter century, pursuing innovation and breakthroughs with relentless […]
Lane Hale, who has been in the medical device industry since 2005, has been named the new President and Chief Executive Officer of ECA Medical Instruments, located in Thousand Oaks, California. As the company wrote in its August 9, 2017 news release, “Hale joins ECA from Surgical Frontiers, where he was Executive Vice President and […]
Rajesh (Raj) J. Asarpota, recently chief financial officer (CFO) of Questcor Pharmaceuticals, is the new executive vice president and CFO at NuVasive, Inc. (effective September 1, 2017). As the company wrote in its August 15, 2017 news release, “Asarpota will be responsible for the company’s global finance functions including accounting, FP&A, treasury and tax. He […]
Homing in on a specific surgery, physicians from the University of Iowa embarked on a study examining opioid use in rotator cuff patients. The article, “Opioid Consumption After Rotator Cuff Repair,” appears in the August 2017 edition of Arthroscopy. Brian Wolf, M.D., M.S., co-author on the study and orthopedic surgeon with the University of Iowa, […]
There is another option for severe, unstable and comminuted distal radius fractures, says new work published in the August 2017 edition of Clinical Biomechanics. The study was entitled, “Radiographic evaluation of acute distal radius fracture stability: A comparative cadaveric study between a thermo-formable bracing system and traditional fiberglass casting.” The thermo-formable bracing system used in […]
“Fourteen days of etoricoxib 60 mg improves pain, hyperalgesia and physical function in individuals with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial,” was the title of a new study published online in the August 1, 2017 edition of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage. The study enrolled 80 community-recruited volunteers with painful knee osteoarthritis (OA) who were randomly assigned […]
Vertera Spine has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its COALESCE Lumbar Interbody Fusion Device for use in anterior, transforaminal, posterior, and lateral lumbar interbody fusion procedures. As the company wrote in its July 25, 2017 news release, “COALESCE features Vertera Spine’s novel proprietary porous PEEK [Polyether ether ketone] biomaterial and is the second porous PEEK […]
To what degree can surgeons truly know which patients will benefit from total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA)? New multicenter research says, essentially, not so much. “Do Surgeon Expectations Predict Clinically Important Improvements in WOMAC Scores After THA and TKA?” appears in the September 2017 edition of Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. […]
Cathy Limina has stepped down from her role as Chief Operating Officer at OrthoWorx in Warsaw, Indiana and will return to private industry. Brad Bishop, OrthoWorx’s executive director, is now leading the organization and is working with the board of directors to determine future staffing requirements. “Cathy has an opportunity to return to the orthopedic […]
Cathy Limina has stepped down from her role as Chief Operating Officer at OrthoWorx in Warsaw, Indiana and will return to private industry. Brad Bishop, OrthoWorx’s executive director, is now leading the organization and is working with the board of directors to determine future staffing requirements. “Cathy has an opportunity to return to the orthopedic […]
Arthroscopy…approach with caution in any hip dysplasia patients, advises a new study appearing in the July 31, 2017 edition of the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. The work, “Multi-centered Comparison of Patient Reported Outcomes After Hip Arthroscopy Alone versus Combined Hip Arthroscopy and Peri-acetabular Osteotomy in Patients with Acetabular Dysplasia,” reported prospective data on 91 […]
Trauma and deformity surgeons should be especially careful to gear up against radiation exposure, says new work from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York. The research, “Tracking Cumulative Radiation Exposure in Orthopaedic Surgeons and Residents: What Dose Are We Getting?” appears in the August 2, 2017 edition of The Journal of Bone and […]
Based on an innovative technology from Yale University which has shown promise to grow nerve fibers naturally and restore all facets of nerve function, a new company, ReNetX Bio (formerly known as Axerion Therapeutics), has been launched. ReNetX Bio is focused on providing physicians with a novel treatment for central nervous system injuries. Its inaugural […]
Spine surgeons aren’t the problem when it comes to opioids, says a new study. Have TKA later in the week, have more issues! New research says, “Remove hip fracture patients from bundled payments.”
Mike Lobinsky and Pierre Schwich have come on board at Paris, France-based EOS imaging, with Lobinsky taking on the position of President, North America and Schwich assuming the position of chief financial officer (CFO). The company wrote in its July 18, 2017 news release, “Lobinsky has formerly served as U.S. Vice President, Sales and Implementation […]
On July 3, 2017, the FDA cleared Osseus Corporation’s new cervical interbody hybrid composition implant which incorporates rough, porous titanium with the radiolucent and biomechanical properties of PEEK. The newly commercialized implant is indicated for intervertebral body fusion procedures in skeletally mature patients with degenerative disc disease at one or two contiguous levels within the […]
Brandon Beckendorf, formerly of OsteoMed and Arthrex, Inc., is the new Director of Engineering at Shelton, Connecticut-based Orchid Design. Beckendorf will oversee the development of orthopedic and spine products for Orchid’s customers. As the company writes in its July 25, 2017 news release, “Brandon comes to Orchid with strong product development experience in extremities, craniomaxillofacial, […]
The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) has announced the publication of the 2016 Report to the Public About Hip and Knee Replacements, the first-ever patient summary of the clinical data available in its Annual Report. “Spearheaded by members of our Public Advisory Board, this report was developed to share what we are learning about hip […]
Research suggests that surgeons who do an upper extremity fellowship are less likely to inadvertently harvest the median nerve. A new Rothman study finds that patients undergoing THA outpatient or inpatient should have equivalent results…if certain guidelines are followed. And HSS researchers recently looked at hip fractures in patients on warfarin and time to surgery.
Known as a gentleman farmer, Dr. Accettola was a former educator and leading orthopedic surgeon.
Dr. Strauss was chief of Orthopaedic Trauma and Adult Reconstruction from 1984 to 2013 at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
Justin Irizarry, co-founder and chief financial officer of OrthoNOW, has won the South Florida Business and Wealth Magazine annual Up & Comer Award in the healthcare category. Irizarry, a graduate of Cornell University who then went on to earn an M.B.A. from Wharton, began his career on Wall Street as a vice president at Scott-Macon, […]
WishBone Medical, Inc., a pediatric orthopedic company based in Warsaw, Indiana, has announced the official launch of the Exact Osteotomy System (EOS). The Exact Osteotomy System provides precise and repeatable osteotomies for all types of pediatric orthopedic surgery. According to WishBone’s July 25, 2017 news release, the first part of this system to be launched […]
Bernard R. Bach, Jr., M.D. has received a surprise—and exceptional—honor from the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine (AOSSM). Dr. Bach, an orthopedic surgeon at Rush University Medical Center (Rush) and past president of AOSSM, received the 2017 Robert E. Leach Sports Medicine Leadership award on Friday, July 21, 2017 during the AOSSM Annual Meeting […]
A new population-based study from Mayo Clinic has found that when it comes to osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions of the knee, there is a trend toward increased incidence in this condition in younger males, as well as a decrease in surgical management in females over the last 10 years. The study, “Incidence of symptomatic osteochondritis […]
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based Premia Spine, Ltd. has announced the launch of its FDA pivotal study of its new TOPS System. The first surgery was performed by Steven DeLuca, M.D. of the Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania. The new TOPS device has been in commercial use in Europe for over five years. “I am very pleased with the […]
Medacta International, based in Castel San Pietro, Switzerland, has announced that the company’s USA Spine Division had a strong growth period in the first quarter of 2017, and that they have introduced key new products. As the company wrote in its July 6, 2017 news release, “…the Medacta USA Spine Division nearly doubled its sales […]
Dr. Robert LaPrade has received a prestigious award from AOSSM for his PRP work. Study: research follow-up especially difficult with American males who smoke and drink lots of alcohol. In metal-on-poly, gait pattern is more critical for wear than component positioning.
Otto K. Stewart, M.D. passed away on July 20, 2017 at the age of 89.
Dr. Wickiewicz is an orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS).
Federico and Henley are two heavy hitters in the orthopedic and sports medicine industry.
While there is ample research indicating the ability of bone mineral density (BMD) and other risk factors to predict fracture, we now have evidence showing that a single measure of BMD can predict hip fracture for up to 25 years reasonably well. The study, “The Ability of a Single BMD and Fracture History Assessment to […]
At OrthoCarolina they walk the walk…and run…and lift weights. The Charlotte-based organization has been named the city’s Healthiest Employers by the Charlotte Business Journal for the second year in a row, in the category of 1,500-4,999 Employees. (OrthoCarolina has 1,600 employees.) OrthoCarolina’s score was also the highest overall for any company in any category in […]
Growing orthopedic competition in New York City these days…Mount Sinai has just opened the Orthopaedic Center at Mount Sinai West. According to Mount Sinai, this new facility, located at 425 West 59th Street, is the first of its kind on Manhattan’s West Side, with state-of-the-art equipment and exam rooms to enhance patient experience and care. […]
Mr. Grant has joined Spinal Simplicity, LLC as an Advisor and member of the company’s Board of Managers.
Even in today’s expensive research climate, $21 million can go a long way. Simplify Medical Pty Ltd, based in Sunnyvale, California, has announced the closing of a Series B financing of $21 million, with LSP (Life Sciences Partners) leading the round. There was additional investment from Sectoral Asset Management and returning investor M.H. Carnegie. The […]
MedShape, Inc. has announced the launch of the new DynaFrame CF (carbon fiber) Deployment System. The implant, manufactured out of carbon fiber-filled polyetheretherketone (PEEK), is a method for implanting the DynaNail TTC Fusion System. DynaNail is indicated for use in tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) fusion surgery. The company wrote in its July 11, 2017 news release, “Clinically […]
Nothing like an unplanned readmission to throw a wrench into the bundled payment mix. Now, researchers from Canada have established that an easy-to-use fall risk score can help facilitate appropriate discharge planning. The retrospective cohort study, “Fall Risk Score at the Time of Discharge Predicts Readmission Following Total Joint Arthroplasty,” was published in the July […]
AMNIOX Medical, Inc., a TissueTech, Inc. company, announced results from a clinical study of Cryopreserved Amniotic Membrane in lumbar microdiscectomy surgery. The study, led by D. Greg Anderson, M.D., of Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, found that pain decreased and function increased after the use of AMNIOX Medical’s CLARIX brand of amniotic membrane. Their work, “Cryopreserved […]
Bioventus, based in Durham, North Carolina, has announced that it will be expanding its novel patient performance assurance program for EXOGEN Ultrasound Bone Healing System to include delayed union and acute fractures. Under the Performance Program Bioventus will refund out-of-pocket expenses to patients with a nonunion for whom EXOGEN does not deliver improved fracture healing. […]
Intellirod Spine, based in Akron, Ohio, has told OTW that it has been awarded “just over $1 million” from new and existing investors led by the OhioHealth Innovation Development Fund and Queen City Angel First Fund V. “Funds will be used to reach key milestones toward the commercialization of the company’s sensor technologies and related […]
Cleveland Clinic study finds black men are most likely to undergo above AKA after TKA. Want normal knee motion? Achieve anatomic graft placement, says new research. A study from the Steadman Philippon Research Institute finds good results for FAI patients at 10 years following hip arthroscopy.
Emerging Implant Technologies GmbH (EIT), a medical device manufacturer based in Wurmlingen, Germany, announced that it has received clearance from the FDA to commercialize its spinal interbody product offerings for anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF), transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and cervical procedures. The novel aspect of the company’s offerings […]
Exactech, Inc., based in Gainesville, Florida, has announced that the company has had the first clinical use of its recently approved shoulder, knee and hip replacement systems in Japan. These surgeries coincide with the series of new product introductions the company has reported in the U.S. According to the June 22, 2017 company news release, […]
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc. recently released data on its investigational sustained release steroid—Zilretta—indicating that for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and Type 2 diabetes, Zilretta may avoid the rise in blood glucose seen with an immediate-release corticosteroid. Michael Clayman, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Flexion, told OTW, “Over four million U.S. patients get steroidal […]
A multidisciplinary panel of clinical experts has developed and released treatment protocol recommendations for three populations of patients suffering from hip osteoarthritis (OA). Nearly 20 OA experts from the U.S. and Canada participated in the two-day symposium, which was sponsored by Össur, headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland. The event was co-chaired by Katherine Dec, M.D. professor, […]
New research shows that orthopedic chairs decrease publication productivity while non-university chairs maintain it. The AJRR has won the ISAR “Best Poster Presentation,” for its research on joint infection in THA and TKA. And a new study indicates that screening criteria can identify patients who may only achieve minimal improvements after TJA.
Bioventus, headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, has announced that its full surgical orthobiologics portfolio is available through Premier, Inc., headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. According to a June 7, 2017 Bioventus news release, Premier is a health care improvement company serving more than 3,750 U.S. hospitals and more than 130,000 other provider organizations throughout the […]
How does race affect surgery outcomes? New study offers clues. Back surgery may have a greater effect on hip surgery than expected. Finally, new data on the extent of bacterial contamination in the OR. It’s surprising!
Mr. Jewett is the new Chief Executive Officer of Minneapolis-based Conventus Orthopaedics, Inc.
Atlanta-based Vertera Spine has announced that the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a new ICD-10 code for a radiolucent porous interbody fusion device, leaving Vertera’s COHERE Cervical Interbody Fusion Device as the only product approved for use with the new code. “The issuance of this new code signifies the unique […]
Altus Spine, headquartered in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, has announced that the U.S. Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) has issued a new patent for Altus’ Imola Lateral IBF (interbody fusion) system. “The Imola System represents a unique advance in lateral access surgery with a one-step retractor-to-frame set up,” notes Charles Goodwin, M.D., associate attending surgeon at […]
Chicago-based Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) and Franciscan Health Munster in Indiana have entered into a co-management agreement. MOR will collaborate with the Franciscan Health Center for Joint Surgery at the Franciscan Health Munster hospital. According to the June 29, 2017 news release, “Denis Nam, M.D., a fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon, will serve as medical […]
Veterans are set to benefit from ChoiceSpine’s generosity. Lowry Barnes, M.D. has become the Carl L. Nelson, M.D., Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery at UAMS. And a survey of orthopedic surgeons in the developing world finds great needs in the realm of acetabular and pelvic surgery.
Patricia Brewster and Kitchi Joyce, both of IntraHealth Group and OrthoAtlanta, have been appointed to leadership positions within the American Alliance of Orthopaedic Executives Board of Directors, its Council and Committee Chairs.
Israeli spine technology company Expanding Orthopedics Inc. (EOI) received the CE (European Conformity) mark for FLXfit 15, its next generation expandable spinal cage. Notably, FLXfit 15 expands up to 4mm and gives the surgeon the ability to control lordosis correction of up to 15 degrees. There are two linear length options; a 40mm and a […]
New studies are raising the alarm that physician burnout, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a sense of reduced personal accomplishment, has reached epidemic levels. Treating it has SO many benefits, it’s unfathomable why every hospital and clinic doesn’t immediately address this issue.
Large numbers of patients are misunderstanding and even altering their pain medication regimen. Rothman Institute expands, partnering with Capital Health. And new research suggests that an increased number of cases may be needed for competency in arthroscopy.
ZipLine Medical, Inc., headquartered in Campbell, California, has a few more dollars to work with these days, announcing the completion of a $12 million Series E round of financing. Proceeds from the financing will be used to further worldwide commercialization activities for its Zip Surgical Skin Closure products, as well as development of advanced tools […]
Miami-based OrthoNOW, to date the only orthopedic urgent care franchise in the U.S., has just awarded its first Master Franchise Agreement in Michigan and simultaneously signed an Area Development Agreement in Augusta, Georgia. Alejandro Badia, M.D., a hand and upper extremity surgeon and co-founder of OrthoNOW, told OTW, “OrthoNOW has 54 Master territories available across […]
Level 1 trauma center finds that moderate drinkers have higher bone density than non-drinkers. Another study finds that early movement after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair can reduce recovery pain. And finally, lack of muscle mass is highly correlated with mortality following hip fractures in elderly patients.
CurveBeam LLC and Carestream Health have announced that they will work together to support and facilitate education and research for weight-bearing computed tomography (CT) imaging. CurveBeam is located in Warrington, Pennsylvania, and Carestream Health is based in Rochester, New York. “The ability to capture weight-bearing CT images allows foot and ankle specialists to study foot […]
PanMed U.S., based in Tampa, Florida, is announcing the launch of the CurvePlus, a curved kyphoplasty device. Commenting on their patent pending device in a June 8, 2017 news release, the company indicated, “…this new product allows for the simplest, quickest, most complete curved kyphoplasty procedure.” “A unipedicular approach is created and a curved needle […]
On the 15th anniversary of their SMR Modular Shoulder System, Lima Corporate announced the U.S. launch of Lima Personalized Surgical Instruments (LPSI) and SMR Bone Graft Instruments. Furthermore, according to Lima, the SMR is the first shoulder platform with 15 years of clinical follow up. “The SMR Modular Shoulder System [has been] on the market […]
Researchers from Stanford University have determined that we are way off base when it comes to accurate estimates of complication rates in total hip arthroscopy. Their study, “Complication Rates for Hip Arthroscopy Are Underestimated: A Population-Based Study,” was published in the June 2017 edition of Arthroscopy. Marc Safran, M.D. is an orthopedic surgeon with Stanford […]
AMB Surgical, based in Dayton, Ohio, has received an investment from the Accelerant Venture Capital Fund to further its development of its Flyte Automated Growing Rod. The amount of the investment was not disclosed. Tyson Ross, Ph.D., cofounder of AMB Surgical, told OTW, “The inspiration for the AMB Surgical II Flyte Automated Growing rod is […]
Thomas P. Sculco, M.D. has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from HSS. New trauma research establishes standards for low energy gunshot injuries to the extremities. And Hoag Orthopedic Institute is named a Modern Healthcare ‘Best Places to Work in Healthcare.’
VEXIM, a medical device company based in Toulouse, France, has just received the green light to commercialize SpineJack in Brazil. Approval came from ANVISA, Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency. SpineJack is indicated for reduction of spinal fractures resulting from osteoporosis, trauma fractures, malignant lesions myeloma or osteolitic metastasis. It is intended to be used in […]
Kornelis Poelstra, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and founder of The Spine Center of Excellence at Sacred Heart on the Emerald Coast in Destin, Florida, is the first surgeon to reach the milestone of 200 patient procedures using the newly launched Mazor X Surgical Assurance platform. According to a May 15, 2017 Mazor news release, “Dr. […]
Dr. Badia, co-founder and chief medical officer of OrthoNOW, surveyed the healthcare landscape, saw the signs, and set off in a new direction led by a determination to enhance patient care.
Ortho Carolina helps OpWalk in Cuba! Harvard finds ways to decrease variations in TKA cost. A new study finds that capsular repair decreases rate of conversion to hip replacement compared to unrepaired capsulotomy.
Dr. Adeoye is a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic sports medicine surgeon. He has joined Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine at Willowbrook, located in Northwest Houston.
No more plastic models and scribbled diagrams? Dublin-based 3D4Medical has released a suite of personalized orthopedic animations and remote patient consents which not only create a more informed patient but also speeds up the doctor patient consulting process. It’s called Complete Ortho. The app, a first of a series of new medical consultation apps from […]
As adults with cerebral palsy (CP) age, they develop arthritis and other musculoskeletal issues at a higher rate than adults without CP. Sadly, information related to diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal problems in the CP adult is virtually non-existent in the research community. A team of Mayo Clinic researchers in Rochester, Minnesota decided to step into […]
A new retrospective study led by Neal Anand, M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon with Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles, has examined outcomes for his new protocol for circumferential minimally invasive surgery (CMIS) in patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD). The results—Improved radiographic parameters and lower complication rates. The research team compared this new protocol […]
It could be the beginning of something exciting for United Orthopedic Corporation (UOC)! The company has just launched a primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) trial and enrolled its first patient. The study, “Prospective Post Approval Clinical Follow-Up Study of the Commercially Available U2 Knee System—’U Propel Study,’” is a prospective, single arm, multicenter, study that […]
To help advance care for the littlest orthopedic patients, the spine company NuVasive, Inc. recently announced the launch of a monthly podcast, MAGEC Matters, featuring interviews with leading pediatric deformity surgeons. “At NuVasive, we are not only passionate about the world-class innovation we are bringing to market to help improve pediatric spinal deformity, but we’re […]
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has announced that it will serve as the official hospital of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). “We are excited to partner with a world-class medical provider of HSS’ caliber,” UFC Chief Operating Officer Ike Lawrence Epstein said in the May 22, 2017 news release. “The health and safety of UFC athletes […]
Put together a hedge fund manager, a trip to Indonesia, and the drive to bring mobility to children around the globe…you have an amazing nonprofit known as A Leg to Stand On (ALTSO). Since its inception in 2002 ALTSO has brought orthopedic care and prosthetics to over 15,000 children around the world.
EOS imaging has announced the 50th installation of an EOS system in France at the Imanord medical imaging center in the Hôpital Privé Villeneuve d’Ascq, a member of the Ramsay Générale de Santé network, which is the largest private hospital group in France. In EOS’ May 2, 2017 news release, it states, “This new installation […]
Researchers from Mercy Health Osteoporosis and Bone Health Services in Cincinnati, Ohio; the Colorado Center for Bone Research at Centura Health in Lakewood, Colorado, and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, wanted to sort out the murky question of the role of teriparatide in the healing of atypical femur fractures. Their […]
When it comes to dual mobility total hip replacements, is it another “solve one problem, create another”? Researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and Weill Cornell Medical College, both in New York, have teamed up to examine if these popular devices are all that they are purported to be. Their research, “The Cost-Effectiveness of […]
When it comes to high-risk medical device, how safe is safe? How effective is effective? Researchers from the School of Medicine at the University of Missouri in Kansas City were determined to find out. Their research, “The Methodology of Clinical Studies Used by the FDA for Approval of High-Risk Orthopaedic Devices,” was published in the […]
Mr. Graubart has nearly 30 years of professional growth at high-profile spine companies, he is likely in a good position to guide professionalism in his new role.
CURASAN Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of curasan AG, has announced the first implantation of CERASORB Ortho Foam bone graft product, marking the debut on the U.S. orthopedic bone graft substitute market. As the company wrote in its May 11, 2017 news release, “CERASORB Ortho Foam was used in a challenging knee arthrodesis case performed by […]
Dr. Bradley has joined the Scientific Advisory Board of Intellijoint Surgical, a company based in Waterloo, Ontario.
The REAL cost of ACDF: disposables are a whopping 60% of the cost. A new study found that shifting PT hours gets patients moving shortly after surgery. And new work indicates that blood transfusions are linked to enormous increases in complications, tripling readmission rates.
They might be popping champagne at Titan Spine’s offices in Wisconsin and Germany these days. The company has achieved record sales revenue for the first quarter of 2017—and the company just exceeded 1,000 implantations of its Endoskeleton titanium interbody fusion devices featuring nanoLOCK surface technology. The company reports in its April 24, 2017 news release, […]
What determines the valgus cut angle (VCA) for total knee arthroplasty (TKA)? In the May 2017 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty, an international team of researchers has published their work exploring this issue. The work, undertaken by researchers from Israel, Iran, Canada, and the U.S., was entitled, “Patient’s Height and Hip Medial Offset Are […]
Pascale Davis, a veteran of the worldwide spine market, has been named Global Head of Marketing at French company Safe Orthopaedics.
Esteemed researcher Adele Ludin Boskey, Ph.D., Starr Chair in Mineralized Tissue Research at HSS, who devoted her intellectual energies to untangling the mysteries of musculoskeletal diseases, has passed away.
Dr. Castañeda has joined Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at New York University Langone Medical Center as its new chief of pediatric orthopedic surgery.
Mayo Clinic researchers have completed a 280 patient/393 metaphyseal sleeve study—the largest to date—of revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Their work, “Survivorship of Metaphyseal Sleeves in Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty,” (http://www.arthroplastyjournal.org/article/S0883-5403(16)30874-9/abstract) was published in May 2017 edition of The Journal of Arthroplasty. Mark Pagnano, M.D., chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic […]
Transparent bones means that researchers can peer inside and view active cells. New knee system reproduces movements, loading at the pace of a natural gait pattern and can IV Acetaminophen replace opioids?
Mr. Smith has been named Chief Executive Officer of Nashville, Tennessee, Artelon, says International Life Sciences, LLC.
Minneapolis, Minnesota-based VTI (Vertebral Technologies, Inc.) is announcing a partnership with the Turkish medical distribution company Medikon to distribute its InterFuse product line in Turkey. “We are excited to start working with Medikon, the company has been serving the Turkish spine surgeon community since 1995 with highly differentiated products and I’m convinced they will do […]
Researchers from the Spinal Biomechanics Lab at Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) in Phoenix, Arizona, walked away with the Best Basic Science Award at the recent meeting of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery. With an eye toward expanding the existing kinematic data, the scientists set out to explore the relationship between things […]
It’s not often that a natural history museum takes part in advancing our knowledge of hip conditions. But researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland have done just that. They “mined” the Hamann-Todd Museum at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in order to help improve treatment of hip osteoarthritis. Their work, “Decreased and […]
Spinal deformity surgery is a delicate matter…no need to make it more difficult by not doing what is possible to avoid potential pitfalls. New research from Mount Sinai in New York City finds several key factors which can either raise or lower the risk of hospital acquired conditions in spine deformity surgery. The study, titled […]
Researchers from Korea, the Netherlands, and the U.S. have explored what happens to joints when old (senescent) cells are cleared out. Using mice and human cells, researchers found that post-traumatic osteoarthritis (OA) was reduced. The April 26, 2017 Johns Hopkins Medicine news release states, “Senescent cells accumulate in tissues as we age and are a […]
Rothman Institute is breaking new ground in the region, with a push into New York. Take heart, orthopedic surgeons…study says PROMs are reliable. And treating pregnant patients is a multispecialty, complex effort.
Researchers from Duke University, CytexTherapeutics, Inc., Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL), and Shriners Hospitals for Children-St. Louis are taking arthritis treatment way into the future. Their work, “Genome Engineering of Stem Cells for Autonomously Regulated, Closed-Loop Delivery of Biologic Drugs,” was published online in the April 27, 2017 edition of Stem Cell Reports. The […]
Not so good news for patients who have a history of lumbar spinal fusion. New research indicates that these folks are at a higher risk of experiencing a total hip arthroplasty (THA) dislocation than individuals who have not undergone lumbar spinal fusion. The study, “Dislocation of a primary total hip arthroplasty is more common in […]
Surgeons…time to opine on new coverage recommendations from the North American Spine Society (NASS). You have until May 20, 2017 to comment on Allograft and Demineralized Bone Matrix for Spinal Fusion and Spinal Cord Stimulation. John A. Glaser, M.D., co-chair of the NASS Coverage Committee and orthopedic surgeon with the Medical University of South Carolina […]
Another top award for the researchers at Midwest Orthopedics at Rush in Chicago. They are the 2017 winner of the “Best Paper” award at the recently concluded meeting of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS). Their paper tackled the tough question of: does a higher ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) Score […]
Do you really need to aim for a straight limb when doing a total knee arthroplasty (TKA)? The jury is out, but researchers from the UK and France have new evidence that says “no.” Their work, “Does standing limb alignment after total knee arthroplasty predict dynamic alignment and knee loading during gait?” was published online […]
In a post-total joint arthroplasty (TJA) group of patients with no evidence of infection, what happened to the females versus the males as far as metal sensitivity? A new study from Chicago, “Females with Unexplained Joint Pain Following Total Joint Arthroplasty Exhibit a Higher Rate and Severity of Hypersensitivity to Implant Metals Compared with Males: […]
NuVasive, Inc. has just launched its RELINE Trauma portfolio and O.R. virtual reality (VR) simulation…and they recently showed these products off at a meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). “RELINE Trauma is the most versatile trauma system on the market,” said Jason Hannon, NuVasive’s president and chief operating officer, in the April […]
The 2017 Charles D Ray Award for Best Clinical Paper has been conferred upon Dr. Nunley and colleagues for their work on adjacent segment pathology.
Dr. Goldstein was recently named President of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery at the organization’s 2017 annual meeting in Boca Raton, Florida.
Matthew S. Austin, M.D. is director of Joint Replacement Services at Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, and a co-author on a new study indicating that patients don’t absolutely have to undergo formal physical therapy (PT) after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Their work, “Formal Physical Therapy After Total Hip Arthroplasty Is Not Required: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” […]
Mr. Varner is an international marketing specialist. He has joined Bioventus as Vice President of Marketing, Active Healing Therapies (AHT).
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has just released its new recommendations on the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip. AAOS: “strongly recommends the use of pre-surgical treatments to ease pain and improve mobility, including corticosteroid injections, physical therapy and non-narcotic medications. The new guidelines do not recommend the use of hyaluronic acid […]
Simplify Medical Inc.’s low-metal, low-wear Simplify cervical artificial disc has now been used in its first U.S. patient and it was placed in two adjacent levels of the spine as a treatment for cervical degenerative disc disease. The case took place at Texas Back Institute. According to the company, “The Simplify Disc is designed to […]
Two research teams are this year’s Leon Wiltse Award winners for the Best Overall Paper at the 2017 International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) conference. Pramod Sudarshan, M.S. and Sajan K. Hegde, M.S., spine surgeons at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai, India, were awarded the Leon Wiltse award for their paper entitled, “Use […]
“So if I have this hip replaced, what are the chances I will need the other hip done later on?” That is one of the questions that a team of Mayo Clinic researchers wanted to answer. Their study, “Subsequent Total Joint Arthroplasty After Primary Total Knee or Hip Arthroplasty: A 40-Year Population-Based Study,” was published […]
ConforMIS, Inc., headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, has announced results from the first study of its iTotal PS total knee replacement. The research, supported by ConforMIS, was presented in late March at the 2017 British Association for Surgery of the Knee (BASK) Annual Meeting in Southport, England. Scientists from The Center for Musculoskeletal Research at the […]
AAOS has a wealth of new talent to draw on. The organization has named specialists to various Boards and has named those in the presidential line.
The burden of femoral fractures in Africa is enormous. And because resources are so scarce, it is imperative that treating physicians have good data regarding what works and what doesn’t. Clinician-researchers from The University of California San Francisco (UCSF) embarked on an important project to nail down the facts. Their unusual study was recently published […]
There are three particularly interesting knee research projects underway at the Andrews Institute these days. Adam Anz, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, based in Gulf Breeze, Florida, is involved in each of the studies. For one study, Dr. Anz is working with the primary investigator (PI), Joshua […]
You’re in the OR, but not really…such is the magic of holographic technology. And Stryker Endoscopy is using it to a maximum degree. The company recently held the grand opening of its state-of-the-art Customer Experience Center in San Jose, California. Andy Pierce, president, Stryker’s Endoscopy division, told OTW, “With Stryker’s Endoscopy division’s Operating Room (OR) […]
There is a new powerhouse spine company in town…and it is the corporate marriage of Amendia and Spinal Elements. Hear what the leaders of both companies have to say about their direction, goals, and products.
Congratulations to Dr. Payson, the newest members of the Board of Directors of The CORE Institute.
Alert, sufferers of low back pain…and there are a lot of you. New research shows that spinal manipulation therapy may help improve pain and function. The benefits lasted up to six weeks, with temporary minor musculoskeletal issues. The study, “Association of Spinal Manipulative Therapy With Clinical Benefit and Harm for Acute Low Back Pain: Systematic […]
There is some good pain relief news from Minnesota-based Zyga Technology, Inc. The company, focused on the minimally invasive treatment of underserved conditions of the lumbar spine with SI joint fusion, has a new study which shows both strong evidence of successful fusion and pain relief. “The study evaluated 18 patients for radiographic evidence of […]
Does smoking mean that a total joint replacement (TJR) patient is more likely to be readmitted to the hospital or undergo a reoperation? Researchers from Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University wanted definitive answers. Their work, “Smoking Increases the Rate of Reoperation for Infection within 90 Days After Primary Total Joint Arthroplasty,” was published February […]
Orange County California’s Hoag Orthopedic Institute (HOI), just released its 2017 Outcomes Report. In it, readers can find information regarding HOI’s previous year’s surgical volumes, care quality metrics, infection and readmission rates, and patient satisfaction scores. HOI has performed the most joint replacements in California for five consecutive years. It has also had the lowest […]
Dr. Diefenbeck, founder of Scientific Consulting in Orthopaedic Surgery, has been appointed Chief Medical Officer at BONESUPPORT AB.
Will using technology to keep patients involved in rehab work? CyMedica Orthopedics, Inc. hopes so. The Scottsdale, Arizona based company has announced that it has enrolled its first patient in a clinical trial to test the effectiveness of a new app for post-operative knee rehabilitation. The app is called the e-vive neuro-muscular muscle activation/patient engagement […]
A medical team of healthcare providers from three of Charlotte, North Carolina’s largest healthcare organizations has received a $10,000 gift from Novant Health. Together, the Novant Health employee giving campaign, will help send Operation Walk Carolinas to Cuba in May to perform joint replacements. As indicated in the March 28, 2017 news release, “The funds […]
CBSET, Inc. a not-for-profit preclinical research institute based in Lexington, Massachusetts, has announced the publication of safety and efficacy data at one year showing that percutaneous intramedullary fixation can provide for stabilization of bone fractures while avoiding open surgery. Results of this study, entitled, “Biocompatibility, bone healing, and safety evaluation in rabbits with an IlluminOss […]
Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc., located in Haifa, Israel, has announced two senior executive appointments.
CollPlant Ltd, a regenerative medicine company based in Israel, is the manufacturer of a plant-based rhCollagen technology for tissue repair products. The company has recently announced the signing of new distribution and sales agreements, new product development, and joint ventures. According to the March 30, 2017 news release, CollPlant has signed an exclusive distribution agreement […]
Congratulations to Drs.,Wolfe, Queen, Dobbs, Malchau and their remarkable research teams for winning this year series of prestigious awards from the Orthopaedic Research and education Foundation. These are among the most sought after awards in orthopedics so it is with great pleasure that we recognize these leading scientists and their work.
Altus Spine, based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, has announced the FDA clearance of the Silverstone Titanium Interbody Fusion (IBF) System, an implant meant to help stabilize and support the vertebrae during fusion. As indicated in the March 17, 2017 news release, “The Silverstone Titanium IBF System is a simple, yet comprehensive, system that includes both […]
Chicago-based Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush will be hosting its 4th annual Workers Compensation Conference, Thursday, May 4, 2017. Those involved in workers’ compensation will have the chance to learn from experts on a wide range of related topics, including controlling costs, and impairment ratings. The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., […]
Onkos Surgical, Inc. based in Parsippany, New Jersey, has announced two new important partnerships—one with the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) as a 2017 Diamond Level Corporate Sponsor and the other with PatientIQ, a healthcare data, research and analytics technology company based in Chicago, Illinois. The MSTS is located in Rosemont, Illinois. “The MSTS is pleased […]
Exactech, Inc., based in Gainesville, Florida, recently held the full market launch of the Optetrak Logic CC revision knee system; Alteon monobloc revision femoral stem; Equinoxe humeral reconstruction prosthesis; and the InterSpace tapered wedge hip spacer at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). According to the March 14, 2017 news […]
When it comes to osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) does it matter if you are 25 or 45? Male or female? Rush researchers wanted to find out. Brian J. Cole, M.D. M.B.A., associate chairman and professor in the Department of Orthopedics at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush University Medical Center, was a co-author on the prospective study […]
New research published in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases has found that antibodies that work against the cartilage protein collagen II are associated with a good prognosis. The article was entitled, “Anticollagen type II antibodies are associated with an acute onset rheumatoid arthritis phenotype and prognosticate lower degree of inflammation during 5 years […]
When it comes to knee osteoarthritis (OA), says new research from Taiwan, HYAJOINT Plus topped Synvisc-One in pain reduction and stiffness scores at six months. The study, entitled, “Comparison of Single Intra-Articular Injection of Novel Hyaluronan (HYA-JOINT Plus) with Synvisc-One for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Trial of Efficacy and Safety,” was published in […]
Nemours Children’s Health System must be very pleased with EOS imaging, as it has acquired a third system for its little patients. The first two sales of the EOS system in the Nemours Children’s Health System were to Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and Nemours Children’s Specialty Care in Jacksonville, Florida. […]
William J. Maloney III, M.D., the chair of orthopedics at Stanford, is the new president of AAOS. Martha Shadan brings her skills and leadership to the AdvaMed Board of Directors. And new multicenter research is enhancing our ability to detect early changes in articular cartilage after an ACL injury.
MicroPort Orthopedics, Inc., headquartered in Arlington, Tennessee, has just launched the EVOLUTION Revision Tibial System and EVOLUTION BioFoam Tibia. “MicroPort Orthopedics continues to grow its product portfolio with a steady cadence of product launches,” said Aurelio Sahagun, president, MicroPort Orthopedics, in the April 5, 2017 news release. “These product launches demonstrate our commitment to help […]
It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it can be fatal…fluid extravasation (leakage) during hip arthroscopy. Published in the April 2017 edition of Arthroscopy, “Fluid Extravasation in Hip Arthroscopy: A Systematic Review,” takes a look at the commonalities between cases of fluid extravasation and what can be done. Olufemi Ayeni, M.D. is with the […]
Spinal Elements, Inc., based in Carlsbad, California, has announced the successful first implantations of its Lucent XP expandable interbody implant. According to the March 20, 2017 news release, “The Lucent XP System is an interbody device that can expand in height and increase in lordotic angle after it has been surgically implanted. The height expansion […]
A new study from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York, recently presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting, has found that while it pays to shop around, you might not be able to trust the results. The researchers, led by Anil Ranawat, M.D., senior investigator and sports medicine surgeon at […]
Three outstanding physicians have been recognized by AAOS for their contributions to diversity, leadership, and humanitarianism.
Medacta International, a family owned company headquartered in Castel San Pietro, Switzerland, has ramped up its partnership with the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF). While the two entities have worked together over the past two years, Medacta has now increased its support and will now match resident gifts two-to-one, up from its original commitment […]
Is that bone fully healed? Can the patient get up and walk around safely? Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, who presented their results at the 2017 meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, set out to lessen the subjectivity of bone healing during lengthening. Ettore Vulcano, […]
Wake up and hear this…Rush researchers have dug into a common complaint when it comes to life after total joint arthroplasty (TJR)—sleep problems. Apparently, we don’t know too much about this issue. Daniel D. Bohl, M.D. is with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and a co-author on the […]
The recent FDA reclassification of semi-rigid spinal stabilization systems from Class III to Class II means that new treatments are on the horizon. One such opportunity may come from UK-based Invibio Biomaterial Solutions, a company that provides PEEK-based biomaterial solutions. As indicated in the March 8, 2017 news release, there may be “…a regulatory pathway […]
There are exciting things happening in Arlington, Tennessee, these days. A certain medical device company—MicroPort Orthopedics, Inc.—is celebrating recently published results indicating very high patient satisfaction rates (95%), as well as survivorship (98.8%), with its Medial-Pivot Knee System. The research, published in The Knee, is entitled, “A Long Term Clinical Outcome of the Medial Pivot […]
A new study says that U.S. spine neurosurgeons are roughly three times more likely to practice defensively compared than other neurosurgeons! The Anterior Hip Foundation is debuting its innovation symposium in June. And NYU Langone finds that sagittal deformity patients undergoing THA have a particularly high rate of instability.
While osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation has demonstrated excellent clinical outcomes and return to sport, there is little evidence in the literature on the effectiveness of OCA transplants as a revision procedure after failed previous microfracture. Researchers in New York set out to change that. The team conducted a prospective, hospital-wide cartilage registry from the Hospital […]
Lima Corporate, an Italian company providing reconstructive orthopaedic solutions to surgeons, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Trabecular Titanium (TT), Lima’s proprietary 3D printing technology. As indicated in the March 14, 2017 news release, “…Lima decided to strengthen a partnership with Arcam to further develop the potential of the TT technology by using Arcam’s knowledge […]
New research from the Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Anesthesiology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago set out to compare aspirin, rivaroxaban, and warfarin in preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) after primary total joint arthroplasty (TJA). The work, presented at the recent meeting of The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, was a retrospective review of […]
New research from Norway has found that older individuals who had fallen and broken a hip used antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications more frequently than those in the general older population. The article, entitled, “Psychotropics and weak opioid analgesics in plasma samples of older hip fracture patients–detection frequencies and consistency with drug records,” was published in […]
New research from New York University Langone Medical Center has found that smokers who quit before total hip or knee replacement fared better than those did not quit. Specifically, according to the March 16, 2017 news release, patients “…who needed a hip or knee replacement experienced better surgical outcomes and fewer adverse events including hospital […]
New work presented at the recent meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons indicates that intra-articular normal saline (IA-NS) injections may indeed have a therapeutic effect. The meta-analysis, entitled, “The Therapeutic Effect of Intra-articular Normal Saline Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis,” appeared in the December 27, 201+ edition of The American Journal of Sports Medicine. […]
Marc Long, Ph.D. and Heather Brennan, Ph.D. are now part of the senior management team at the Edison New Jersey-based Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation.
New work from Ohio State finds that body mass index has no influence on whether a meniscal repair will fail. In the elderly, sarcopenia may be a better indicator of musculoskeletal health and mortality than other measures. Rothman Institute and Force Therapeutics have created a thorough pre-and-post-op experience for over 15,000 patients.
New work from the NYU (New York University) Langone Hospital for Joint Diseases has tackled the issue of pediatric exposure to medical imaging. Researchers examined peer-reviewed literature on different imaging options, including X-rays and CT scans of the spine, pelvis, hip, knees, shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist, and foot and ankle. They then quantified the […]
Simplify Medical, Inc., based in Sunnyvale, California, has announced findings from a new study published January 31, 2017 in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. The study, “Utilization of CT scanning associated with complex spine surgery,” is the first to estimate the magnitude of computed tomography (CT) imaging for post-operative assessment of spine surgery. According to the March […]
Ethicon Inc. and DePuy Synthes are introducing customized wound closure kits for orthopedic surgery. The new wound closure kits, which include Ethicon’s wound closure products STRATAFIX Knotless Tissue Control Devices and DERMABOND PRINEO Skin Closure System, allow for complete customization and are available through DePuy Synthes in the U.S. As indicated in the March 13, […]
It’s a no-brainer…anyone would prefer to answer 7 survey questions as opposed to 42. Hurray for the researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York, who have confirmed that a seven-question patient survey on pain, function and quality of life is a valid and efficient tool for assessing patient outcomes following revision total […]
What is the best method for lasting fixation in TKA (total knee arthroplasty)? The jury is still out, says new work from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The research team of Omar A. Behery, M.D., M.P.H., Sean M. Kearns, B.S., Justin M. Rabinowitz, M.D., Brett R Levine, M.D., M.S. undertook a study to compare […]
In the first 30 days after total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA), does it matter if you are female or male? That’s what researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York wanted to know. According to the authors, Jonathan Robinson, M.D., John I. Shin, B.S., James Dowdell, […]
Dr. Cox, a physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), specializes in non-surgical orthopedic care.
Physical therapy is as effective as surgery in treating carpal tunnel syndrome, according to a new study published in the March 2017 issue of the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. The work, entitled, “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Physical Therapy or Surgery?” was performed by researchers in Spain and the U.S. According to the March […]
Now, orthopedic startups have a new go-to website to guide them. OrthoWorx, based in Warsaw, Indiana, has announced the launch of the website for AcceLINX, its initiative to advance business in the musculoskeletal space. “We’re delighted to launch this visible symbol of AcceLINX progress and to begin to more formally engage with innovative entrepreneurs in […]
Five new physicians have joined Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York: two chiefs of services and three orthopedic surgeons. Thomas Bauer, M.D. joins HSS as incoming Pathologist-in-Chief. He told OTW, “For more than 30 years, I have sub-specialized in orthopedic pathology, focusing on the mechanisms of success and failure of orthopedic reconstructive procedures […]
Obesity affects 35% of the adult population in the U.S. A new literature review published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) identifies strategies to improve total knee replacement (TKR) outcomes in patients with obesity. The work, entitled, “Morbid Obesity and Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Growing Problem,” appears in the March […]
Mark J. Carrico has joined Salt Lake City-based OrthoGrid Systems, Inc., and is occupying the newly created position of Director of Marketing.
Dr. Fortier, a past president of the International Cartilage Repair Society, has joined the scientific advisory board of TissueGen Inc., based in Dallas, Texas.
TheraCell Inc., headquartered in Los Angeles, has announced the second patent for its demineralized bone fiber (DBF) by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. As indicated in the March 9, 2017 news release, “TheraCell’s DBF technology is incorporated into two innovative demineralized cortical fiber allograft, AlloFuse Cortical Fibers and AlloFuse Fiber Boat, commercialized by AlloSource….” […]
Canada-based Intellijoint Surgical Inc. has announced the FDA clearance of intellijoint HIP Anterior, a 3D mini-optical navigation solution that provides quantifiable, intraoperative measurements for cup position, leg length, and offset to orthopedic surgeons performing direct anterior approach (DAA) total hip arthroplasty (THA). “intellijoint HIP Anterior has been developed by a group of brilliant engineers with […]
After examining a national database of 55,000 patients, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York have determined that women are less likely to have complications such as heart attack or stroke when compared to men when undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Darwin Chen, M.D. is assistant professor of orthopedics at […]
Catchwind Pediatric Innovations has announced that it will now be housed at “Incubology, a 40,000-square-foot facility with wetlab, office and clean room space for startups that is opening at the 4Front Technology & Office Campus located in Oakdale, Minnesota.” According to the March 10, 2017 news release, “Incubology provides space for multiple disciplines including pharma, […]
Minneapolis-based VTI (Vertebral Technologies, Inc.) is fortifying its presence in Northern Europe, bringing three new distributors on board. According to the March 7, 2017 news release, “The three new distribution channels VTI will be partnering with are: Joline GmbH & Co KG, based in Hechingen, Germany; Articular, based in Helsinki, Finland and Anatomica, headquartered in […]
Vertos Medical Inc., headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, is announcing the receipt of national coverage for its mild procedure through a recently approved study under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Coverage with Evidence Development (CED) Program.“mild is an outpatient treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis [LSS] that has been studied in more than […]
Mr. McLeer has been named the new Vice President of Sales and Marketing at LinkSPINE, a sister company of Waldemar Link GmbH of Hamburg Germany.
Paris-based Safe Orthopaedics has announced that it is expanding into Germany and has appointed Jochen Esser as Head of Sales Germany. According to the March 6, 2017 news release, “Jochen has over 25 years’ sales development and sales force leadership experience in the spinal surgery sector, both in Germany and in international markets. Before joining […]
Carlsbad, California-based Breg, Inc. has announced the launch of Breg Flex, a portable device with a chargeable Bluetooth wireless sensor that allows for the optimization of in-home care. As indicated in the March 6, 2017 news release, “Breg Flex makes at-home physical therapy (PT) more convenient and engaging for patients which promotes protocol adherence, resulting […]
Michel Orsinger, former chairman of Global Orthopedics Johnson & Johnson, has joined the Advisory Board of Lima Corporate, a company based in Udine, Italy.
New work from scientists at Imperial College London indicates that the widely used drugs known as bisphosphonates are associated with a higher risk of micro-cracks in bone. The study, “Long-term effects of bisphosphonate therapy: perforations, microcracks and mechanical properties,” was published online March 6, 2017 in the journal Scientific Reports. Researchers studied bone samples from […]
Anesthesia…you wouldn’t have surgery without it. But do we have the whole picture on how it works? “Not yet,” says new research from New York City’s Weill Cornell Medicine. The study, published March 6, 2017 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that anesthesia “induces unconsciousness by changing the function of proteins […]
New research from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia is giving new hope to those suffering with chronic pain. The research, sponsored by Abbott Laboratories, involved the examination of opioid usage in more than 5,400 patients both prior to and after receiving a spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system implant. According to the January 20, 2017 news […]
Mr. Davis is a 25-year veteran of the life science industry and has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Active Implants LLC.
Matthew Provencher, M.D., CAPT, MC, USNR, an orthopedic knee surgeon and shoulder specialist at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, not only listens to the needs of his patients, but he responds with helpful information. The latest demonstration of his patient dedication is reflected in his new patient education website. Patients can take an active […]
Altus Spine, based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, has announced the FDA clearance and market introduction of the Fuji Cervical Plate System. The Fuji System is a semi-constrained fixation system intended to provide temporary stabilization of the anterior cervical spine. “Our surgeon users and hospital customers wanted the next generation cervical plate system, so they worked […]
Mr. Binder has joined the Board of Directors of Minimus Spine and is the current president and CEO of Immucor.
New research from the University of Pittsburgh has pinpointed eight genes that could explain why individuals susceptible to schizophrenia may be at lower risk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA)…and vice versa. The results were published online February 24, 2017 in the journal npj Schizophrenia. The work is entitled, “Generating testable hypotheses for schizophrenia and rheumatoid arthritis […]
Kern Singh, M.D. is advancing the science of spine with the establishment of the MISSG. New research suggests that we need to look deeper into RA to treat it. Ted Davis, 25-year veteran of life sciences, takes helm at Active Implants.
Vexim is announcing the completion the enrollment of a major trial. According to the company, it is a multicenter European study that will support a 510(k) submission to the FDA. According to the February 21, 2017 news release, the prospective and randomized multicenter study “…aims to compare safety and efficacy of the SpineJack vs balloon […]
Virginia Spine Institute surgeons are the first in the Mid-Atlantic region to utilize the Mazor X System, a novel robotic platform for spine surgery. The team of Christopher Good, M.D., Thomas Schuler, M.D., and Colin Haines, M.D. were the first to have the opportunity to perform a spinal fusion with the new Mazor X System. […]
A team of researchers from New York has filled in the blanks as to how Crohn’s disease and spondyloarthritis are related. The work, published February 8, 2017 in Science Translational Medicine, revealed a type of E. coli bacteria found in Crohn’s patients that can trigger inflammation associated with spondyloarthritis. According to the February 9, 2017 […]
Nanovis, Inc. a life sciences company located in Columbia City, Indiana, has announced the successful alpha launch of its FortiCore PLIF featuring a deeply porous titanium scaffold interdigitated with a PEEK (polyetheretherketone) core; they are also announcing the implantation of the 2,000th FortiCore implant. “My patient’s short term response to the FortiCore PLIF has been […]
S. Raymond Golish, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., a veteran clinician-scientist, has been named as the new Medical Director of the Medacta USA Spine Division. The company is also announcing enormous growth, with its Spine Division experiencing more than 140% sales growth in 2016. According to the February 1, 2017 news release, this division “now boasts five […]
Dr. Verma is a sports medicine physician with Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) in Chicago.
Brian Curtin, M.D., Bo Mason, M.D. and Bryan Springer, M.D., hip and knee surgeons with OrthoCarolina, took part in a recent delegation from the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Their goal? Discuss healthcare reform and patient access with legislative leaders. According to the February 13, 2017 […]
VTI, aka Vertebral Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has relocated their facilities from Minnetonka, Minnesota to Minneapolis. Brian Thron, director of Marketing, said in the February 16, 2017 news release, “the contemporary space compliments the company’s latest rebrand, with its simplistic design and modern color scheme. I’m pleased to call this space VTI’s new […]
Mr. English has taken the helm at Innovasis, Inc., makers of spine and cranial implants based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Schoen Klinik, a family-owned hospital group in Germany, has announced a partnership with the prehab experts at PeerWell, a San Francisco-based technology company, so that patients can get ready for surgery. According to the February 15, 2017 news release, “PeerWell, whose PreHab mobile platform helps patients prepare both physically and mentally for surgery to recover […]
amputation patients. CartiHeal develops scaffold based on aragonite to regenerate hyaline cartilage. And a study using the Framingham Study (Third Generation) has found that muscle strength does not depend on protein food patterns.
California-based DJO Global, Inc. is announcing that MotionMD, its software as a service (SaaS) solution, has been integrated with more than 6,000 doctors. According to the February 7, 2017 news release, MotionMD helps “doctors and their staff to spend more time with patients and enabling the clinics to streamline claims management and inventory dispensing. The […]
New research from Switzerland has delved into the much-utilized antibiotic, vancomycin. Dr. Fintan Moriarity is manager of Musculoskeletal Infection at the AO Research Institute Davos. Dr. Moriarity was a co-author on a recent study entitled, “Vancomycin displays time-dependent eradication of mature Staphylococcus aureus biofilms,” which appears online in the February 2017 edition of the Journal […]
In order to help healthcare providers counsel patients, a team of researchers from Scotland has undertaken a first-of-a-kind study. The work, published in the December edition of The Bone & Joint Journal, was entitled, “Predicting dissatisfaction following total knee arthroplasty in patients under 55 years of age.” Chloe Scott was lead author on the study, […]
Sometimes it’s great to be a woman…sometimes not. New research has found that among women, poor thigh muscle strength may increase the risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA). This, however, does not apply to men. The study, published in the February edition of Arthritis Care & Research, was entitled, “Thigh muscle specific strength and the risk […]
Mainstay Medical International plc has announced the first sale and implant of ReActiv8 in Germany. According to the February 1, 2017 news release, “ReActiv8 is an implantable neurostimulation system to treat disabling chronic low back pain. The ReActiv8 implant was performed by Dr. med. Francis Kilian, orthopedic and neurosurgeon at the Catholic Hospital Koblenz-Montabaur in […]
Joseph Berman, M.D. of Arlington Orthopedic Associates, P.A. has performed the first meniscus replacement procedures in Texas using the NUsurface implant, made by Active Implants LLC. According to the February 9, 2017 news release, “Arlington Orthopedic Associates and its affiliate Baylor Orthopedic and Spine Hospital is the only center in the state—and one of just […]
A multicenter study has taken up the issue of the female athlete triad and risk assessment. According to femaleathletetriad.org, “The Female Athlete Triad is a syndrome of three interrelated conditions that exist on a continuum of severity, including, Energy Deficiency with or without Disordered Eating, Menstrual Disturbances/Amenorrhea, Bone Loss/Osteoporosis.” The study, published in the February […]
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison have just published new work on bone regeneration. The research, published online February 2, 2017 in Stem Cell Reports, contains information on two proteins found in bone marrow that are key regulators of the master cells responsible for making new bone. The study is entitled, “Identification of Bone […]
Research from Canada published in the October 2016 edition of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research has taken a look at the details of the differences in bone strength and fracture risk amongst boys and girls. The study was entitled, “Sex Differences and Growth-Related Adaptations in Bone Microarchitecture, Geometry, Density, and Strength From Childhood […]
When it comes to Paget’s disease of bone, it looks like an accepted treatment isn’t panning out. The research, published in the January 2017 edition of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, found that long-term intensive bisphosphonate therapy showed no clinical benefit over giving bisphosphonates only when patients felt bone pain. The study is […]
The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) and the United States National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) have joined forces to ramp up osteoporosis care, establishing a working group to tackle goal-setting for treatment decisions. In the paper, entitled, “Goal-Directed Treatment for Osteoporosis: A Progress Report From the ASBMR-NOF Working Group on Goal-Directed Treatment for […]
Dr. Cole, head team physician for the Chicago Bulls, is the only physician recipient this year.
A multicenter study from Australia entitled, “Variation in functional pelvic tilt in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty,” has found that you may be able to avoid problems with acetabular cup positioning if you do a preoperative assessment of functional pelvic position. The study appears in the February 2017 issue of The Bone & Joint Journal. […]
Ah, the pain that travels…so fun. There are loads of patients who live with low back pain that radiates to the buttock, groin, thigh, and even knees. But where does the pain start? A new article published in the February Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) describes the identical symptoms associated with […]
Putnam Plastics Corporation is announcing the expansion of their capabilities to include advanced laser machining and state-of-the-art short pulse and ultrashort pulse laser technologies. In addition, stated the January 31, 2017 news release, “an in-house tool shop allows Putnam to design custom tooling and fixtures to handle a variety of materials and tubing in need […]
Minneapolis-based Vertebral Technologies, Inc. (VTI), a minimally invasive surgery (MIS) company, has signed a contract agreement with St. Louis, Missouri-based Resource Optimization & Innovation (ROi), a provider-owned cost management and supply chain solutions organization. VTI President and CEO Matt Kyle stated in the February 6, 2017 news release, “One of VTI’s objectives is to ensure […]
SpineGuard, an innovative company that develops and markets disposable medical devices to make spine surgery safer, announcedthat it has been granted a patent by the U.S. Patent Office for the application of its Dynamic Surgical Guidance (DSG) technology for a new application: bone quality measurement. “Because of population aging, orthopedists and neurosurgeons are treating an […]
Dr. Kobs has been a partner and practicing orthopedic surgeon with Raleigh Orthopaedic for the past 24 years.
Study finds that the environment in which you inject stem cells—and the timing—likely impacts the efficacy of the therapy. Three different risk adjustment indices have proved useless at predicting readmissions among osteoarthritis patients. New research finds variation in hospital, season to another for that particular hospital, and infection following open fractures.
Researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York have published a new study entitled, “Comparative Influence of Sport Type on Outcome After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction at Minimum 2-Year Follow-up.” The work, which appears in the February 2017 edition of Arthroscopy, involved 294 patients with a mean age of 25.5 years; mean follow-up […]
A company based in the United Kingdom—SIRAKOSS Ltd.—has announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted two patents for its bone graft technologies. As indicated in the January 27, 2017 news release, one patent “describes novel formulations of putty products, where the SIRAKOSS core technology may be combined with modified resorbable polymer […]
A multicenter study published in the February 2017 edition of Arthroscopy took on the task of assessing whether posterior humeral subluxation was related to posterior instability. A total of 41 patients who underwent surgery for posterior glenohumeral instability were matched with 41 patients who had surgery for another shoulder condition. In the study group, the […]
Expanding Orthopedics, Inc. (EOI), a company with locations in Israel and Atlanta, Georgia, has announced that Henry Ruiz, M.D. of the Gadsden Regional Medical Center has been the first surgeon in Alabama to adopt the FLXfit articulated and lordotic expandable cage for TLIF (transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion) surgeries. Dr. Ruiz said in the February 6, […]
“These key leadership appointments reflect the depth and strength of our management team…” said Peter Arduini, President and CEO.
Researchers from Rush University Medical Center and the University of Colorado have compared several biological procedures when it comes to treating full thickness defects of the femoral condyle. The study, published in the February edition of Arthroscopy, was entitled, “A Comparison of the Outcomes for Cartilage Defects of the Knee Treated With Biologic Resurfacing Versus […]
Israeli researchers determine that smartphones are reliable means of offsite consultations. The quest for risk-adjusted outcomes continues, and CHOP finds that dedicated orthopedic trauma operating rooms are effective and efficient.
Dr. Zaferiou has joined Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush as the Director of Motion Analysis for the Division of Sports Medicine.
Going boldly into uncharted areas, physician-researchers from Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia and biomechanical researchers from the University of Delaware are isolating the moment-to-moment movements of the scapula and glenohumeral joint (a.k.a. shoulder blade and shoulder joint) using 3-D motion analysis. This project has required 10 years of dedication to learn how to measure […]
It was time to reflect on the literature, say the authors of a new review article on osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Researchers from the Department of Orthopedics at the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Delaware delved into the latest on OI, a genetic condition typically involving bone fragility, multiple fractures, short stature, and scoliosis. […]
VTI (Vertebral Technologies, Inc.) has a new patent! A Minnesota-based company focused on the lumber spine solutions, VTI has been granted a new U.S. patent covering its modular, in vivo assembly technology and its motion preservation, InterCushion pipeline product. “The grant of this patent expands and lengthens VTI’s protection of our unique in vivo expansion […]
Dr. Brcka, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, has joined OrthoAtlanta.
Lance Perry has joined the team at Quebec City-based Bodycad, where he is the new Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
New work from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and McMaster University, Ontario, Canada, has found that nearly one-third of patients suffer from depression and more than one-quarter of patients suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after an acute orthopedic injury. The study, published in the January 2017 […]
Dr. Cole is associate chairman and professor in the Department of Orthopedics at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush University Medical Center.
Using brake reaction time to determine when it is safe to return to driving, researchers from Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine undertook work to determine if a difference exists in brake reaction time before versus after hip arthroscopy. Interestingly, the scientists found no difference in the brake reaction time of patients before versus after […]
Rush researchers examine issues related to post-TJA pneumonia. Bundled payments help NYU Langone decrease cost, improve quality. Study: Early femoral failure more common in patients who had undergone the direct anterior approach.
Spinal Elements, Inc., a spine technology company located in Carlsbad, California, has announced the publication of data obtained from a study involving the use of the company’s Magnum+ device used in anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF). The Magnum+ devices in the study were Spinal Elements’ PEEK (poly-ether-ether-ketone) implants with the company’s proprietary Ti-Bond porous titanium […]
Shriners Hospitals for Children is opening a new medical center located in Pasadena, California, a move which is expected to enhance the new collaboration between Shriners for Children Medical Center and nearby Huntington Hospital. The anticipated opening date is June 2017. According to the December 20, 2017 news release, “The medical center occupies 74,800 square […]
If you have osteoarthritis (OA), you may just have to go as far as, well, your chair, to get help. A new study, published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society has found that chair yoga is effective at reducing pain and improving quality of life for those with OA […]
A team of researchers from Cardiff University in Wales is working on the development of a smart patch to detect the early onset of osteoarthritis (OA) in patients’ knees. The School of Engineering researchers are making use of sensors from aircraft wings in order to detect cracking sounds in joints! As indicated in the January […]
Vertebral Technologies, Inc. (VTI) is announcing the successful outcome of the first lumbar fusion procedure in Mexico using the InterFuse laterally expandable device. Since September 2016, VTI has partnered with Mexico-based medical product company BioMedical Technologies to bring less-invasive surgical solutions to surgeons and their patients throughout Mexico. According to the January 17, 2017 news […]
Royal Philips, based in Amsteram, The Netherlands, is announcing the launch of an “industry-first” augmented-reality surgical navigation technology that is designed to help surgeons perform image-guided open and minimally-invasive spine surgery. “This unique augmented-reality technology is an example of how we expand our capabilities with innovative solutions in growth areas such as spine, neuro and […]
Finally…another pediatric orthopedic company! WishBone Medical, Inc. has just opened in Warsaw, Indiana. “WishBone Medical is committed to providing anatomically-appropriate innovative implants and instruments in sterile-packed, single-use, disposable kits to surgeons that fix orthopedic problems in kids. These sterile kits will focus on minimizing disease, preventing infection, reducing overall costs for our customers and achieving […]
Mount Sinai West is announcing that it has earned The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations’ [JCAHO] Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement, making it one of the few hospitals in New York City and New York State to receive the prestigious certification for an […]
John Nosenzo has been named Chief Commercial Officer of Bioventus, an orthobiologic company headquartered in Durham, North Carolina.
Russell Powers has been named Vice President and General Manager of Vexim SA, a company headquartered in France that specializes in the minimally invasive treatment of vertebral fractures.
Kern Singh, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and co-director of the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, has been promoted to full Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center.
AAOS, OTA and others are ramping up to prepare the nation for disasters. New guidelines mean surgeons can address complex ankle replacements systematically and objectively. And new research finds that larger wear rates of larger articulations are no greater than those of standard-sized articulations.
Novant Health Barron, Homesley & Valentine Orthopedic Specialists has opened a satellite clinic in the Ballantyne neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina (12611 North Community House Road, Suite 100). Patients of all ages with general and surgical orthopedic injuries and diagnoses (except for back and neck pain) will be seen at this location. The clinic will […]
On January 7, 2017, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and Major League Soccer (MLS) hosted the 2017 Major League Soccer Medical Symposium in Manhattan Beach, California. This symposium brought together the nation’s top sports medicine professionals to discuss managing athletic injuries specifically in soccer players. The course reviewed current recommendations, techniques and protocols for: cardiac […]
TLC (Taiwan Liposome Company) has good news for folks suffering with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The company has reported top-line results from the Phase 1/2 trial of TLC599 for sustained pain management in patients with this condition. As indicated in the January 6, 2017 news release, “The trial demonstrated a positive safety profile for a single […]
You may have missed it, but on December 3, 2016 a small, elite group of athletes were on hand to salute legendary Richard Steadman, M.D., known worldwide for the Steadman Clinic and the Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI). “The Grateful Steadys” is a group of patients, athletes, fellows, M.D.s, friends, and fans organized by four […]
Mike Miller has retired as CEO at Orchid Orthopedics Solutions and will now serve the company as vice chairman of the board of directors. Jerry Jurkiewicz, previously President and COO, is now CEO.
There is new work examining the impact the National Bone Health Alliance’s (NBHA) expanded criteria for diagnosing osteoporosis would have on the prevalence of the condition in the U.S. Ethel Siris, M.D. is the paper’s senior author and chair of the NBHA Clinical Diagnosis Working Group, NBHA Executive Committee member, Madeline C. Stabile Professor of […]
Silver ions, scaffold inhibit MRSA in bone. Research from China shows that for those on a plant-based diet, low calcium is not associated with high fracture risk. Another study shows that EGFR signaling is essential for protecting superficial layer of cartilage.
In moments that demand flexibility in the operating room, surgeons now have a new tool. Lenkbar LLC, a company based in Naples, Florida, has developed FlexMetric, a flexible surgical shaft. According to the January 11, 2017 news release, “After several years of research, strength testing, and validations, Lenkbar recently launched the FlexMetric acetabular drill for […]
A new study involving older adults living in long-term care facilities indicates that while vitamin D can help reduce respiratory infections in this population, it may also increase the risk of a fall. The research, published online ahead of print in the January 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, involved 107 […]
Clinician-scientists at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute set out to examine outcomes following revision hip arthroscopy in adolescents. Their study was published in the December 2016 edition of The American Journal of Sports Medicine. Marc Philippon, M.D., a partner at The Steadman Clinic, gave OTW background on the study, saying, “There was a noticeable increase […]
Organic…not just for milk anymore! Patients want natural alternatives to conventional cements when it comes to surgery, say market watchers at Persistence Market Research, a New York firm providing market research reports and consulting services. These analysts indicate—in a December 21, 2016 news release— that “the global market for bone glue is currently valued at […]
SI-BONE, Inc., an international company with U.S. headquarters in San Jose, California, has announced that Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), has issued a positive medical policy exclusively for iFuse for MIS SI joint fusion. SI-BONE, makers of the iFuse Implant System, reports that […]
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) has announced that the Second Edition of the JBJS Virtual Recertification Course—in association with the Miller Review Course—is now available. Surgeons will be able to access 15 recorded modules, with the option to purchase bundles of 3 modules. The course is approved for 22.5 AMA PRA Category […]
Massachusetts-based Anika Therapeutics, Inc., whose products are based on its proprietary hyaluronic acid (HA) technology, has announced the receipt of CE (European Conformity) Mark approval for ORTHOVISC-T (sodium hyaluronate for peritendinous injection). This treatment, indicated to relieve pain and restore function in tendons affected by chronic lateral epicondylosis, is designed to provide lubrication to the […]
He already had a stellar reputation…now you can add “internet maverick” to the list of glowing words used to describe Robert F. LaPrade M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer of the Steadman Philippon Research Institute. On December 16, 2016, Dr. LaPrade opened up new orthopedic territory when he performed a live knee dissection on Facebook! Dr. […]
Rotator cuff problems could point toward cardiovascular issues. Pre-diabetes scourge gets worse with link to stiff shoulder. Study says nail plate combination provides stability, load sharing in certain fracture patterns.
“OrthoPediatrics Corp. is pleased to announce the launch of its new Distal Femoral Osteotomy System (DFOS). The system includes implants to treat several different distal femoral conditions, including flexion contracture which is common in patients with Cerebral Palsy. Additionally, the system can be used to correct varus and valgus knee deformities. The instrumentation includes a […]
It’s the first such FDA-approved clinical trial in the U.S.—one in which a person’s own fat-derived adult stem cells are used to treat shoulder injuries. The trial, which began in December 2016, is available at Sanford Health (headquartered in North and South Dakota). The principal investigators, Jason Hurd, M.D. and Mark Lundeen, M.D., are both […]
ZipLine Medical, Inc., based in Silicon Valley, California, has announced that the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) has approved its Zip Surgical Skin Closure device, thus making it commercially available in the region. As indicated in the December 20, 2016 news release, “The Zip is a non-invasive, efficient and easy to use wound closure […]
It’s celebration time for the Italian company, OrthoSpace Ltd! They have announced the publication of long-term follow-up data for their InSpace System for the treatment of massive rotator cuff tears (RCTs). The research involved 20 patients in an open-label, single-arm, prospective. “Massive rotator cuff tears represent a painful condition that can severely limit everyday activity. […]
Soon, approximately 5, 000 attendees will converge upon Florence, Italy, for the annual joint Congress of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO). The event, to be held from March 23-26, 2017, will welcome the world’s leading experts in the bone, muscle […]
Implanet, based in Bordeaux, France, has announced that the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted it a European patent for its JAZZ implant’s universal tensioning system. The company, which is focused on knee and spine, also has a U.S. subsidiary in Boston, Massachusetts. Régis Le Couedic, Implanet’s Research & Development director, said in the January […]
For the first time ever, researchers have demonstrated the effect of rotator cuff tendon overuse, (tendinopathy), on surrounding tissues. “This is an exciting finding as it is the first demonstration that overuse injuries may impact more than just the shoulder tendons. Thus, this study may provide motivation for further research in humans to better protect […]
Antibiotics…to give or not to give? Maybe not, says recent work from Kaiser-Permanente. The researchers, including Ronald Wyatt, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with that institution, found no association between preoperative antibiotics and postoperative deep or superficial infection in simple knee arthroscopy. Dr. Wyatt told OTW, “I was part of a work group of Northern California […]
Millions of patients in South Korea will now have access to high-level radiography. EOS imaging has recently announced the official opening of the first EOS site in South Korea, located at the Konyang University Hospital. The University Hospital serves an adult and pediatric population of 7 million outpatients and 25 million inpatients on average per […]
Think there’s not much room for improvement in hip fracture surgery? Think again. Daniel Bohl, M.D., M.P.H. and Craig Della Valle, M.D., researchers at Rush University Medical Center, are drilling down to understand how nutrition influences the outcomes of geriatric hip fracture surgery. Dr. Bohl told OTW, “Hip fracture surgery has come a along way […]
A new specialty update was published in the November edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. This work, performed at Vanderbilt University, examined evidence from studies published from March 2015 to February 2016 in a variety of journals. The researchers involved were Nitin Jain, M.D., M.S.P.H., John Kuhn, M.D., William Murrell, M.D., and […]
On December 13, 2016 The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) and Pain hosted a webinar entitled, “Managing Knee-Arthritis Pain Before and After Surgery.” Nitan B. Jain, M.D., M.S.P.H., JBJS Associate Editor, moderated the program. Dr. Jain, co-director of Sports Medicine Research and Director of Shoulder Research at Vanderbilt University, moderated the event. He […]
When it comes to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-deficient knees, orthopedic surgeons are revisiting an old friend. A new laboratory study from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York set out to compare the effect of lateral closing-wedge (LCW) and medial opening-wedge (MOW) high tibial osteotomy (HTO) on tibiofemoral and patellofemoral alignment in the ACL-deficient […]
DePuy Synthes is on a roll with its ATTUNE Knee System. The company has just announced that implant survivorship data from the 2016 Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR) confirm positive early results for the ATTUNE Knee. Also, says the December 19, 2016 news release, “recently-presented interim data have shown improved patient reported […]
Colorado-based Regenexx has just added a patient outcomes application to its website. The company prides itself on transparency, and gives all Regenexx patients information regarding their outcomes following treatment. According to the December 13, 2016 news release, “The patient outcomes app allows you to search outcomes by body part, including ankle/foot, hand/wrist/elbow, hip, knee, shoulder, […]
It is surely one of those, “Why didn’t anyone think of this before?” moments. Gregory Lopez, M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, has produced a low-cost surgical training simulator using items from the aisles of Home Depot. Dr. Lopez, who did his fellowship at Rush, was accustomed to looking at the […]
Familiar pain meds are associated with hearing loss in women! Houston Methodist is sporting a new ortho biomechanics lab, complete with state-of-the art motion equipment. And Rush is the only facility in the U.S. with a new technology to tackle implant corrosion.
Dr. Görtz, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon, has joined the CORE Institute in Arizona.
Providence Medical Technology, Inc. has announced the closing of $10.5 million in new equity financing for the company. The proceeds will be used to further commercialize and expand its portfolio of cervical-fusion technology. New investor MVM Life Science Partners (MVM) led the financing and will join the Providence Board of Directors. Stanmore Medical Investments, Aphelion […]
Conventus Orthopaedics, Inc. has announced that over 700 patients have been treated with what is the industry’s first expandable fracture cage. The Conventus Cage, meant for fracture repair in the upper extremity, utilizes a 3-dimensional approach and is made of nitinol. “For years, surgeons have expressed the need for more versatile and reliable surgical options […]
Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) is one of four institutions to receive a generous grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) for translational research projects. The $2.5 million grant will go towards developing osteoarthritis therapies. According to the December 21, 2016 news release, “Grant recipient Denis Evseenko, […]
According to new work from The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York, it is possible to “use” the vagus nerve to help treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other conditions. “We know from previous studies that the vagus nerve is a conduit for signals from many of our vital organs and that it […]
In order to effectuate a fresh osteochondral allograft transplantation, donor and host should be well matched. According to recent work from Patrick McCulloch, M.D. at Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, there is room for improvement. Dr. McCulloch and his colleagues have developed a new method to improve the accuracy of this matching based upon […]
Biopharmaceutical company OrthoTrophix, Inc.in Oakland, California has announced the results of the first proof of principle study of TPX-100 in subjects with bilateral osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The one-year, Phase 2 clinical trial involved 115 subjects with mild to moderate bilateral patellofemoral osteoarthritis who received four weekly doses of TPX-100. According to the December […]
An annual learning event recently took place at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York. Elite surgeons hosted their colleagues from Greece for the annual HSS Stavros Niarchos Foundation Orthopaedic Seminar Program where they learned the latest techniques and innovations in complex hip and knee reconstruction. The two day program, moderated by Michael Cross, […]
A new paper published in the December 21, 2016 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery tackles the issue of patient cost-sharing for total joint arthroplasty implants. The authors, all with the New York University Langone Orthopedic Surgery, discuss the ethics of having patients pay toward a pricier implant—one that would otherwise be […]
All hail efforts to find non-opioid options for pain relief…Centrexion Therapeutics Corporation. is making headway in that department. The company has announced positive topline data from its Phase 2b randomized study of CNTX-4975 in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) pain. According to the December 13, 2016 news release, “In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter TRIUMPH […]
By growing artificial ligaments in the laboratory, researchers from the University of California (UC) Davis and the Australian Institute of Sport have found that taking a gelatin supplement, then doing a quick round of intense exercise can help build ligaments, tendons and bones. As indicated in the December 20, 2016 news release, Keith Baar, Ph.D., […]
OMNIlife science, Inc. is feting the 10th anniversary of the launch of their APEX Knee System. Ten years and more than 75, 000 total knee replacement procedures worldwide are good omens indeed! “Our knee implant design philosophy is that the device should allow the patient’s knee kinematics to be dominated by their individual anatomy, not […]
Denis Nam, M.D., who joined Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush in December, has been honored with an award at the recent Current Concepts in Joint Replacement meeting.
For many years the standard in training airline pilots has been pre-flight simulators. This helps them become more skilled at flying the actual plane. This is a comfortable thought isn’t it? Exactly! Well, recent developments in shoulder replacement surgery allow surgeons to simulate surgery and this benefits not only the patient, but also the hospital. […]
Scientists from the University of Virginia, the University of Maryland, Yale and Maine Medical Center Research Institute have advanced osteoporosis research by identifying more than a dozen genes that could very well be responsible for bone density and strength. As indicated in the December 14, 2016 news release, “In charting the genome, scientists commonly rely […]
Researchers from the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at The University of Texas Southwestern (CRI) have discovered a new bone-forming growth factor, Osteolectin (Clec11a), which reverses osteoporosis in mice. As indicated in the December 13, 2016 news release, “Although Osteolectin is known to be made by certain bone marrow and bone cells, CRI researchers are […]
A new app provides details on hundreds of cases—start to finish. AAOS, OTA, SOMOS, ORS are again hosting the Extremity War Injuries Symposium. And the Andrews Institute has undergone a renovation that allows physicians to practice arthroscopic and other surgeries.
Dr. Anz is an orthopedic surgeon with the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine.
Thanks in part to scientists at the Universities of Liverpool and Bristol, five individuals with meniscal tears have had the chance to try a new “living bandage” made from stem cells. According to the December 15, 2016 news release, the Cell Bandage was developed by spinout company Azellon Ltd. The trial received funding support from […]
Millions of patients in South Korea will now have access to high-level radiography. EOS imaging has recently announced the official opening of the first EOS site in South Korea, located at the Konyang University Hospital. The University Hospital serves an adult and pediatric population of 7 million outpatients and 25 million inpatients on average per […]
The American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (the Academy) is pouring $210, 000 into orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) research initiatives with the goal of enhancing patient care. Their other goal is to help practitioners to increase insurance reimbursements. As indicated in the November 17, 2016 news release, “The Academy dove into its first research initiative […]
Johns Hopkins researchers have found a bacterium that causes chronic inflammatory gum infections also triggers the inflammatory autoimmune response characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). “This is like putting together the last few pieces of a complicated jigsaw puzzle that has been worked on for many years, ” said Felipe Andrade, M.D., Ph.D., in the December […]
Flexion Therapeutics, Inc. has announced it has submitted a new drug application (NDA) to the FDA for its lead investigational product candidate Zilretta (also known as FX006), meant to treat patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. According to the December 12, 2016 news release, Zilretta has received Fast Track designation from the FDA, meaning […]
When surgeons, hospitals, patients, and device manufacturers pull together, miracles are possible. From December 5-10, 2016, approximately 80 patients received joint replacements free of charge from 40 orthopedic surgeons who volunteered their time at 35 hospitals. This is thanks to the wonderful annual event organized by Operation Walk USA. DePuy Synthes, DJO Global, Inc., Smith […]
Zyga Technology, Inc. has some positive results to announce…their 12-month clinical and radiographic results have been published in The Open Orthopaedics Journal. The study evaluated long-term fusion and pain reduction in patients receiving SImmetry Sacroiliac Joint Fusion. “Minimally invasive SI joint fusion procedures have demonstrated significant reduction in pain and disability, but it is important […]
Bodycad, headquartered in Quebec City, Canada, is celebrating two U.S. patents for, according to the December 8, 2016 news release, “improving the accuracy, reproducibility and speed for 3D constructs via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT images in long and small bone orthopaedic applications…To create personalized orthopaedic restorations, the company harnesses the world’s first suite […]
Clarity is good! The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Board of Directors has just approved new Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for the management of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and the surgical management of osteoarthritis of the knee. The AUCs are built on existing related clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) “Management of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome” and […]
New tool means patients can come to the office and leave with a definitive diagnosis. James Bradley, M.D. discusses arthroscopic debridement for anterior ankle impingement. And maybe there is no “July Effect” when it comes to residents and fellows.
Dr. Singh, co-director of the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, will serve as Spine Program Committee Chair for AAOS Annual Meetings (2017-2020).
Swiss medtech company Hocoma has announced that it will partner with Swiss universities on a personalized low back pain management project supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF). The SNF has recently awarded a number of new projects. The low back pain project, led by Prof. Dr. Walter Karlen, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute […]
In a new randomized, placebo-controlled trial, investigators from SWOG (formerly the Southwest Oncology Group) have found that a depression and anxiety drug can go a long way toward reducing joint pain in postmenopausal women being treated for early stage breast cancer with aromatase inhibitors (which can sometimes cause joint pain). The SWOG researchers have determined […]
By knocking out the Speckle-type POZ Protein (Spop) in a mouse, researchers from Penn State University have discovered that this protein is critical for skeletal development. The resulting condition, known as brachydactyly, leads to a shortening of the fingers and toes. “The Spop protein is involved in Hedgehog signaling—a well-studied cell-to-cell communication pathway that plays […]
Multiple sites and more than 1, 100 patients confirm it…rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who smoke or are overweight have extra trouble controlling their symptoms and inflammation, despite standard of care treatment. “Early, aggressive treatment to achieve remission is the primary goal of therapy and can be best achieved early on when treating patients with newly […]
Is using a pricier ceramic-on-polyethylene implant in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) worth it? Or should you stick with metal-on-polyethylene? New work from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the OrthoCarolina Research Institute, suggests that perhaps the entire orthopedic field shouldn’t switch to ceramic all at once. Thomas K. Fehring, M.D. is an […]
Shoulder stiffness is a good thing? In a way, says new research from the University of New South Wales in Australia. Researchers, including co-author George A.C. Murrell, M.D., D.Phil., looked at 1, 533 consecutive shoulders that underwent an arthroscopic rotator cuff repair by a single surgeon. Dr. Murrell commented to OTW, “I have had an […]
Lace up! New research from Brigham Young University (BYU) has found that running can protect knees. Matt Seeley, Ph.D., A.T.C., is associate professor of exercise science at BYU. He and BYU colleagues Sarah Ridge, Ph.D., and Ty Hopkins, Ph.D., have found that running reduces inflammation in the joint. “It flies in the face of intuition, […]
OrthoMend Research, Inc., a start-up company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has just acquired an exclusive license for technology developed by Temple University researchers. The license covers absorbable bone fixation and regenerative repair technologies. OrthoMend, which will develop them for commercial use, has leased space within the University City Science Center. “OrthoMend Research, Inc. has licensed exclusive […]
Orthopedic authors worldwide…it’s time to hear your voices! The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is announcing the forthcoming launch of JAAOS: Global Research & Reviews. This online-only journal will be an open access companion title to the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS). “The AAOS has been committed to providing excellence […]
New work shows that reduced BMD could signal Alzheimer’s risk. New research from three major universities tackles MSC’s role in bone formation. TKA Study: most preop costs occur three months prior to surgery.
Bone-related genetic disorders got more than a fair shake from researchers recently when the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) hosted its first course on, among other topics, the genetics behind skeletal disease. According to the November 28, 2016 news release, the two-day event, which was limited to 30 individuals, aimed to “give a small group of […]
The old adage, “There’s nothing like a good neighbor” is certainly true when it comes to Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). HSS, working from its Outpatient Center in Stamford, Connecticut, is increasing outreach and educational programs. As indicated in the November 1, 2016 news release “the hospital recently conducted a survey to assess the muscle, […]
Harvard Medical School has named Dr. Kang as the inaugural Thornhill Family Professor of Orthopedic Surgery.
A new Current Concepts Review performed at Massachusetts General Hospital and appearing in the December edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery highlights aspects of global orthopedic trauma care. The consensus? The needs are growing. Kiran Agarwal-Harding, M.D. is in the Combined Orthpaedic Residency Program at Harvard University and is affiliated with Mass […]
Amputees who experience phantom limb pain could have a new treatment option. Scientists from Sweden, led by Assistant Professor Max Ortiz Catalan of the Chalmers University of Technology, have found that moving and seeing a phantom limb in augmented reality can alleviate such pain. In the study, published in December 1, 2016 edition of The […]
Propionibacterium (P) acnes infection of the shoulder after arthroplasty is a scourge for patients and surgeons alike as it can involve serious complications. Current detection methods for P acnes involve anaerobic cultures that require incubation periods of 7-14 days. Now, research that has won the 2017 Charles S. Neer Award from The American Shoulder and […]
The International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS), based in Zurich, Switzerland, has rolled out the first global, web-based patient Registry, offering a unique international data pool for articular cartilage injury, history and treatment worldwide. According to the ICRS, the Registry is available in English with six more languages coming in the spring of 2017. Current data […]
Paradigm Spine, LLC is pleased to highlight the recent publication of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) Policy Statement by Richard Guyer, M.D. and colleagues. The paper, “ISASS Recommendations/Coverage Criteria for Decompression with Interlaminar Stabilization – Coverage Indications, Limitations, and/or Medical Necessity” appears in the International Journal of Spine Surgery (volume […]
While surgeons and hospitals can do extraordinary things for patients in the infection control realm, there are, say the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the Surgical Infection Society (SIS), many things patients can do to reduce their risk of infection. The ACS and the SIS have just released guidelines for the prevention, detection, and […]
A new Center of Excellence in California is outpatient and focused on the needs of children. The Orthopaedic Institute for Children (OIC) has dedicated a new Pediatric Scoliosis Center designed to diagnose and treat scoliosis so children with this deformity can lead normal, happy and productive lives. This is the third Center of Excellence OIC […]
You might say that researchers in Sweden were bringing the power to the people with their new work…
Implanet has announced the publication of a new white paper entitled “Correction of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in hypokyphotic patients using JAZZ sublaminar bands: preliminary results of a multricentric study using 3D reconstruction.” The study, from three institutions in France, presents clinical findings from a group of adolescents with hypokyphotic thoracic scoliosis treated with JAZZ sublaminar […]
Denis Nam, M.D., a board certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee reconstruction, replacement, revision, partial knee replacement and minimally invasive surgery, will now be offering his experience and talent at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR). As indicated in the December 6, 2016 news release, Dr. Nam received his Bachelor of Arts degree in […]
Would you rather wait a few days for surgery…or, say, nine months?! Nikhil Verma, M.D. and the physicians at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush University Medical Center are now making it possible for ailing Canadians, tired of waiting for surgery, to enjoy the benefits and talents of Rush physicians. These doctors are offering a fixed knee […]
Orthobiologics company Bioventus LLC has announced a published study has found that its latest generation EXOGEN Ultrasound Bone Healing System can indeed help surgeons ensure that patients are using the device. According to the December 5, 2016 news release, the study found that the Bioventus system improves patient compliance by 10%; overall compliance never fell […]
Shoulder implant company OrthoSpace, Ltd., is announcing that it has closed on a $7 million equity financing round. Company CEO Itay Barnea told OTW that the investors were HealthpointCapital LLC, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc., Smith & Nephew, and Triventures. According to the December 1, 2016 news release, “The Company’s product, InSpace, is […]
North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, is the first center in the Eastern United States—and the second nationally—to perform combined kyphoplasty intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) for spinal metastasis. According to the November 14, 2016 news release, Andre Hayden, 47, of Wheatley Heights, New York, received the treatment due to Stage 4 colon cancer […]
Moximed, Inc. is announcing that the first patient has been treated in an FDA-approved Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) study for its latest generation unicompartmental unloading implant, the Atlas System. “I’m pleased to treat the first patient in the Atlas IDE study. I see in my practice a tremendous number of younger, early OA [osteoarthritis] patients […]
Bringing the care to the people…and doing it for less! New research involving Hospital for Special Surgery and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia indicates that surgery at an ambulatory surgical center (ASC) could result in a cost savings of up to 43%. “There was a savings in direct costs of 17 to 4%, depending on […]
VOX Telehealth, a company focused on orthopedic patient management programs, has announced the formation of a new Orthopedic Advisory Board. According to the November 29, 2016 news release, the board is meant to help the company aid patients in, “becoming active participants in their care and support healthcare providers in delivering high-quality care more efficiently. […]
“Get moving or take it easy for awhile” is a recurring issue with regard to range of motion (ROM) following total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Researchers in Oregon decided to investigate their hypothesis that improvements in ROM would happen earlier for those who got moving at an earlier point postoperatively. Patrick J. Denard, M.D. is with […]
With a new sales management team and now a new group purchasing agreement, the orthobiologics company Cerapedics, Inc. is on the move! The company has just been awarded an agreement with Premier Inc., a leading healthcare improvement company, for Breakthrough Technology: Bone Tissue Synthetic Implantable Products. Premier members will have the option of special pricing […]
Intellijoint Surgical, Inc. will have its coffers full enough to expand as they wish over the coming months. The company, which focuses on 3D mini-optical navigation, has just completed a round of Series A financing—a whopping $11 million. According to the November 1, 2016 news release, “The Series A was led by private investors from […]
Obese adolescents could suffer bone problems for life! Education key to reducing racial variation in total knee replacement access and outcomes. Multiligament reconstructions: avoid tunnel convergence with good surgical planning.
On Wednesday, November 30, 2016 a group of orthopedic residents, physician assistants and medical students from Rush University Medical Center provided medical care, shoes, and socks to homeless men and women at a shelter on Chicago’s west side. Drs. Simon Lee, Johnny Lin and Kamran Hamid, foot and ankle surgeons at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, […]
The results are “extremely promising” say UK researchers with regard to their efforts to locate new therapeutic targets for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A study led by researchers at the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Inflammation and Ageing looked at synovial fibroblasts (SFs) in RA patients. As indicate in the November 23, 2016 […]
In the quest to eliminate cancer cells, nearby tissues are also affected. Research from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia are making progress in the effort to protect neighboring cells. Senior author Ling Qin, Ph.D., an associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Penn, led the […]
Finnish researchers have discovered that benzodiazepines and related drugs increase the risk of hip fracture by a whopping 43% in Alzheimer’s patients. The study, undertaken at the University of Eastern Finland, was based on the MEDALZ (MEDication use and ALZheimer’s disease) cohort, and included all Finnish people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s between 2005 and 2011 (70, […]
The surgeon will see you now…and you too. New research performed at the Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) looks into the practice of a surgeon performing procedures in two operating rooms during overlapping time frames. According to the study, published November 16, 2016 […]
Break out the power tools, ladies…there is plenty of room for you in the orthopedic field! Despite this, according to the Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), only 7% of today’s practicing orthopedists are women. However, a nonprofit known as The Perry Initiative is doing its utmost to make careers in orthopedic surgery and engineering possible […]
Is it possible to recognize the factors that set patients up for reoperations? Perhaps, says a team of scientists from multiple institutions. Novel research from Canada has put forth the possibility of a new classification system for reoperations in end-stage ankle arthritis. The scientists followed 687 patients who underwent ankle arthrodesis (213) and total ankle […]
Orthopedic surgeons may feel like they are fumbling in the dark when it comes to worker’s compensation (WC) patients. Are they truly injured? What is the real problem? Shane J. Nho, M.D., M.S. is assistant professor and director of the Hip Preservation Center at Rush University Medical Center. He and several colleagues undertook a study […]
A toothpaste-like substance is making inroads into our ability to control bleeding. As indicated in the November 16, 2016 news release, “…clinicians often use tiny metallic coils, which can be permanently inserted into a blood vessel to prevent further bleeding. But such coils come with limitations. Patients on blood thinning medications or who cannot form […]
Researchers who had previously found that younger age is a risk factor for a second anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury have expanded on their work. Kate E. Webster, Ph.D. is with the School of Allied Health at La Trobe University in Australia. Dr. Webster, lead author on the study, commented to OTW, “For this new […]
Family-owned Medacta International, Inc. recently rolled out the red carpet for its new MasterLoc Hip System and GMK Sphere Knee at the 26th American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas. “Medacta’s commitment to surgical innovation is on display at this year’s AAHKS Annual Meeting, including our new MasterLoc cementless […]
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai was one of only 14 institutions nationwide—and the only one in New York—to receive a Spinal Cord Injury Model System (SCIMS) grant valued at $2, 280, 000 over five years from the National Institute of Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). In the November 18, 2016 […]
Ted Bird will be ensuring the smooth flow of commercial activities at Titan Spine, LLC from now on, with his appointment as Chief Commercial Officer.
Spine, Sex and Surgery A new study published in the November 15, 2016 issue of Spine indicates that surgery is a better option than nonsurgical treatment for some spine patients when it comes to dealing with sex-related pain. Researchers from the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF) analyzed data from the Spine Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT). […]
Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (KJOC), a Cedars-Sinai affiliate, has expanded, with a new office in Thousand Oaks, California. This is the sixth location for KJOC, and is housed in the Sports Academy training facility. “With the Los Angeles Rams’ training facility located in Thousand Oaks combined with the city’s continued growth, it was imperative for us […]
The recent International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Regionals 6th Asia-Pacific Osteoporosis Meeting highlighted the importance of implementing a coordinator-based Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) in clinics and hospitals. According to the November 5, 2016 news release, “…studies have also shown that, where there is no FLS or similar service in place, approximately 80% of fragility fracture patients […]
New research from Sweden indicates that teriparatide, an existing medication, can help patients get back on their feet quicker following a hip fracture. The study was published in the November 16, 2016 edition of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. “We have shown that patients are more mobile and suffer less pain after a […]
He gets to be the first leader at a newly-established facility! Dr. Iobst is now director of the new Center for Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction.
When different types of surgeons pull together for a patient, they can do extraordinary things! Because of the dedication of a team of plastic, orthopedic and vascular surgeons from Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, along with biomechatronics experts from the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Media Lab, a man named Jim Ewing now has a […]
Promising that their advice will be “detailed” and “straightforward, ” CreakyJoints, a source for those living with arthritis, has announced the forthcoming publication of “A Patient’s Guide to Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis.” The CreakyJoints Patient Charter was developed and endorsed by CreakyJoints’ national Patient Council as well as select rheumatologists. The guide will be published […]
Brady Shirley is the new President and Chief Executive Officer at DJO Global, Inc.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have new evidence that patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who take statins may have as much as a 33% lower mortality risk. “The expanding literature on the dual-role of statins to lower both inflammation and cholesterol levels has naturally led to interest in the role of […]
A team of researchers from Baylor College of Medicine has just published a paper in RadioGraphics indicating the importance of recognizing and treating tears of the root of the meniscus. In their paper, they offer communication tools that can help radiologists and surgeons obtain clarity. “Tears at the root of the lateral or medial meniscus […]
It wasn’t an electoral race, but a road race where Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic recently lent a hand. The clinic participated in the Raleigh City of Oaks Marathon by hosting an injury recovery seminar and health education booth on November 4. Physical therapists from EXOS at Raleigh Orthopaedic presented a seminar called “Recovery Strategies.” In addition […]
Gaming and knee surgery…what could be more natural? Well, now, Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. launched a virtual reality simulation as well as a unique gaming experience to enhance administration technique for EXPAREL (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). According to the November 11, 2016 news release, Pacira’s new virtual reality training tool utilizes […]
Robert Loeffler, M.D. was the only American and the only orthopedic surgeon with Medecins Sans Frontires during a recent mission to Syria. The NIH PROMIS system one-upping the traditional, ‘legacy’ patient-reported measures. And new work from the University of Chicago indicates that men and women have different improvements after THA.
It’s a milestone for Minimus Spine, makers of the Triojection System. The company has enrolled its 30th participant into its 50-patient randomized study comparing Triojection to discectomy. According to the November 14, 2016 news release, Triojection System is “a novel system intended to facilitate the treatment of disc herniations with an intradiscal injection of ozone […]
Mighty Oak Medical is spreading its branches with the news of its second FDA clearance for its 3D printed FIREFLY Pedicle Screw Navigation Guides. This essentially extends compatibility to all currently cleared pedicle screw systems. The new clearance also extends the indications for use to T1-S2/ilium. The company indicates that by choice, Mighty Oak does […]
In the quest for an infection-free surgical environment, we now have a bit more helpful information. According to new work from the University of Washington, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who stay on their disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) prior to surgery do not have an increased risk of infection after their procedures. For this work, researchers […]
Amgen Inc. and UCB SA have announced results from the Phase 3 BRIDGE study showing that in men with osteoporosis, the investigational agent romosozumab resulted in significant bone mineral density (BMD) gains at the lumbar spine, total hip and femoral neck compared to placebo at six and 12 months. The BRIDGE study (placeBo-contRolled study evaluatIng […]
Exactech, Inc. has announced that Duke University surgeons have performed the first surgery using its new Vantage Total Ankle System. Orthopedic surgeons Mark Easley, M.D., and James Nunley, M.D. have done the first case with the ankle implant in Durham, North Carolina. “The surgical team and I were pleased that the Vantage Total Ankle replacement […]
Move over cell phone…there is another portable device that may want to share that space—the world’s first pocket-sized diagnostic device for osteoporosis. Bone Index Ltd., a company based in Finland, has been granted a U.S. patent for its unique product, known as Bindex. Bone Index’s CEO, Dr. Ossi Riekkinen said in the November 11, 2016 […]
When rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are unfortunate enough to also have lung problems, they can be at an increased risk of mortality. First-line therapy with rituximab (RTX), says a new study from the UK, may help them live longer when compared with the use of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). “Treatment of the underlying arthritis […]
Expanding Orthopedics Inc. (EOI) has announced that the company has been granted its 14th U.S. Patent, covering its 3D expandable cage technology integrated in the FLXfit. Mark M. Levy, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon, CTO and founder of EOI said in the November 14, 2016, “This new patent recognizes the unique innovation of our 3D expandable […]
A researcher from New Zealand has completed a study indicating the strong probability of scientific misconduct in a number of bone health studies. The new research, led by Mark J. Bolland, MBChB, Ph.D., of the University of Auckland in New Zealand, involved 33 studies, three of which were published in Neurology and retracted in summer […]
Morning joint stiffness and fatigue aren’t what you would call “sexy” in the world of orthopedics. But for millions of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, it’s an ugly daily reality. New results, however, indicate that patients treated with baricitinib, as compared to placebo and adalimumab (Humira), had significant improvements in patient-reported outcomes, including joint pain, severity […]
NuVasive, Inc. has just announced that its Integrated Global Alignment (iGA) platform now supports all spinal procedures, including cervical alignment. They have also introduced image enhancement software that allows the surgical staff to significantly reduce exposure to surgical radiation in the operating room (OR). As indicated in the October 25, 2016 news release, “iGA is […]
Don’t sit around and let osteoarthritis take over your life! New research is indicating that the majority of people with knee OA (osteoarthritis) have the level of physical functioning necessary to walk at least 6, 000 steps a day. According to the November 12, 2016 news release, this is ”the minimum amount needed to improve […]
A new company is in the works…Isto Biologics. Isto Holdings, the parent company of St. Louis-based Isto Technologies, has acquired Arteriocyte Medical Systems Inc. of Hopkinton, Massachusetts. The merged company, Isto Biologics, will, according to the October 19, 2016 news release, ”…be focused on offering evidence-based solutions to expand its spine, orthopedics, and functional-medicine product […]
There really aren’t many awards that Freddie Fu, M.D. has NOT received during his distinguished career at the University of Pittsburgh.
EOS imaging, known for its 2D/3D orthopedic medical imaging, has announced the receipt of FDA 510(k) clearance to market kneeEOS software in the United States. Now, American surgeons can rely on this online 3D planning software to plan for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Using weight-bearing 3D images and data from the EOS system, according to […]
With an increasingly brighter spotlight on osteoporosis, it was time for a sit down in order to assess things and progress. Indeed, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Chronic Inflammation and Bone Structure (CIBS) Working Group has a new review indicating that early and aggressive treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with biologic drugs, specifically biological disease-modifying […]
FOCOS, founded by Oheneba Boachie-Adjei, M.D., has received an award for high quality orthopedic care. F. Todd Wetzel, M.D. begins his term as president of NASS. And researchers find the specific protein that allows zebrafish to regenerate their spinal cords.
The North American Spine Society (NASS) has awarded $136, 000 in research grants and traveling fellowships. Winners were selected by the NASS Research Project Management Committee and Research Council, and approved by the Executive Committee. As indicated in the October 28, 2016 news release, the 2016 Clinical Traveling Fellowship winner is Pallav Bhatia, M.B.B.S., M.S., […]
The Illinois Athletic Trainers Association (IATA) and physicians at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) have developed the “Ankles for Life” initiative, a prevention program to help prevent ankle injuries. According to the October 24, 2016 news release, MOR foot and ankle surgeons reported a nearly 300% increase in Achilles patients over a ten-year period (from […]
Patrick O’Donnell, a veteran of three CEO roles, has now joined BONESUPPORT AB as General Manager and Executive Vice President, North American Commercialization.
An engineering researcher from Canada just may have come up with a better mousetrap, er, hip replacement. According to Damiano Pasini, Ph.D., this new design should last longer and create fewer problems for the patients than existing implants. Dr. Pasini said in the November 2, 2016 news release, “What we’ve done throughout the femoral stem […]
Andrew McCartney is now Managing Director, International for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Bioventus LLC.
Pan Medical Corporation is announcing the receipt of 510(k) approval for the InterV Flex and the InterV Micro vertebral augmentation systems. According to the November 1, 2016 news release, “The InterV Flex is a curved needle and pre-curved balloon for use in vertebral augmentation procedures. The nitinol Flex needle is used to cross midline and […]
NuVasive, Inc. has received some good news from the government…now life can be less painful for pediatric spinal deformity patients. According to the October 27, 2016 news release, the company has obtained “FDA clearance for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) under certain conditions on patients treated with the innovative MAGEC system…” “MAGEC is comprised of a […]
BONESUPPORT AB has just raised $37 million in equity and debt finance, funds that will be used, among other things, to drive the sale of CERAMENT. The company is known for its injectable bioceramic bone scaffolds meant for the treatment of bone voids caused by trauma, infection, disease or related surgery. The oversubscribed equity financing […]
Revance Therapeutics, Inc. has announced the initiation of a Phase 2 placebo-controlled trial of its investigational drug candidate DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection (RT002) for the management of plantar fasciitis. According to the November 3, 2016 news release, the study is expected to enroll approximately 60 patients in the U.S. who will be followed for 16 weeks. […]
Who knew? It looks like the brain actually needs retraining following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury! Researchers from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have found that, according to the November 4, 2016 news release, “…parts of the brain associated with leg movement lagged during recovery from an ACL injury. Through comparing brain […]
A new retrospective cohort study from Penn Medicine suggests that for older patients, the quality of the post-hospital care matters more than the hospital care itself. There were 42, 000 Medicare patients in the study, which compared post-acute care (nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, at-home care, etc.) to hospital care. They found that the impact of […]
Cameron Carmody, M.D., of Texas Spine Consultants in Dallas stated in the October 27, 2016 news release, “The Curved TLIF device from 4WEB provides yet another viable treatment option that leverages the company’s patented truss implant technology. I have tried several of the new titanium implant designs on the market produced with additive manufacturing and […]
Titan Spine has announced the full U.S. launch of its line of Endoskeleton titanium implants featuring the company’s new proprietary nanoLOCK surface technology. Steve Cichy, vice president of Sales for Titan Spine, said in the October 13, 2016 news release, “The full launch of nanoLOCK will add to Titan Spine’s continued sales growth, highlighted by […]
A new study selected as a “Best Paper” at the 31st Annual Meeting of the North American Spine Society (NASS) indicates that tobacco use may interfere with the body’s healing response from cervical myelopathy surgery…and that this is based on number of cigarettes smoked over a lifetime. “While it is well-established that smoking compromises healing […]
A new online program called Wellbe (developed by Wellbe, Inc. of Madison, Wisconsin) is revolutionizing the patient experience at a major facility in Wisconsin. Patients undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery now have more affordability and accessibility, says Curt Kubiak, CEO of the Orthopedic & Sports Institute of the Fox Valley (OSI). “We’re operating within […]
Calling all athletic trainers! The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) International Committee is pleased to announce that nominations are now open for two new awards that honor athletic trainers and organizations from around the globe. The awards will be presented during the NATA 68th Clinical Symposia & AT Expo in Houston in June 2017. “NATA […]
Richard Terek, M.D. has just presented preliminary data on IlluminOss Medical’s LightFix trial at the recent Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) Meeting in Detroit. According to the company, the multicenter study looks at “the IlluminOss System for the treatment of impending and actual pathological fractures in the humerus from metastatic bone disease. Preliminary results from the […]
Researchers from Japan and the UK have determined that a reshuffling in the brain is the reason for phantom limb pain. Specifically, say the researchers, “a ‘reorganisation’ of the wiring of the brain is the underlying cause of phantom limb pain…” The group from Osaka University in Japan and the University of Cambridge used a […]
Take a crustacean and some live imaging and you have new information of how epidermis cells act during the regrowth of adult limbs after amputation. Researchers from the Institute of Functional Genomics in Lyon (Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, IGFL), France, have done continuous live imaging of a regenerating leg in the crustacean Parhyale […]
A new evidence-based guideline from the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and the American Society for Preventive Cardiology (ASPC) says that calcium with or without vitamin D intake from food or supplements that does not exceed 2, 000 to 2, 500 mg/day should be considered safe from a cardiovascular standpoint. A total of 31 studies were reviewed by […]
Imagine if your doctor had a heads up on your injury before you pulled into the parking lot? That and more are now available thanks to OrthoNOW and Uber. This new version of their mobile app includes a feature called “On My Way NOW, ” that sends alerts about patient arrival at the nearest OrthoNOW […]
A carnivorous plant is inspiring scientists to advance bacterial resistance on implants. A team of researchers led by Joanna Aizenberg, Ph.D., and Elliot Chaikof, M.D., Ph.D., at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University (SEAS), as well as the Beth […]
Zyga Technology, Inc. has released 12-month fusion and clinical results for patients receiving Slmmetry Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Fusion with decortication. The results of the prospective, multicenter study were recently presented at the 2016 Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (SMISS) Annual Meeting by William Cross, M.D., an orthopedic trauma surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in […]
Thinking beyond the bone, researchers from Buck Institute in Novato, California, have used the nematode worm to enhance their understanding of the unknown roles of vitamin D. With the help this worm, also known as C. elegans, researchers have found “that vitamin D works through genes known to influence longevity and impacts processes associated with […]
The PeekMed app, a way for surgeons to check on surgical planning from anywhere, is now available on the App Store. PeekMed, a company based in Braga, Portugal, indicates that its patent-pending technology means that surgeons can check and present patient plans and images exported from the PeekMed desktop software. According to the October 20, […]
Medacta International has announced the successful completion of the first U.S. surgeries by Raymond Golish, M.D., Ph.D., in Jupiter, Florida, and Arnold Vardiman, M.D., in San Antonio, Texas, utilizing its proprietary 3D-printed MySpine Low Profile Guide. The product received 501(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in August 2016. “My work requires me […]
A new study published in the September/October issue of Orthopedics reveals that the vast majority of patients do not think that orthopedic surgeons are overpaid. They do, however, exaggerate how much a surgeon is reimbursed by Medicare for performing knee surgery. This new work, performed by researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, is, according […]
A multicenter study has given a voice to patients undergoing prolotherapy for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Prolotherapy, an injection of hypertonic dextrose in and around the affected knee joint, was associated with improved knee-specific symptoms, quality of life, and ability to participate in daily activities among the majority of individuals who participated in several small clinical […]
All those opioids and not so much relief, says a new study from Rush University involving 2, 030 patients with back pain. The study also found that many of these people worry about side effects and the stigma associated with taking these medications. “Patients are increasingly aware that opioids are problematic, but don’t know there […]
HSS only NY facility on the Healthgrades Top 100 Spine Surgery List. Cleveland Clinic study says closed drains don’t improve THA. Chinese, Danish researchers take novel approach to wearable robotic exoskeleton for stroke and other disabled patients.
The Carolinas Medical Center Mercy was the site of a recent milestone: the 100th Mazor Robotics Ltd Renaissance spine surgical case. It was the OrthoCarolina Robotics Spine Surgery Team that had the honor of performing the case. According to the October 25, 2016 news release, the patient underwent a fusion procedure that involved inserting screws […]
Steve Haayen has joined Spinal Elements, Inc. as the area vice president of sales in the Western United States
The Windy City Bulls (Chicago Bulls National Basketball Association D-League team) have two new team physicians—Jeremy Alland, M.D. and Adam Yanke, M.D., sports medicine physicians from Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush. Dr. Alland is a primary care sports medicine physician and Dr. Yanke is a knee, shoulder and elbow surgeon, and specializes in cartilage restoration. As […]
New research from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences suggests that individuals who are exposed to a diet high in soy protein achieve some degree of protection against bone loss during adulthood. According to the October 14, 2016 news release, this is the first time that scientists have used an animal model to show […]
ABOS has a host of new talent on its Board of Directors, with the new panel of 2016-2017 officers and two new directors-elect.
Michigan’s experience with the use of tranexamic acid (TXA) in large joint arthroplasty. Abaloparatide study assesses its fracture prevention effectiveness across osteoporosis risk subgroups. Finally, new information about price shopping patients.
Get patients involved in multiple ways and they will learn, says new research from the University of Missouri. Specifically, the researchers found that patients who are engaged via sight, hearing, and touch during the informed consent process have an improved comprehension of their care and possible outcomes. The new study appears in the October 5, […]
The threat of a blood clot looms large after many an orthopedic surgery. Two new studies are showing positive results for XARELTO (rivaroxaban) in treating venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blood clots, and reducing the risk of recurrence. Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Janssen) and its development partner, Bayer AG, made the announcement. In one study, people with […]
Dr. Norton is the new executive chairman of the board and acting chief executive officer at Ortho Regenerative Technologies Inc.
Spines in space…what happens to them? New work funded by NASA attempted to delve into what affects lumbar spine strength and low back pain during long-duration spaceflights. As stated in the October 24, 2016 news release, “Six NASA crewmembers were studied before and after spending four to seven months in ‘microgravity’ conditions on the International […]
According to a new expert review from the International Osteoporosis Foundation, fracture risk is increased not just in those with type 1 diabetes (T1DM), but also in cases of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Professor Serge Ferrari is chair of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Bone and Diabetes Working Group and professor at the Geneva University […]
Research performed at the University of Delaware and funded by the National Institute of Arthritis Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Institutes of Health has shown how osteoarthritis (OA) can set in following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. According to the October 17, 2016 news release, “For the study, 30 athletes underwent gait analysis […]
Have surgery, move more? Maybe not, says new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA). The scientists, who used existing research papers measuring pre- and post-operative physical activity, found that patients’ physical activity did not increase following hip replacement surgery. Lead researcher Tom Withers, from UEA’s School of Health Sciences, said in the October […]
Researchers are making headway on a very rare genetic disease that causes muscle, tendons, and ligaments to turn into bone. Shinya Yamanaka, M.D., Ph.D., who first created induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and his colleagues at the Gladstone Institutes have, according to the October 24, 2016 news release, “found a way to increase the efficiency […]
A team from the University of Michigan (U-M) is being very proactive regarding the opioid epidemic. Armed with a new $1.4 million per year, five-year grant from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and equal funding from U-M, the researchers have created the Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network, or Michigan-OPEN. This initiative, says […]
Ten years ago Nathan Copeland was robbed of his ability to feel sensation in his arms and fingers when he was involved in a car accident. Copeland, a 30-year-old paralyzed man, has regained the sensation of touch. Thanks to technology developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center […]
What happens when a new level II trauma center moves in near an academic level 1 trauma center…and then moves out? Researchers from University of Florida (UF) – Jacksonville and Baylor College of Medicine wanted to find out. Christopher H. Perkins, M.D. is an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. […]
A new study of 114 individuals is showing that Tai Chi can be as effective as neck exercises in relieving persistent neck pain. The study was a randomized controlled trial reported in The Journal of Pain, the peer-reviewed publication of the American Pain Society. Peter M. Wayne, Ph.D. is associate professor of medicine at Harvard […]
According to a new report severe joint pain is on the rise, especially among older folks and those with arthritis. As indicated in the October 6, 2016 news release, “In 2002, about 10.5 million people in the United States said they battled severe joint pain, but by 2014 that number had jumped to 14.6 million, […]
What sort of degenerative radiographic changes occur at segments adjacent to the site of an anterior cervical fusion? Researchers from George Washington University and the Medical College of Wisconsin set out to determine that and more. For their study, the team followed 136 patients who underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for symptomatic cervical spondylosis […]
Working in a mouse model, scientists from The Johns Hopkins University have demonstrated that their novel nanofiber coating has successfully eradicated all traces of bacteria. The researchers indicate that their coating could be applied to a wide variety of orthopedic prostheses. A report on the study was published online the week of October 24, 2016 […]
Having knee pain can also mean that you have “outside the knee” pain. Researchers have not had the full picture of the pain distribution and reasons for the pain, however. New research involving the Boston University School of Medicine, the University of Alabama School of Medicine, the University of California, San Francisco, and the Boston […]
Are depressed patients more likely to be readmitted 90 days after total joint arthroplasty (TJA)? It’s possible, says new research from the New York University (NYU). After examining roughly 200, 000 records from the California Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project database, scientists found that depression was indeed associated with a significantly higher risk of readmission […]
Yet more news on the dangers of inflammation…Scientists in Germany have discovered that a protein in wheat triggers the inflammation in chronic health conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, asthma, and also contributes towards the development of non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. Professor Detlef Schuppen, M.D., Ph.D. told OTW, “The first studies were done in my […]
Another reason to put down the cigarette before the surgeon picks up the scalpel. New work from Duke University Medical Center and the Medical University of South Carolina has found that smokers undergoing total ankle replacement (TAR) fared much worse than their non-or-never-smoker cohorts. Alexander Lampley, M.D. is with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at […]
To add to our knowledge base about the scourge of diabetes, researchers from Denmark have gathered new data on the risk factors that influence fracture risk in diabetic patients. A new review article in Calcified Tissue International & Musculoskeletal Research examines the complexity of fracture epidemiology in diabetes. As indicated in the October 17, 2016 […]
David F. Martin, M.D. has taken the helm of the ABOS. New protocol effective in total elbow arthroplasty infection. New study of 6, 936 pre-op TKA patients quantifies pain and function scores. Excellent and helpful data.
Maybe soon you won’t have to worry about a heart health emergency when you pop an ibuprofen or two. It turns out that a new formulation of ibuprofen—ibuprofen arginate—might allow people to take higher doses without cardiovascular repercussions. “While more experiments are required, our observations show that ibuprofen arginate provides, in one preparation, a COX-2 […]
New research indicates that the ConforMIS iTotal CR performed better than traditional off-the-shelf implants. The study, already published online, has been accepted for publication in the The Journal of Arthroplasty. “I have been using ConforMIS customized knee replacements for over five years and this study reinforces the results that I have observed in my patients […]
The North American Spine Society (NASS) has just announced new coverage recommendations for four procedures and treatments: Coccygectomy, DNA-Based Scoliosis Test, Electrical Stimulation for Bone Healing and Facet Joint Interventions. The NASS Coverage Committee, led by President Christopher Bono, M.D., worked from member feedback to establish a clear format and to make them very accessible. […]
It looks like “joints” are bad for the joints. According to new research from the UK, those who indulge in heavy use of cannabis might be more prone to osteoporosis. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and the University of East Anglia undertook research involving regular cannabis smokers who were divided into moderate and heavy […]
As indicated in an October 13, 2016 news release, Australian researchers have a “world’s first.” The scientists have found that genetic profiling can help predict whether an individual will break a bone due to osteoporosis. The findings are part of the Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study. Lead study author Professor Tuan Nguyen, Ph.D. is from Garvan […]
The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) has announced the opening of nominations for the third annual Youth Sports Safety Ambassador Awards. Nominations will be accepted now through December 2, 2016. According to the October 14, 2016 news release, the awards recognize individuals and/or entities that have made a significant contribution to advancing athlete safety based […]
SI-BONE, Inc., makers of the iFuse Implant System, is announcing the submission of the INSITE (Investigation of Sacroiliac Fusion Treatment) two-year randomized controlled trial (RCT) data to Yale University’s Open Data Access (YODA) program. INSITE compares MIS (minimally invasive surgery) SI joint fusion with iFuse to non-surgical management. According to the October 5, 2016 news […]
Researchers from the University of Missouri are digging down into the process of stem cell transformation. Specifically, they have found a way to observe how human fat cells become bone tissue cells. “Stem cell treatments and therapies hold tremendous promise in treating a range of diseases and injuries; however, there is still a lot to […]
NYU Langone Medical Center will officially bring its expertise to the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL). The two entities will partner, with NYU Langone serving as the official hospital for the league and providing care throughout the 2016-17 season. “Forming this partnership with an elite medical institution like the NYU Langone Medical Center is a […]
Columbia College of Dental Medicine researchers have found that stem cells in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can make new cartilage and repair joints. According to the October 10, 2016 news release, “When the stem cells were manipulated in animals with TMJ degeneration, the cells repaired cartilage in the joint. A single cell transplanted in a […]
A past president of AAOS explains multi-organizational effort to advance osteoporosis care. International stem cell research has novel goal. Despite education about possible complications associated with weight-bearing, patients are not listening.
According to a new study involving 620 patients at 24 UK hospitals, elderly patients with unstable ankle fractures could possibly avoid surgery. The team, led by researchers at Oxford University, compared surgery to pin a broken ankle with a new plaster cast technique known as ‘close contact casting, ‘ The study was published in the […]
FallCall Solutions LLC has provided a sense of security and confidence for a 98-year-old and her family as she traveled around Europe. The company’s app, ElderCheck Now, accompanied the woman and provided her with the chance to share her health information with her family using an Apple Watch or iPhone. With ElderCheck Now, caregivers can […]
Zami Aberman is being welcomed for a second year to the Board of Directors of the Washington, DC-based Alliance for Regenerative Medicine.
Smith & Nephew plc has announced the publication of clinical evidence from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) highlighting improved patient outcomes following orthopedic surgery. A total of 220 patients undergoing primary hip or knee replacement compared the use of PICO, the company’s single use Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) system, with standard dressings on closed […]
Mr. Mackey is executive vice president of Boston Scientific and has joined the Millstone Medical Outsourcing Board of Directors.
She is a veteran legal advisor to medical technology companies.
San Diego, California-based Nasseo, Inc. has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in order to fund its work on spinal implants involving a nano-engineered surface coating. According to the October 3, 2016 news release, “Nasseo will conduct feasibility studies with an optimized nanotube surface on medical grade […]
Gloria Beim, M.D. discusses her role as Chief Medical Officer for Team USA 2016 Paralymics in Rio. The city of Pittsburgh proclaimed September 13, 2016 to be “Dr. Freddie Fu Day.” And researchers are developing an “off” switch in order to block pain.
How much can we know—preoperatively—about the risk of postoperative surgical site infection (SSI)? Advances in this area are now available thanks to new research performed at the Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University. Joshua Everhart, M.D., a co-author on the paper, worked with colleagues to develop a preoperative SSI risk-assessment tool for primary […]
A randomized trial from several Norwegian facilities is indicating that the in vitro cultivation of autologous chondrocytes is not an improvement over microfracture. Researchers enrolled 80 patients with a single symptomatic chronic cartilage defect on the femoral condyle without general osteoarthritis (OA). Gunnar Knutsen, M.D., Ph.D., a co-author on the study, told OTW, “At 15 […]
Using a mouse model, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown injecting nanoparticles into an injured joint can suppress inflammation immediately following an injury, thus reducing cartilage destruction. “I see a lot of patients with osteoarthritis, and there’s really no treatment, ” said senior author Christine Pham, M.D., an associate […]
Hensler Surgcial Products will be debuting the Hensler Bone Collector at the North American Spine Society’s (NASS) annual meeting in Boston on Wednesday, October 26 through Saturday, October 29. “Our focus at Hensler Surgical is to launch innovative products that cut costs and improve patient care, ” said Sean Hensler, PAC, MMS (Neurosurgery) and founder […]
Researchers pinpoint the unique factors that influence whether a fracture will heal or not. Found…a molecular pathway common across species points the way toward limb regeneration. And Mayo Clinic researchers have found a causal link between the aging-related cells and OA.
A new study undertaken at the McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania has found that ibuprofen does not hamper the supraspinatus tendon’s ability to adapt to exercise, but that one should keep an eye out for a decrease in muscle growth. The research team was led by Louis J. Soslowsky, Ph.D., vice […]
Dr. Yirenkyi is a board-eligible orthopedic surgeon whose specialties include minimally invasive spine surgery, operative and non-operative spine care for adults and traumatic spinal injury.
The spine gurus at NuVasive, Inc. have not only achieved a new 510(k), they have vastly improved the life of a six-year old girl. The company has just received FDA 510(k) clearance for its MAGEC system to be surgically implanted using its Reline posterior fixation system for treating patients with severe spinal deformity conditions. Sonia […]
Vexim, a French company focused on the spine, has announced the receipt of regulatory approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in order to commercialize SpineJack, as well as the cement delivery system Masterflow in Australia. As indicated in the September, 6 2016 news release, “This success opens a new market opportunity for VEXIM in […]
Ashley Zapf, M.D., CAQSM is a primary care sports medicine physician and has joined Andrews Institute.
Rotation Medical Inc., a company focused on solutions for rotator cuff disease, has announced results of a retrospective study that should be exciting for those interested in tissue healing. According to the September 27, 2016 news release, the biopsy study, published online in Arthroscopy, “supports the biocompatibility of the company’s bioinductive implant and its ability […]
Should hospital readmission rates be adjusted for race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) when it comes to total joint replacement? Perhaps not, says new research from the RAND Corporation, Truven Health Analytics, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). For this study, which was supported by the AHRQ Center for Delivery, Organization, and Markets, Healthcare […]
By pairing graphene nanoribbons with a certain polymer, Rice University researchers have found a method that could one day heal damaged spinal cords. Led by chemist James Tour, Ph.D., the researchers have developed a material dubbed Texas-PEG that could treat damaged or even severed spinal cords. As indicated in the September 19, 29016 news release, […]
Researchers across 15 level-1 trauma centers banded together to get some clarity on treatment guidelines for acetabular fractures in older adults. In this retrospective observational study, all participating centers were members of the Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium. A total of 269 patients over the age of 60 who were admitted for a displaced acetabular […]
After 14 years of guiding the AAOS as chief executive officer, Karen L. Hackett will leave the position in 2017.
Prevention programs are effective at reducing the risk of ankle injuries by 40% in soccer players, according to a new study appearing in a recent issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Injuries to the lower extremities are the most common in soccer. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), more than […]
Lab rats at Johns Hopkins are pointing the way toward new information on the sex differences in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) debate. Scientists have found that testosterone in males may explain why women are up to 10x more likely than men to injure their ACL. Specifically, said the September 20, 2016 news release, “they found […]
You can remain standing, it can handle both knees at once…what’s not to like? Pennsylvania-based CurveBeam is presenting its new orthopedic computed tomography (CT) scanner aimed at the knees and lower extremities. Neil Segal, M.D., a specialist in rehabilitation medicine, has been overseeing research efforts using a LineUP prototype, first at the University of Iowa […]
SI-BONE, Inc. is announcing two-year results from the INSITE (Investigation of Sacroiliac Fusion Treatment) study, a prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) of MIS (minimally invasive surgery) SI (sacroiliac) joint fusion with iFuse compared to non-surgical management (NSM). According to the August 24, 2016 news release, the researchers found that “rapid improvements in pain, disability and […]
Grant D. Shifflett, M.D. and Alexis E. Dixon, M.D. have joined California’s DISC Sports & Spine Center (DISC)
Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush is welcoming five new physicians! New research from Australia is re-examining an old vertebroplasty debate. ZendyHealth and Kerlan-Jobe have teamed up to offer a “name your price” surgery option.
Sheyan Armaghani, M.D. is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in degenerative spine conditions.
Implanet has announced successful results of the first surgical procedures using the Jazz Lock. Jazz Lock, which has both CE marking and 510K clearance, has been used in hospitals in France, Italy and the United States. The company indicates that the positive results emanating from over 25 cases mean that they are on track for […]
Frank H. Valone III, M.D., a fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon specializing in cervical, minimally invasive and reconstructive spinal surgery, is now with California Pacific Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. As indicated in the September 7, 2016 news release, Dr. Valone attended medical school at George Washington University, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha […]
The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR), an organization that collects data and uses it to improve outcomes of primary and revision hip and knee replacement procedures, is announcing its updated web portal. “Our web portal isn’t static, ” said Daniel J. Berry, M.D., chair of the AJRR Board of Directors. “Our collaboration with AOA [the […]
BioMedical Technologies International has announced that it will distribute VTI’s (Vertebral Technology, Inc.) InterFuse S and InterFuse T spinal fusion devices throughout Mexico. The partnership was just announced at the AMCICO Spine Congress (Asociacion Mexicana de Cirujanos de Columna/Mexican Association of Spine Surgeons/Spine Surgeons Association of Mexico) in Mexico City. BioMed Tech. International President and […]
It turns out, say researchers at the University of California (UC) San Diego, that a molecule occurring naturally in the body can encourage human pluripotent stem cells to regenerate bone tissue. Known as adenosine, the molecule helped repair cranial bone defects in mice without developing tumors or causing infection. “One of the broader goals of […]
Kim O’Connor, Ph.D., a professor at Tulane University, has been awarded a three-year $599, 638 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study ways to improve the survival of mesenchymal stem cells once they have been implanted in patients. Dr. O’Connor, who is in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, is the principal […]
New research performed at Rothman Institute in Philadelphia has found that even one positive culture could mean bad news for outcomes in a reimplantation that is part of a two-stage exchange arthroplasty. Investigators looked at 259 patients with periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) who underwent both stages of two-stage exchange arthroplasty at Rothman from 1999 to […]
The hip and knee program at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City is shining these days, having just earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement. This is the only hospital in New York City to receive this certification for an orthopedic program. […]
Renown orthopedic trauma surgeon Attila Poka, M.D. has joined CoNextions Medical as the company’s Chief Medical Officer.
New Rush study finds that glenohumeral joint cartilage is not as hardy as other cartilage. Wrist fractures in elderly patients might mean they are set for a fall. And for RA patients, immunotherapy drugs can lessen disease activity AND reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.
Rotation Medical Inc. has announced that new study results indicate that the company’s collagen-based bioinductive implant induced new tissue formation in all study patients with rotator cuff tears. According to the company, this rotator cuff system is a new alternative to traditional surgical repair. As indicated in the September 7, 2016 news release, “The study […]
Initial promising results for those with bone infection. BONESUPPORT AB is announcing the publication of results from the first 100 patients in a study on CERAMENT G in patients with chronic osteomyelitis using a single stage surgical procedure. The prospective study, published in The Bone and Joint Journal, evaluated CERAMENT G for dead space management […]
The Interventional Orthopedics Foundation (IOF) has announced that it has awarded two grants for the 2016-2017 academic year. The grants were awarded through the Foundation and provide a total of $75, 000 to recipients for the placement of clinical PM&R (physical medicine and rehabilitation) Fellows. The Award recipients are Emory University Department of Orthopedics and […]
HSS not only provided superb care for Olympic athletes in Rio, but Scott Rodeo, M.D. developed a sports emergency curriculum for medical professionals. Shorter LOS at orthopedic specialty hospital following shoulder arthroplasty? And Harvard researchers have found a new tool for avoiding avascular necrosis of the femoral neck.
Researchers from the University of California San Diego have found that if they feed adenosine (ATP), a molecule that occurs naturally in the body, to human pluripotent stem cells, they will regenerate bone tissue. Shyni Varghese, Ph.D. a bioengineering professor at UC San Diego was senior author of the study. According to the August 31, […]
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health, along with colleagues in Turkey and the UK, have discovered a rare and sometimes lethal inflammatory disease that primarily affects young children. Known as otulipenia, the condition can involve joint pain, rashes, fever, and growth problems. As indicated in the September 7, 2016 news release, “Otulipenia is caused […]
Implanet is announcing that it has received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for its JAZZ technological platform. According to the August 30, 2016 news release, “The JAZZ technological platform’s intellectual protection now covers the braided implant and its tensioning system, the principal element of its instrumentation. Implanet now possesses intellectual […]
While it’s a bit more complex than shop class, it may be possible to weld together flakes of graphene into solids that can be used for bone implants, say an international team of scientists led by researchers at Rice University. According to the September 2, 2016 news release, “The Rice lab of materials scientist Pulickel […]
New research has shown that a brain can remember the representation of an amputated hand—even decades later. A team of scientists from the University of Oxford Brain Lab have opened up a pathway to the possibility of controlling prosthetic limbs via the brain. Team leader, Dr. Tamar Makin said in the August 30. 2016 news […]
Baseball and football one year after the world’s first bilateral hand transplant! Temple University research finds evidence that mitochondria may impact bone healing. New research shows no difference between transiliac-transsacral and unilateral iliosacral screws.
Intralink-Spine, Inc. (ILS) is reporting “extremely positive clinical results” for its Rejuve System, a device that addresses low back pain. As indicated in the August 30, 2016 news release, the device was, “Initially conceived by Tom Hedman, Ph.D. while an Associate Professor at the University of Southern California, the Réjuve device provides almost immediate mechanical […]
Falls are such a scourge for the elderly. And, decided researchers from the Sinclair School of Nursing and the College of Engineering at the University of Missouri, more can be done to prevent them. These scientists have found that sensors that measure in-home gait speed and stride length can predict falls that will occur within […]
“How much graft is enough for a solid union?” asked researchers from The University of Rochester in New York, in their investigation of ankle and hindfoot arthritis. The research team, which included Judith Baumhauer, M.D., M.P.H., former president of The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society, used data from a prior clinical trial of grafting […]
The high-level athletes at the US Open for the first time have available onsite advanced image-viewing workstations that can guide physicians in making a rapid diagnosis. The medical team is using the PACS workstation (Picture Archiving and Communication System) made by GE Healthcare. For the fourth year in a row, Mount Sinai Hospital is the […]
Using a mouse model, Japanese researchers have found out how to deliver a protein/peptide combination using an injectable gel carrier to promote bone formation in jawbones. The scientists, primarily from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), have, according to the August 23, 2016 news release, “…injected a gelatin-based gel carrying OP3-4 and BMP -2 [bone […]
The results of a controlled laboratory study from Mayo Clinic are shedding light on the complexity of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. The research, recently published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, involved a cadaveric model of landing. According to the study, “Peak ACL strain was measured in situ and characterized under impulsive […]
Seeking to clarify things regarding ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (UCLR), a.k.a., Tommy John Surgery, researchers from Rush University Medical Center dove into the question, “Should we limit the number of innings pitched post-operatively in the MLB (Major League Baseball) pitcher’s first season?” Some have suggested that doing so would help reduce the chances of pitchers […]
The niches are getting smaller…ForeSight Medical has launched Encompass Specialty Surgical Network, a surgical network that aims to manage costs for workers’ compensation payers. “Ambulatory surgical centers are the safest and most efficient sites of care for most workers’ compensation related surgeries, ” said ForeSight President Brian Bell, in the August 23, 2016 news release […]
Study: RA patients 300x more likely to get flesh-eating bacteria! Runners with femoral neck stress fractures now know when they can get back to running. And there is much room for improvement when it comes to women choosing orthopedic careers.
Dr. Larson specializes in hand trauma, adult, pediatric, and congenital hand conditions, treatment for arthritis of the hand and wrist, carpal and cubital tunnel release, as well as treatment of injuries to the nerves, tendons, and vessels.
In the exam room, OR, or the research lab, these are some of the top sports knee surgeons in North America.
When professionals hit the links, they should know that their hips are, well, different than ours. New research from the University of Warwick in the UK has found that elite golfers are more likely to have different shaped right and left hips compared to the rest of us. The finding was made by Dr. Edward […]
Injured players on two New York sports teams will be fortunate to have local experts on hand to help. It’s now official…NYU Langone Medical Center will serve as the official Medical Center and team doctors for the New York Empire season and the Mylan World TeamTennis. “We welcome NYU Langone Medical Center to our growing […]
Nikhil N. Verma, M.D. will now lead Rush’s Sports Medicine Program. HSS swings open doors of its Patellofemoral Center of Excellence. And the Aleve Direct Therapy TENS unit is at a CVS, Walgreens near you.
Illinois Bone & Joint Institute (IBJI) and Lake Cook Orthopedics will soon bring their resources together as one. The merger will become effective as of October 1, 2016. Once the merger is complete, says the August 24, 2016 news release, the combined team will include more than 100 physicians and 22 clinic locations. According to […]
A team of researchers from The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice and the Boston University School of Public Health recently took a look at older adults who have had a fragility fracture and the medication they were taking. “Is it possible to reduce these patients’ exposure to drugs associated with fracture risk, […]
The “gut” just keeps popping up as something to pay attention to. New research from Purdue University has found that adolescent girls and postmenopausal women who take soluble corn fiber are likely to get some help in building and retaining calcium in bone. “We are looking deeper in the gut to build healthy bone in […]
Freddie Fu, M.D. joins AOSSM Hall of Fame. Dr. David Altchek discusses the latest on Tommy John surgeries. Northwest Medical Center tells what it takes to maintain THE Gold Seal.
SeaSpine Holdings Corporation is expanding, with the recent announcement that it will be acquiring the assets of NLT Spine Ltd. (NLT), an Israel-based medical device company focused on spinal products for minimally invasive surgery (MIS). According to the August 18, 2016 news release, “NLT’s platforms include vertical, lordotic and footprint expanding interbody technologies for use […]
Is it a case of “solve one problem, create another?” New research from Sweden has found that calcium supplements may be associated with an increased risk of dementia in older women who have had a stroke or other signs of cerebrovascular disease. The five-year study involved 700 women between the ages of 70 and 92 […]
If you are, say, hiking the lovely mountains around El Paso, Texas, and fall prey to a fracture, there is a center of excellence nearby. Foundation Surgical Hospital of El Paso is announcing that it has been awarded the Foundation HealthCare’s Center of Excellence Award in Orthopedic Surgery. According to the August 10, 2016 news […]
Dr. Smith, a foot and ankle specialist, has joined OrthoAtlanta and will treat patients in the Gwinnett, Johns Creek, North Fulton and North Metro areas of Atlanta, Georgia.
CollPlant Ltd., an Israeli regenerative medicine company, is announcing good things for its tendinopathy treatment product, VergenixSTR. The company, which is on schedule to receive CE mark approval for this product in the third quarter of 2016, uses plant-based technology. As indicated in the August 17, 2016 news release, “The prospective, open label, single-arm trial […]
A new prospective follow-up study has found that most patients who undergo ankle fracture fixation can rest easy for about 10 years. The authors, who hail from Hospital for Joint Diseases, The University of Alabama, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, and New York University, found that patients who underwent open reduction internal fixation of an unstable […]
A major effort is underway in Europe to further our understanding of critical limb ischemia (CLI). Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. has announced that its CLI program in the European Union has been awarded an $8 million grant. As indicated in the August 9, 2016 news release, “The Phase III study of PLX-PAD in CLI will be […]
Renowned spine surgeon Frank Phillips, M.D. is Rush’s new Director of the Division of Spine Surgery. A new Wash U study finds higher TKR complications for blacks, Native Americans and other minority patients, and a surprising JBJS Study says cartilage innovation has stopped. Cold.
It’s hard to treat biologic refractory rheumatoid arthritis (RA). But now, with the results coming out of Mesoblast Limited, it may be a bit easier. The company is reporting that just one intravenous infusion of its allogeneic mesenchymal precursor cell (MPC) product candidate, MPC-300-IV, has resulted in some clinical success. Allan Gibofsky, M.D., Professor of […]
Along with colleagues, Michelle Meade, Ph.D., associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Michigan, decided to investigate how they could help spinal cord patients manage their daily lives. Dr. Meade is co-editor of a two-part series of Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation focused on recent research studies about health behaviors […]
One orthopedic practice is not on the sidelines when it comes to supporting local sports. Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists (COS), has announced a new scholarship fund and support agreement with Quinnipiac University (Q.U.), thus expanding its existing relationship to include the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine. “Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists is proud to be a […]
With the recent announcement by Conventus Orthopaedics, Inc. that it has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA to market its new Conventus Cage DU (Distal Ulna) and PU (Proximal Ulna) Systems, patients with ulnar fractures now have, shall we say, an expansion of options. As indicated in the August 15, 2016 news release, “Utilizing the […]
A group of researchers from Boston asked the question, “Do women have better outcomes than men when it comes to total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA)?” Their research, recently published in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, says “no.” However, they do have different expectations of the surgery. The study, conducted by researchers from The New […]
Houston, we have a problem in the hospitals. A new study from Baylor College of Medicine has found that one out of five orthopedic trauma patients treated in a Houston public hospital emergency department (ED) are repeating the same care they had in another Houston ED. “When an orthopedic trauma patient comes to an ED […]
The CORE (Center for Orthopaedic Research and Education) Institute is throwing its best resources at the issue of metabolic bone health. CORE has just announced the launch of its first Bone Health Program in Arizona at their North Phoenix clinic. Osteoporosis will be the highlight of the program, which will comprise patient care, research and […]
May the force be with your bones…the future is most definitely here. New research has found that cold plasma—the stuff of televisions and fluorescent lights—could actually help bones heal faster. The work was published August 11 in the Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. According to the August 11, 2016 news release, cold plasma […]
A huge influx of funds will go a long way toward rolling out a product. This is the case with Plymouth, Minnesota-based Rotation Medical, Inc., which has announced the completion a $12 million Series B extension financing. As indicated in the August 16, 2016 news release, “The existing investors—New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Life Sciences Partners […]
Dr. Pedraza specializes in non-surgical orthopedics, general sports medicine and concussion management.
OrthoPediatrics Corp. has launched its new BandLoc 5.5/6.0mm System (BandLoc), a device which has already received both CE marking and FDA clearance and specific international markets. According to the August 16, 2016 company news release, “BandLoc is a pedicle-sparing, band passage technique for treating a wide variety of complex spinal pathologies, including scoliosis. The implant […]
From the late 1990s to today, the number of annual deaths from preventable medical errors has increased roughly four-fold. What is going on? Former head of patient safety at AAOS tackles this troubling statistic head on and discusses new efforts to stem the rising tide of adverse surgical events in the U.S.
Is it possible that inhibiting signaling of the protein Gα11 can contribute to halting bone loss? Maybe, say researchers from the University of Toronto. As indicated in the August 9, 2016 news release, “Intermittent parathyroid hormone treatment (iPTH) and mechanical loading through exercise have both been shown to stimulate bone formation. These osteoanabolic stimuli are […]
There is movement in the gradual limb correction arena, with OrthoPediatrics Corporation’s finalization of a license agreement with Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network for its EPIC Plate Physeal Tethering Technology. According to the August 8, 2016 news release, “The EPIC Plate was designed in collaboration with the Network’s researchers from the Kids Research Institute at The […]
A specialized treatment center in Los Angeles has received a huge stamp of approval. The new Ambulatory Surgery Center at Orthopaedic Institute for Children (OIC), the first center in Los Angeles designed and built exclusively to provide orthopedic outpatient surgical care to children, has achieved accreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). […]
Researchers were a bit surprised recently to find that joint pain and sleep apnea were not linked. A team from Australia recently published a study in Arthritis Care & Research indicating that they found no association between obstructive sleep apnea and joint pain…or between sleep apnea and daytime drowsiness. Corresponding author Joule Li told OTW, […]
In a case of medical multitasking, researchers have developed a new class of drug candidates that can address bone loss as well as diabetes. The work was co-led by Patrick R. Griffin, Ph.D., a professor on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), and B. Lecka-Czernik, Ph.D., a professor at the University of […]
Gathering more and more data, Vertical Spine, LLC has now announced the achievement of a key milestone with the 1000th case performed using its FIBRINET System technology. As indicated in the August 1, 2016 news release, “The FIBRINET System is a self‐contained, disposable kit that is used to harness and concentrate the patient’s own platelets […]
As a follow-up to the positive results of its Phase II trial of its PLX-PAD cells in total hip surgery, Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc. will now be conducting a Phase III trial to assess PLX-PAD cells in recovery following surgery for femoral neck fracture. As indicated in the July 27, 2016 news release, “The Phase III […]
Gregor Thomas, Ph.D., who brings years of experience in the orthopedic, oral surgery and reconstructive dentistry specialties, has been appointed as new Medical Director at curasan AG. He replaces Dr. Wolf-Dietrich Hübner, who will retire at the end of this year. Dr. Thomas will lead the medical affairs, clinical research, regulatory affairs and quality systems […]
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh “Pitt” School of Medicine and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine have found a mechanism by which bioscaffolds used in regenerative medicine influence cellular behavior. “Bioscaffolds fulfill an unmet medical need, and have already changed the lives of millions of people, ” said lead study investigator Stephen Badylak, D.V.M., […]
Drexel University researchers, working with scientists from the University of Sydney in Australia, have identified how inflammation can be critical when it comes to bone repair. As indicated in the July 29, 2016 news release, “Their findings, published this week in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, show that a new type of ceramic […]
According to an August 2, 2016 news release, the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) has received word from U.S. News & World Report that it has been declared the best hospital in its field (as it has every year since 1991). “RIC’s pioneering spirit has come to define the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation, […]
In an August 1, 2016 news release, Mesoblast Limited has announced that the 24-month results from the 100-patient, four-arm, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial of its chronic low back pain (CLBP) product candidate MPC-06-ID were presented at the 24th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Spine Intervention Society (SIS) held in New Orleans July 27-30, and […]
A group of volunteers from the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) recently returned to Vietnam, where they not only performed surgery, but participated in educational programs. According to the July 29, 2016 news release, “This year’s volunteer group evaluated 218 patients in clinics and performed surgery on 66, all at no cost to […]
New capsular management techniques preserve the capsule, add stability. Canadian researchers looking into possible causation between gene mutation and osteonecrosis. And Mercy Health wins AJSM Systematic Review Award from the AOSSM.
And the “hits” just keep on coming for Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS)…this is the 7th year in a row that the facility has been ranked the No. 1 hospital in the country for orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals 2016-2017” survey. In addition, HSS was also recognized as a leader in […]
A Canadian hospital may have figured out a way to reduce orthopedic surgical site infections (SSIs)…close the door! Concerned that there was an excess of traffic in and out of the operating room (OR) during total joint replacement procedures, the safety team at Peace Arch Hospital (Fraser Health) in White Rock, British Columbia, undertook measures […]
A new woven 3D scaffold from Washington University in St. Louis is paving the way for advancements in delaying or even preventing traditional joint replacement.
Smith & Nephew plc has announced the first surgical case of its robotics-assisted total knee replacement procedure, performed by Brian McGinley, M.D. at the John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson, New York. The new approach recently received 510(k) clearance from the FDA, and uses the NAVIO Surgical System to implant the JOURNEY II […]
Chemists from New York and Glasgow have discovered the molecules that guide stem cells to differentiate into particular types of cells. One of the researchers, Rein Ulijn, Ph.D. of the City University of New York and the University of Strathclyde, produced gels that mimic bone’s stiffness, thus causing stem cells placed on the gel to […]
Thanks to a new application from ViiMed, surgeons, nurses, and clinical coordinators can have real-time communication with patients. The cloud-based application, EXTEND, connect patients and caregivers in bundled care programs. As indicated in the August 1, 2016 news release, “On April 1, 2016, CMS [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] announced a new model that […]
Having helped to grow MuscleSound thus far, now Andy Jackson will move the company forward as president and chief executive officer. According to the July 28, 2016 news release, MuscleSound is “a Denver-based technology company that helps users optimize performance levels and reduce injury risk through MuscleHealth measurement.” Jackson succeeds Stephen Kurtz, who will be […]
Japanese researchers have created a vibrating device that can be added to surgical tools could improve surgeons’ sensitivity to different shapes and textures inside their patients’ bodies. The engineers, from Hiroshima University, have designed the small vibrating device that can be used right away and does not require additional training. The vibrations—say the researchers—are so […]
A two-day symposium involving more than 25 osteoarthritis experts (OA) has developed clinical treatment protocols for three specific groups of patients.
EOS imaging has signed an exclusive partnership with Anatoscope of Montpellier, France, to combine Anatoscope’s virtual patient models with EOS 2D/3D images and datasets into the EOS apps for advanced orthopedic applications. Look for the initial applications in 2017. As indicated in the July 21, 2016 news release, “Anatoscope, a start-up company created in 2015, […]
“Continuing to provide surgical efficiency through its Ready-For-Surgery platform, Flower Orthopedics announces the launch of its New MTP Fusion Plate Portfolio. An integral component in Flower’s First Ray IndicationCube—featuring the Flower E-Kit—the Flower MTP Fusion portfolio creates a faster procedure, requires a smaller incision and reduces the overall cost of providing care.” “The Flower First […]
4WEB Medical is announcing the receipt of 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its lateral interbody fusion device. The trade name is “Lateral Spine Truss System.” “The Lateral Spine Truss System represents a significant advancement in treatment options for lateral spine surgery, ” said Frank Cammisa, M.D., in the July 27, 2016 news release. Dr. […]
Researchers from the University of Illinois (U. of I.) have gone beyond the traditional mouse model used when testing a bone cancer drug delivery system…they went to the dogs. Timothy Fan, Ph.D., U. of I. veterinary clinical medicine professor, led the study with JianJun Chang, Ph.D., a materials science and engineering professor. According to the […]
Curious about the strain being put on that spine implant? So was Intellirod Spine. The company has just announced that it has raised more than $1 million in equity financing from new and existing investors to do that and more. As indicated in the July 26, 2016 news release, “Funds will be used to reach […]
Researchers at the University of Missouri are testing a new molecule that has proven to be highly effective in animal models exhibiting spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The researchers hope their work will eventually result in new drugs for patients with SMA. “Our team has been fine-tuning a potential therapeutic for SMA and what it does, […]
Conducted at the BioMag laboratory at the Helsinki University Hospital, a new patient study could open a new opportunity to rehabilitate patients with spinal cord damage. Anastasia Shulga, M.D. is a neurologist who led the study, in which, according to the July 17, 2016 news release, “two patients with spinal cord injuries received a form […]
Dr. Amendola, vice chair in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Duke University, is the new president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.
After some special mice return from a trip in space, Rick Sumner, Ph.D. and colleagues will be using them to get more information on molecular basis of bone loss in space. Dr. Sumner, chairperson of the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Rush University, is highly involved in the NASA-funded study, which according to […]
Spineart is pleased with the recently published results for the BAGUERA C cervical disc prosthesis. The work, which appeared in the Journal of Spine, emanated from a multicenter European prospective registry for the BAGUERA C cervical disc prosthesis. The paper is titled “Radiographic Outcome and Adjacent Segment Evaluation Two Years after Cervical Disc Replacement with […]
Shriners and Carter Center bring pediatric screening to Haiti. A new study finds that for highly active people, osteochondral allograft transplantation could be their ticket back to the game. New messaging system prevents infection—and gets high marks with patients.
Spineart now has the green light from the FDA, with prized 510(k) clearances to market its new JULIET Ti lumbar interbody systems. As indicated in the July 18, 2016 news release, “The JULIET Ti PO, OL and TL interbody systems are the first range of titanium interbody implants benefiting from the company’s proprietary Ti-LIFE Technology. […]
Note to kids…the thumb is meant for other things than gaming. In fact, says The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), thumbs, whole hands, and spines are at risk for injury due to gaming. In a July 11, 2016 new release it states, “One of the most common conditions related to excessive video game use […]
Every drop counts…of blood, that is. And now, a team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center has developed blood use guidelines that saved their facility $2 million and resulted in a 30% reduction in blood utilization. “The transfusion committee at Vanderbilt was interested in evaluating how we could implement evidence-based guidelines around restrictive transfusion, ” according […]
Tony Recupero was former advisor to NuVasive, Inc., LDR, Invuity, Inc. and Ortho Kinematics, Inc., among others, on their sales and go-to-market strategies.
Danish scientists have found that the cholesterol medicine known as simvastatin directly affects the immune system. The researchers—from Aarhus University—hope that this opens up a new pathway for treating diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. “Simvastatin—and statins in general—are not designed to have this effect. We have now identified a […]
Only one southern California hospital has made the Modern Healthcare “Best Place to Work in Healthcare” list for 2016—Hoag Orthopedic Institute (HOI). “Hoag Orthopedic Institute is honored to be included in this year’s prestigious ‘Best Places to Work in Healthcare’ list, ” said Dr. Carlos A. Prietto, president and CEO of Hoag Orthopedic Institute. “Our […]
Duke Health researchers, along with scientists from Hospital for Sick Children and Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School and Faculty of Medicine, and Seoul National University Hospital, have discovered that a type of cell surrounding blood vessels can also be the origin of sarcoma. According to the July 14, […]
New work from The Ohio State University has found that a training program focusing on team communication, leadership, and decision-making practices, known as Crew Resource Management (CRM), was found to improve perceptions of the safety culture by 8% over the course of two years. This study, the largest of its kind, is out now in […]
Thanks to the son of an orthopedic surgeon, people in a remote area of China have been able to benefit from total hip and knee replacements. United Orthopedic Corporation (UOC) has announced this donation, made to a hospital in Hefei China, 300 miles inland from Shanghai. According to the July 5, 2016 news release, “Freddy […]
Thanks to the son of an orthopedic surgeon, people in a remote area of China have been able to benefit from total hip and knee replacements. United Orthopedic Corporation (UOC) has announced this donation, made to a hospital in Hefei China, 300 miles inland from Shanghai. According to the July 5, 2016 news release, “Freddy […]
Japanese researchers have created a novel hydrogel that, according to the July 14, 2016 news release, “…bonds spontaneously and strongly to defected bones, suggesting potential use in the treatments of joint injuries.” The team from Hokkaido University had in the past created a “tough, high-strength network gel, called double-network gel (DN gel) that exhibited excellent […]
You might call them e-threads…nano size sensors located inside threads than can get a “read” on a variety of bodily data. Researchers led by Tufts University engineers have, according to the July 18, 2016 news release, “integrated nano-scale sensors, electronics and microfluidics into threads—ranging from simple cotton to sophisticated synthetics—that can be sutured through multiple […]
IlluminOss Medical, Inc. has announced it has completed enrollment in its first U.S. clinical trial towards FDA approval of its IlluminOss System. According to the company, this is the world’s “first and only system of its kind that supports the treatment of fractures using patient-specific intramedullary implants.” The 80-patient U.S. trial took place at 13 […]
Centric Medical, a division of Life Spine, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given 510(k) marketing clearance to the Subtalar Arthroereisis Implant System for treating hyperpronation of the foot and stabilization of the subtalar joint. As indicated in the June 23, 2016 news release, “The Subtalar Arthroereisis Implant System […]
California-based Hoag Orthopedic Institute (HOI) recently took part in an international effort to present the most up to date international standards for the measurement of hip and knee osteoarthritis outcomes. The event, The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM), was a value-based health care conference in London. HOI was a sponsoring partner. As indicated […]
Lawrence A. Armstrong, Ph.D., FACSM, passed the gavel to Dr. Joy, a physician practicing at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City.
Cartiva, Inc. has announced that the first commercial U.S. patient has received the Cartiva Synthetic Cartilage Implant (SCI) following its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 1. According to the July 12, 2016 news release, “The Cartiva SCI device is intended for use in the treatment of patients with painful […]
New work from Stanford University has found that surgeons must lead the way when it comes to new technologies. Researchers have discovered that virus-like elements contribute to risk of autoimmune disease. And a radiologist at HSS who specializes in musculoskeletal problems discusses a new imaging system from France.
How do patients walk following hip replacement? Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) aim to find out…with the help of a portable gait analysis. The study, which will assess the early outcomes of several different hip replacement techniques, will evaluate pain and function before surgery and six weeks after surgery. According to the July […]
The Geriatric Fracture Care program operated by Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania was recently honored with the highest level of recertification available, Premier Level status, as announced by the International Geriatric Fracture Society (IGFS). According to the July 6, 2016 news release, “In achieving this recognition Geisinger Medical Center becomes just the second such […]
Titan Spine, LLC is reporting that the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the creation of a new technology ICD-10 code for a nanotextured surface on an interbody fusion device. As indicated in the July 11, 2016 news release, Titan Spine’s nanoLOCK surface technology, which was the first FDA-cleared nanotechnology for […]
Midway through, ConforMIS, Inc. has some positive results from its ongoing, U.S. multi-center, prospective study of iTotal CR, in which more than 300 patients have been enrolled. The study is financially supported by ConforMIS. Researchers examined patient satisfaction after total knee replacement (TKR) with the iTotal CR and found that 92% of patients were satisfied […]
OrthoWorx is announcing that it garnered significant financial support in order to establish AcceLinx, a new medical device accelerator. Specifically, Kosciusko County (Indiana) pledged up to $1 million over six years, the City of Fort Wayne offered $450, 000 over the same period and Allen County pledged $150, 000. “Our region has an excellent track […]
Dr. Chu and her colleagues have just been recognized for their work on the knee center of rotation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
Justin Irizarry, co-founder and CFO of OrthoNOW, has been named as an honoree on the South Florida Business Journal’s 2016 40 Under 40 list. As indicated in the June 24, 2016 news release, “Irizarry, a graduate of Cornell University and a Wharton School Fellow, was selected for his contributions to the South Florida community as […]
Johns Hopkins researchers have determined that a major operation to fuse the spines of children with a rare form of severe, early-onset scoliosis is unnecessary in some cases. “We have long thought this big final fusion surgery, after years of spine straightening treatment, was always necessary, and now we have found that that’s not true, […]
Additive Orthopaedics, LLC is announcing that it has successfully treated a series of patients suffering from painful hammertoes with its innovative (recently FDA cleared) 3D printed hammertoe implant. “Our implant has properties and features only possible through the additive manufacturing process, ” said Greg Kowalczyk, president and founder of Additive Orthopaedics, in the July 7, […]
Joel C. Williams, M.D., an orthopedic trauma surgeon specializing in complex hip disorders, has joined Midwest Orthopedics at Rush (MOR). According to the June 20, 2016 news release, “Dr. Williams received his medical degree with distinction in research from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York. He completed his residency, research and trauma […]
Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center (OCMMC) in Fountain Valley, California, has announced the opening of its Center for Spine Health. “We are extremely proud to officially open the Center for Spine Health, ” said Marcia Manker, CEO of OCMMC, in the July 5, 2016 news release. “Our Center is staffed by a highly experienced team […]
Exactly where an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear is located makes a difference, says new work presented at the 2016 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “The goal of our research was to see if an objective measure like physical examination or imaging from an MRI could help […]
Researchers from the University of Denver have shown that female soccer players who use a wearable neuromuscular device have a reduced risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. “Our study showed that training with a wearable neuromuscular (WNM) device improved postural control in athletes, without limiting performance, ” said Michael John Decker, Ph.D., from the […]
Dr. Shelbourne, medical director for the Shelbourne Knee Center at Community Westview Hospital in Indianapolis, was inducted into the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s Hall of Fame.
New work involving 503 athletes has found that sex, age, and graft size matter when it comes to an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) re-tear post reconstruction with a hamstring graft. The research, led by Duong Nguyen, M.D. has just been presented at the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine’s Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. […]
A new study has found that surgery for shoulder instability in collegiate athletes is often the best option as far as returning to play, especially in those who performed at high levels previously. “There was no significant statistical difference in return-to-play rates between the various types of shoulder instability surgery. However, athletes who played more […]
New research indicates that a program to prevent hamstring injuries in minor league and major league baseball (MLB) players could be useful. The researchers are presenting their work at the 2016 American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Annual Meeting. “Hamstring injuries, both acute and chronic are on the rise in baseball and injury prevention […]
A new clinical trial has found that stimulating the vagus nerve with an implantable bioelectronic device has proved beneficial for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study was performed by the Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and SetPoint Medical. “This is the first study to evaluate whether stimulating the […]
OrthoWorx has just rolled a new website, brochure, and video. In a July 1, 2016 email, the company stated, “… We look forward to continuing to work with our industry and academic partners, as well as other regional stakeholders, to continue to ensure Warsaw, Indiana remains the Orthopedic Capital of the World.” Asked why this […]
New research from Alabama Ortho Spine and Sports presented at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) 2016 Annual Meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has shown that surgery following a first-time shoulder dislocation lowered the re-injury risks and need for follow-up surgery when compared to those who were initially treated non-operatively and experienced a […]
Johns Hopkins researchers have found that it is necessary to track the errors of orthopedic trainees—not just assess what they are getting right. The research was led by Dawn LaPorte, M.D., a professor of orthopedic surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. As indicated in the news release, “The team then tested the […]
SpineCraft, LLC has received clearance from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) to market its APEX Spine System in that country. According to the July 5, 2016 news release, “The APEX Spine System is designed for complex deformity correction as well as tumor, trauma and degenerative procedures and has proven clinical track record with […]
In what researchers say is the largest such study to date, physician-scientists have found that the risk of blindness caused by spinal fusion has dropped almost three-fold since the late 1990s. The study was published online June 30, 2016 in Anesthesiology. Steven Roth, M.D., the Michael Reese Endowed Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of […]
OrthoPediatrics Corporation has launched something that will hopefully mean a lot of relief for little patients. The company has released its PediLoc Infant Locking Proximal Femur (LPF) Plating System. As indicated in the June 28, 2016 news release, “The OrthoPediatrics PediLoc LPF System features an expansive array of plate configurations, angles, offsets and sizes to […]
A new study suggests that osteoporosis patients are not getting the care they need. According to the June 23, 2016 news release, Sundeep Khosla, M.D., a practicing endocrinologist, research scientist, professor of medicine and director of the Clinical and Translational Science Award Program at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Elizabeth Shane, M.D., a […]
The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), designated “No. 1 Rehabilitation Hospital in America” by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1991, has just received a charitable donation from Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan. The amount, which is being held as confidential, is larger than any other donated ever received by the facility. […]
Surprising news about young pitchers and fatigue! German researchers find link between bone loss and metal implants. And communication training at HSS enhances residents’ skills.
New research from Rush University Medical Center indicates that osteoarthritis (OA) patients are more likely to have the impact of their condition underestimated by rheumatologists than patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study was recently presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016). “This discordance between physician and patient perception of disease […]
Darrell Denslow will now be heading up sales for Scottsdale, Arizona-based Lattice Biologics Ltd.
A new technique developed by Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, Ph.D., the Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia Engineering and professor of medical sciences (in Medicine) at Columbia University, repairs large bone defects in the head and face by using lab-grown living bone, tailored to the patient and the defect being treated. According to the June […]
In an uncertain world, predictive tools can be quite helpful. Now, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed an index to help healthcare providers better predict who may experience faster bone loss during menopause. Dubbed the “Bone Balance Index, ” the researchers indicate that it is most helpful for predicting bone […]
SI-BONE, Inc., manufacturers of the iFuse Implant System, has announced that Geisinger Health Plan has revised its medical policy for sacroiliac (SI) joint fusion that, according to the June 15, 2016 news release, “exclusively covers the iFuse Implant System for the treatment of SI joint syndrome and SI joint mediated mechanical low back pain when […]
PAVmed Inc. has announced the successful completion of a pre-clinical human cadaver study. According to the June 23, 2016 news release, the study has shown “that the Company’s completely percutaneous CarpX device reliably and effectively transects the ligament which causes carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).” Lishan Aklog, M.D., Chairman and CEO of PAVmed, said, “We are […]
Rocky Tuan, Ph.D. has received a grant to conduct work on the International Space Station. Rush researchers have found that outcomes of FAI surgery vary depending on age and sex. And intensive aquatic resistance training just might fit the bill for postmenopausal women with mild knee OA.
As if cancer patients don’t have enough to worry about, researchers have just found that case reports on 13 cancer patients suggest that “a small number of cancer patients taking the immunotherapy drugs ipilimumab and nivolumab may be at some higher-than-normal risk of developing autoimmune joint and tissue diseases, including inflammatory arthritis, ” according to […]
“Confidence” is key at Titan Spine! The company has announced that it is, according to the June 13, 2016 news release, “enhancing its spinal device warranty to provide a free replacement if any of the Company’s Endoskeleton interbody fusion devices delaminate or generate particulate debris during implantation. The amended warranty is a direct reflection of […]
Researchers from Switzerland have found a way to expand our ability to work with cell cultures. Matthias Lütolf and his Ph.D. student Nathalie Brandenberg, working at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, have found a way to use lasers to influence cell functioning. As indicated in the June 23, 2016 news release, “So far, most […]
Exactech, Inc., a developer and producer of bone and joint restoration products and biologic materials for extremities, knee, hip and spine, announced the full launch of the new Acapella One Cervical Spacer System. As indicated in the June 20, 2016 news release, “With the full launch of Acapella One, a cervical cage pre-assembled with integrated […]
Twiage, an interoperable platform that makes it possible for first responders to share real-time patient data with hospitals via a smartphone app, has won first prize in the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Healthier Nation Innovation Challenge. In addition to $25, 000, Twiage will have the resources of the AMA’s network of partners that specialize in […]
Rothman Institute is announcing the opening of Rothman Institute Glen Mills, an office that will provide a full range of orthopedic services, including imaging, orthotics, physical therapy and hand therapy. “Our team is very excited about opening this new office, ” said Mike West, CEO of Rothman Institute, in the June 21, 2016 news release. […]
Mark Kemp, former president of President Flextronics Medical, is now President and Chief Executive Officer of Tecomet, Inc.
SpineGuard is announcing the receipt of 510(k) clearance from the U.S. FDA for its new PediGuard Threaded DSG (Dynamic Surgical Guidance) device. “We are very excited by the clearance of our PediGuard Threaded device, which brings a new generation of DSG-enabled probes to the U.S. market, offering spine surgeons the added clinical benefit of reducing […]
Scientists from North Carolina State University, the University of Cambridge and the University of Texas at San Antonio have developed a technique for coating polymer implants with a bioactive film that, according to the June 15, 2016 news release, “significantly increases bonding between the implant and surrounding bone in an animal model. The advance could […]
According to new work from the UK, explosive contractions lasting less than one second trump sustained contractions lasting three seconds when it comes to increasing strength and the functional capacity of muscles. According to the June 6, 2015 news release, “The study, led by Jonathan Folland, Ph.D., Reader in Human Performance and Neuromuscular Physiology at […]
SpineCraft, LLC has hit a major milestone, with 15, 000 APEX Spine System surgeries! The APEX is a posterior instrumentation system designed for complex deformity correction as well as tumor, trauma and degenerative procedures. As indicated in the June 21, 2016 news release, “APEX SPINE SYSTEM is designed for use with 6.0 mm and 5.5 […]
Amedica Corporation has submitted its responses to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in relation to the CASCADE clinical trial, a study that compared the 24-month outcomes from single-level cervical fusion between Amedica’s porous silicon nitride versus bone autograft. As indicated in the June 13, 2016 news release, “Data showed that porous silicon nitride achieved […]
LDR Holding Corporation has announced that the initial implantations of the ROI-C Titanium-Coated Cervical Cage have taken place. The first surgeries were performed by Mark Giovanini, M.D., a board-certified neurosurgeon specializing in minimally invasive spine surgery in Pensacola, Florida, and Neil Romero, M.D., a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in minimally invasive spine surgery and arthroplasty […]
International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine Awards Lifetime Achievement Award to Max Aebi. New research shows that using an iliosacral screw reduces the failure rate in pelvic ring surgery.
Vertebral Technologies, Inc. (VTI) has undergone a makeover of its collateral as it “seeks to enliven its look and connect their singular brand to their customers, ” says the May 31, 2016 news release. Not only is there a new logo, but a spiffy tagline for the company: Forward Thinking for the Back. As indicated […]
Colorado-based Regenexx has, according to the June 15, 2016 news release, published “the world’s largest stem cell safety paper. The study was published in International Orthopaedics (March 30, 2016). The purpose of the study was to determine if mesenchymal-stem-cell-based therapies [MSC] are safe procedures when used for orthopedic degenerative conditions or injuries, and it included […]
Osseointegrated implants reduce injection risk. HSS, Israeli research finds nuanced roll of anterolateral ligament after ACL ruptures. And recreating an anatomic hip center improves implant survival in patients with DDH.
Columbia University researchers have found that when we exercise, our bones produce a hormone called osteocalcin that increases muscle performance. The work was just published in Cell Metabolism. “Our bones are making a hormone called osteocalcin that provides an explanation for why we can exercise, ” said Gerard Karsenty, M.D., Ph.D., a geneticist at the […]
Nothing like peace of mind…a new app helps provide that when it comes to looking out for elderly loved ones at risk of falling. FallCall Solutions, LLC has recently launched its application, ElderCheck Now. As indicated in the June 16, 2016 news release, “The ElderCheck Now app aims to help caregivers gain updated health information […]
New researcher from the University of Toronto reveals that, according to the June 15, 2016 news release, “One in every 26 men with arthritis have attempted suicide compared to one in 50 men without arthritis. Women with arthritis also had a higher prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts than women without arthritis (5.3% vs 3.2%).” “The […]
Accomplished orthopedic trauma surgeon and Harvard University professor Mark Vrahas, M.D., has been selected as the Founding Chairman of the Los Angeles Cedars-Sinai medical center’s new Department of Orthopaedics.
New work from University of Missouri researchers has found that suture anchors, a less-invasive repair technique than the standard transosseus repair, responded better to postoperative strength-testing, supporting more movement in the knee earlier in the recovery process. “The suture anchor technique requires a smaller incision and disrupts less of the patient’s normal anatomy around the […]
A new review published in the journal Calcified Tissue International & Musculoskeletal Research, provides a comprehensive overview of key factors related to muscle strength and outlines current and potential future management options. According to the June 6, 2016 news release, “A key reason why the elderly are at higher risk of falls is that, with […]
DJO Global, Inc. recently unveiled their MotionMD software at the 2016 Annual Conference of the American Association of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE). As indicated in the June 9, 2016 news release, “MotionMD is an intuitive, web-based point-of-care solution designed to streamline claims management and inventory dispensing. This paperless software solution can help orthopedic clinics improve patient […]
New research from Denmark has found that texting and individual counseling sessions greatly helps rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients to get active. The results were presented at the recent European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016). As indicated in the June 10, 2016 news release, the researchers “showed for the first time that a combination […]
New work from Princeton University and the University of Toronto has utilized a zebrafish model, and suggests that, according to the June 10, 2016 news release, “irregular fluid flow through the spinal column brought on by gene mutations is linked to a type of scoliosis that can affect humans during adolescence. Found in humans and […]
Using the Swedish Epidemiological Investigation of Rheumatoid Arthritis (EIRA), researchers have found that prolonged repetitive physical workload increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). According to the June 10, 2016 press release this is the first study to show a link between physical workload and RA. The news release states, “To examine whether physical […]
Spine specialists Expanding Orthopedics Inc. are announcing that Frank M. Phillips, M.D. of Midwest Orthopedics at Rush in Chicago has started to use the FLXfit articulated and lordotic expandable cage for his TLIF fusion surgeries. Dr. Phillips, co-founder and Board member of the Society of Minimal Invasive Spine Surgery (SMISS), says in the June 13, […]
Xtant Medical Holdings, Inc. has announced a joint agreement to expand distribution of Pinnacle Spine Group LLC’s InFill Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion System. Through this agreement, Xtant enters the lateral lumbar interbody fusion market, expanding its spinal hardware portfolio. As indicated in the June 8, 2016 news release, “The foundation of Pinnacle Spine Group’s complete […]
Pinnacle Spine Group, LLC has announced the launch of its InFill Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF) Interbody Device, which, according to the June 1, 2016 news release, is “is designed to maximize wall thickness and graft chamber volume, ensuring optimal contact with the vertebral endplates by both the interbody device and bone graft material. Pinnacle […]
Dr. Cohen, a foot and ankle surgeon who has been with OrthoCarolina since its founding in 2005, will assume the post July 1, 2016.
Researchers from Germany have found that obesity can negatively affect outcomes after total hip arthroplasty (THA), and an inadvertent reduction in cup anteversion may be part of the problem. The research was published in the May 4, 2016 edition of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. According to the May 6, 2016 article in […]
Flower Orthopedics has announced the full market launch of the Flower E-Kit. According to the company, this product is a first of its kind, and contains all of the necessary cannulated and plating instruments in one multifunctional single-use instrument kit. Combine it with the new IndicationCube, says Flower, and it is an all-in-one solution. “The […]
When arthritis patients worldwide are hurting, they can turn to CreakyJoints—an online support community for arthritis patients and family—as a source for education, support, advocacy and patient-centered research. CreakyJoints is now announcing that preliminary results stemming from the development and launch of the ArthritisPower research registry will be presented at the Annual European Congress of […]
Researchers from University College London have discovered that the anti-inflammatory drug HUMIRA doesn’t just work by inhibiting its target protein, TNF (tumor necrosis factor), but by enhancing a particular function of TNF in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. As indicated in the June 6, 2016 news release, “In prior research, Professor Michael Ehrenstein and colleagues at […]
First Ray, a company focused on orthopedic extremity procedures, has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its SpeedButton System for attachment of soft tissue to bone. As indicated in the June 2, 2016 news release, “Reattachment of ligaments and capsular tissue to bone using conventional suture anchors is problematic in the presence of decortication at the […]
According to the June 6, 2016 news release, “Research from the Regenstrief Institute-Merck (Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc.) collaboration suggests that many women still have indicators consistent with higher risk of fracture while taking these medications. The cross-sectional population health study was based on a retrospective database analysis […]
A new literature review in the June 2016 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS), has found that “deployed military service members who were engaged in sustained combat operations over a 15-month period were three times more likely to suffer non-combat musculoskeletal injuries than combat musculoskeletal injuries.” Retired Army Colonel […]
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has debuted new apps that help physicians explain musculoskeletal problems and procedures to patients. The apps cover total knee replacement, total hip replacement and ACL reconstruction and can be loaded onto exam room desktops or used on iPads. “Rich illustrations, 3-D rotatable models, animations and video help our […]
Dr. Argenta is professor and chairman emeritus in the department of plastic and reconstructive surgery, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Calling all knee experts to Vail…Robert LaPrade M.D., Ph.D. and Lars Engebretsen M.D., Ph.D. have partnered with Smith & Nephew plc to host the 3rd Annual Vail International Complex Knee Symposium (VICKS) in Vail, Colorado June 9 – 11, 2016. There will be ample opportunities to learn from cadaveric training, case discussions, and more during […]
Medacta International, Inc. has announced new data and new milestones following the 8th M.O.R.E. International Symposium, a clinical educational meeting in Lugano, Switzerland. According to the May 19, 2016 news release, new clinical results of Medacta’s AMIStem hip implant from a multi-center study found the five-year survival rate of AMIStem implants to be 97.75%. Another […]
Force-induced treadmill, rehabilitation innovation. HSS working with stem cells from blood vessel walls. Georgia Tech researcher discusses how to listen to bones.
Just last week, VirtaMed introduced the ArthroS Hip Module at the EFORT (European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology) Congress in Geneva, Switzerland. Now, says the company, surgical trainees have access to its safe access training for portal placement, fluoroscopic imaging, diagnostic tours, and therapeutic cases. “There’s really no reason for patients to […]
For Major League Baseball (MLB) pitchers, speed matters, says a new study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. In a retrospective, case-controlled study, researchers collected data on 83 MLB pitchers from two years before and after they had surgery and matched it against a group of pitchers with no prior surgery over the same time […]
Newly discovered gene, new fracture treatment? Maybe, say scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, Merced and Davis, Indiana University and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. To fill in the knowledge gap regarding the periosteum stem cells and the bone cells during fracture healing, researchers got to work and identified the “Sostdc1” gene as a […]
A new survey from New York State-based Northwell Health reveals that more than 7 in 10 older adults who suffer hip fractures aren’t told they have the osteoporosis. As indicated in the May 19, 2016 news release, “Geriatric fellow Mia Barnett, M.D., led a telephone survey of 42 hip fracture patients ages 65 and older […]
Additive Orthopaedics, LLC., an early stage orthopedic device company, has announced the receipt of FDA 510(k) clearance for its 3D printed titanium digital fusion implant. “Additive manufacturing allows us to develop complex geometries at reasonable manufacturing costs not possible before now with traditional manufacturing, ” said Greg Kowalczyk, president and founder of Additive Orthopaedics, in […]
Brian J. Galinat, M.D., new AAOS Board Member. New Campbell Clinic Study reviews outpatient TSA. And Kenneth A. Kearns, M.D., is now with the Philadelphia Hand Center.
IMPLANET has been granted 510(k) clearance in the United States and the CE Mark in Europe to market the new Jazz Claw, a hybrid implant that provides autostable posterior fixation. According to the May 23, 2016, news release, “Jazz Claw is designed to treat complex degenerative pathologies in adults (kyphosis), a growing indication driven by […]
NuVasive, Inc. has announced the U.S. launch of its newest biologic, AttraX Putty. As indicated in the May 23, 2016 news release, “AttraX Putty is a next-generation, synthetic bone graft product indicated for use as an autograft extender in posterolateral spine surgery. The unique biotextured surface features of AttraX Putty helps drive regeneration of bone […]
Scientists have developed a material made of silica and plastic that can mimic cartilage and just may encourage it to re-grow. According to the May 12, 2016, news release, “The researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Milano-Bicocca have developed a bio-glass material that mimics the shock-absorbing and load bearing qualities of real […]
Now THIS is news patients will be glad to hear! New research from Loyola Medicine suggests that knee replacement patients can get in the shower before previously thought, meaning that they don’t necessarily have to wait up to two weeks postop. As stated in the May 13, 2016, news release, “The study compared patients who […]
Funding allows flexibility, yes? Well now, MẌ Orthopedics Corp. (MẌO) of Lexington, Massachusetts, has some additional flexibility—to the tune of $750, 000. The company has been awarded a $750, 000 “Accelerator Loan” from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC). As indicated in the May 27, 2016, news release, “The Accelerator Loan—awarded on a competitive basis […]
Salt Lake Regional Medical Center, in conjunction with Active Implants, LLC, announced that the first meniscus replacement in the SUN (Safety Using NUsurface) clinical trial has been performed by Andrew Cooper, M.D. This is the only hospital in Utah—and one of just 10 sites nationwide—enrolling patients with persistent knee pain caused by injured or deteriorating […]
A team from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), University of California, Davis, University of California, Merced and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals are digging into post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). As indicated in the May 19 news release, the scientists “examined the whole-joint gene expression by RNA sequencing at one day, one, six and 12 weeks after injury. The team […]
New research tackles the double whammy of rotator cuff tears and shoulder stiffness, patients on an accelerated rehab program and Latarjet for patients with Hill Sachs lesions AND glenoid bone loss less than 25%.
OrthoNOW, the nation’s only network of specialized orthopedic urgent care centers, celebrated the grand opening of its fourth greater Miami franchise, OrthoNOW Coral Way. The Coral Way Center becomes one of 10 the group plans to operate in Florida and Georgia by the end of 2016. According to the May 19, 2016, news release, the […]
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), along with its publishing partner Wolters Kluwer, have announced that the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) will begin offering an open access publishing option for authors of accepted manuscripts. Those selecting this option will copyright to their work; AAOS will make the work freely […]
A former chief of orthopedic surgery at the Air Force Academy has passed away. R.J. Black Schultz, M.D. was known not only for his devotion to medicine, but as an avid aviation enthusiast and churchgoer. He passed away on May 3, 2016.
According to a May 23, 2016 news release, a study just published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research has demonstrated an “association between children’s abilities in common movements like jumping, running and walking at 18 months and stronger bones as an adolescent. It is thought that these movements in toddlers place a stress on […]
James Beaty, M.D. is the new chair at the University of Tennessee-Campbell Clinic. Baylor researchers are using cell phone sensors to measure frailty in elderly patients. And scientists at Michigan State have made progress on a disease that leaves men unable to walk or chew.
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has awarded a research award of $6.3M to develop a real-time, decision support tool with evidence-based data. The goal is to provide individualized, patient-centered information to guide optimal knee and hip care, including joint replacement and non-operative care decisions. According to the May 20, 2016 news release, “The contract […]
New research from Australia is shedding light on the role between chronic stress and depression and bone loss and an increased risk of fractures. Scientists, led by Holger Henneicke of the University of Sydney, examined the impact of chronic stress on skeletal metabolism and structure in mice, comparing a group of wild type mice with […]
New research just published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery has found that administering tranexamic acid (TXA) both intravenously (IV) and injected at the surgical site (intra-articular administration, or IA) reduced blood loss by 37%, compared to IV alone, following total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. According to the May 19, 2016 news release, […]
Dallas-based Bone Solutions Inc. (BSI) has officially closed its latest private placement memorandum of $1.5MM. The company blew past its original goal by achieving a funding round totaling more than $1.7MM. BSI also has an additional $1.65MM in committed funding from Next Health LLC. “We are very pleased and grateful to all of the investors […]
Quick robotic hand learns from its mistakes! Mount Sinai researchers tackle psychological effects of scoliosis treatment. Professors Elaine Dennison and Olivier Bruyère Win IOF Young Scientist Award.
Safe Orthopaedics has announced that the first surgeries using its new SteriSpineCC range for cervical vertebrae surgeries have been successful. Pierre Dumouchel, interim chief executive officer of Safe Orthopaedics, commented in the May 11, 2016 news release, “The launch of SteriSpineCC represents another milestone in our expansion and in the execution of Safe Orthopaedics’ mission. […]
MEDTECH has reached an important milestone, with the completion of 100 spinal surgeries with ROSA Spine, its robotic-assistive device for minimally invasive surgery of the spine. ROSA Spine received the CE Mark in 2014 and was granted U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance in January 2016. Surgeries utilizing ROSA Spine have been performed by: Michel Lefranc, a […]
New research, featured in the The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, has found that the Nextra Hammertoe Correction System works better than the traditional Kirschner Wires (K-wires). The Nextra device is a two-piece implant developed by Nextremity Solutions, Inc. according to the May 16, 2016 news release, “This device differed from K-wires by achieving […]
The leaders at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) listened to the needs of the people, and it has now become one of the first orthopedic groups in the country to offer package pricing. This flat fee payment option is for treating some of the most common orthopedic conditions. And, in what they are calling an […]
First Ray, a start-up focused incubated and operated by Surgical Frontiers, has announced the receipt of FDA 510(k) clearance for its innovative CortiClamp System (a two-part bone screw system) for small bone fixation. As indicated in the May 16, 2016 news release, “The CortiClamp System is the first bone screw system to include a second […]
Michael Bronson, M.D., chair of Orthopaedics at Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s, is the Medical Honoree of the 2016 New York City Walk to Cure Arthritis. He recently laced up for the event, which took place on May 14 at Foley Square in Manhattan. Dr. Bronson told OTW, “Yes, I participated in […]
Michael Bronson, M.D., chair of Orthopaedics at Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai St. Luke’s, is the Medical Honoree of the 2016 New York City Walk to Cure Arthritis. He recently laced up for the event, which took place on May 14 at Foley Square in Manhattan. Dr. Bronson told OTW, “Yes, I participated in […]
While it’s a far leap from a lizard regrowing a tail to a human regrowing a spinal column, ever so small steps are still advances. Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Arizona State University (ASU) have identified tiny RNA switches, known as microRNAs, which may hold the keys to regenerating muscles, cartilage […]
Spinal Balance, Inc. has recently introduced its Libra Pedicle Screw System, a pre-sterilized, individually packaged pedicle screw system which, says the company, features a first to market proprietary packaging and handling system (NT² inside). The May 9, 2016 news release indicates that the NT² inside “…prevents contaminants from contacting the surface of the pedicle screw […]
Kermit is a startup that helps hospitals gain visibility and spend management in the fragmented area of Physician Preference Items (PPI). The Client Advocate is a newly-created position.
Englewood, Colorado-based Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that patient dosing has begun in the initial clinical trial of Ampion for the treatment of pain due to osteoarthritis (OA) of the hand. Michael Macaluso, CEO of Ampio, stated in the May 10, 2016 news release, “Although knee OA is a major contributor to this painful medical […]
Open sesame! It may seem like magic, but it’s a reality now. The Yale University Open Data Access (YODA) Project has entered an agreement with SI-BONE, Inc. that will enable researchers worldwide to gain access to the company’s key clinical studies of the iFuse Implant System. As indicated in the May 12, 2016 news release, […]
The inaugural meeting of Indo-American Medical Research Charitable Trust will take place on May 23-24, 2016 in Mumbai, India. Co-founded by Neel Anand, M.D., clinical professor of surgery and director of spine trauma at Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles and Vinod Agrawal, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon in Mumbai, the Trust is a non-profit entity […]
Who is driving access to care? Some dedicated doctors. New work, recently published in of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery looked at the impact of visiting consultant clinics (VCCs) that were staffed by orthopedic surgeons who travel to meet with patients in rural areas. According to the May 11, 2016 news release, “…only […]
If you have to treat patients who have been flying around curves at 200 miles an hour, it’s good to know what kind of pressures that activity puts on a body. Glenn Gaston, M.D., chief hand surgeon of the OrthoCarolina Hand Center, and William Heisel, PA, director of OrthoCarolina Motorsports, are announcing the results from […]
Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. is announcing that its subsidiary, Pluristem Ltd., has been awarded $3.3 million Israel Innovation Authority of the Israeli Ministry of Economy & Industry. The grant will support clinical trials as well as research and development activities for calendar year 2016. “We are delighted to receive the Israeli Innovation Authority Grant this year, […]
Diagnosing young patients presenting with swollen knees can get dicey. Does the child have infectious arthritis of the knee or Lyme disease? A new study in the May 4 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery identifies four symptoms that are predictive of septic arthritis in children. According to the May 11, 2016 […]
A team of scientists, led by researchers from the University of Southern California (USC), have identified a key action of a gene critical to bone formation and the evolution of vertebrates. This, say the scientists, is another step towards the goal of generating bone “de novo.” According to the April 28, 2016 news release, “The […]
If someone is walking around with osteoporosis—diagnosed or undiagnosed—their risk of fracture risk is three fold after the first fracture, says new research from Iceland. Lead author Nicholas Harvey, M.D., from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom told OTW, “The risk of a second osteoporotic fracture was greatest immediately after the first fracture […]
“Titan is at a point in its evolution where it is necessary to employ someone of Ragan’s caliber.”
These eight veterans of the orthopedic world will travel 3, 000 miles on two wheels come this June. Keith Berend, M.D., Mike Berend, M.D., Rendell “Chip” Smith, Dan “Wes” Wesley, Lance Perry, John White, Kurt Kramer, and Rocco Maiolo, have formed a not-for-profit cycling team that will compete in the Race Across America (RAAM) 2016. […]
The first data is out on the Atlas System, a unicompartmental joint unloading device for pre-arthroplasty knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients, developed by Moximed, Inc. As indicated in the May 9, 2016 news release, the data, “revealed that patients with the Atlas System experienced effective pain relief, regained range of motion, and returned to normal activity […]
The Thompson Foundation, created by William and Nancy Thompson, has pledged $3 million to the University of Missouri (MU) School of Medicine to create the Thompson Center for Regenerative Orthopaedics. “The Thompsons’ generosity and continued support for Mizzou are inspirations to the entire MU community, ” MU Interim Chancellor Hank Foley said in the May […]
Spinal implant manufacturer CoreLink, LLC, is announcing the U.S. launch of the Entasis Sacroiliac Joint Fusion System. The company indicates that Entasis, which features circumferential helical graft windows, was “designed to better address the challenges of SI [sacroiliac] joint fusion procedures through innovation in the delivery of autograft and compression across the joint. Further innovations […]
A team from The Johns Hopkins University has found a way to use manmade plastic to create a framework for filling in missing bone. According to the May 4, 2016 news release, it involves mixing at least 3% pulverized natural bone with the plastic and creating the necessary shape with a 3D printer. Warren Grayson, […]
The dates of the 3rd International PEEK (polyaryletherketone) Meeting have been announced: April 27-28, 2017. The conference, which will be hosted by the Implant Research Center at Drexel University, will take place in collaboration with Exponent, Inc. and with the support of Invibio Biomaterial Solutions. At the meeting, engineers, clinicians, and regulatory personnel with gather […]
Jefferson FIRST U.S. hospital granted Joint Commission’s Gold Seal for THR, TKR. Kathleen Weber first female president of the MLB Team Physicians Association! HSS researchers find better way to inform treatment for scoliosis patients.
Give a mouse some yogurt and what happens? Well, say researchers from Emory University School of Medicine and Georgia State University, a chain of events occur that protected them from the loss of bone density. Senior author Roberto Pacifici, M.D., worked with colleagues to treat female mice with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), a type of […]
In a long-ranging research effort, years ago, scientists from the UK used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) and found that greater placental size at birth was associated with larger bones at each age in childhood. Researchers at the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, teamed up […]
“DMC is fortunate to have attracted Dr. Saleh, who was recently ranked number 20 among 21, 000 joint surgeons globally, and was named the Sangamon Medical Society Innovator of the Year by his colleagues.”
It’s been done…the first-ever talus replacement using 3D printing technology. Performed by Mark Myerson, M.D., director of The Institute for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy Medical Center, the surgery means that those who receive the 3D-printed talus replacement may regain up to 75% of normal ankle function. “The talus has limited blood circulation, and […]
A major breakthrough in our knowledge of a rare, but debilitating disease is emanating from the Center for Research in FOP and Related Disorders at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), which impairs movement and breathing, among other things, seems to involve a response to a lack […]
Who the patient is and how the surgery is done…do those influence postoperative infection rates when it comes to rotator cuff repair? Yes, says a new study just published in Arthroscopy. Bryan G. Vopat, M.D., senior investigator Andrew Green M.D. and colleagues conducted the study at Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. Dr. Vopat […]
On April 25, 2016, there was a unique ribbon-cutting event in Los Angeles. Mayor Eric Garcetti and many others were on site to mark the opening of Los Angeles’ first ambulatory surgery center (ASC) for children. According to the April 27, 2016 media alert, The Orthopaedic Institute for Children was “designed and built exclusively to […]
In the most comprehensive study to date, researchers have assessed the efficacy of trabecular bone score (TBS) to predict fracture risk. As indicated in the April 26, 2016 news release, TBS is currently used in conjunction with bone mineral density (BMD) values to enhance the predictive ability of the widely used Fracture Risk Assessment tool […]
The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR), The American Orthopaedic Association (AOA), and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) have joined forces to align their quality initiatives and reporting through the AJRR’s Orthopaedic Quality Resource Center. As indicated in the April 21, 2016 news release, this entity was again approved as a Qualified […]
Mary Beth Schmidt, Ph.D., a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has joined Advanced Mechanical Technology, Inc. as Chief Technology Officer.
“Market away, ” says the FDA to Exactech, Inc. The company has officially received clearance from the regulatory body to market the Vantage Total Ankle to those with ankle arthritis. “With the introduction of the Vantage Ankle, Exactech continues its precedent of innovation in the extremities market, which began with our industry-leading Equinoxe platform shoulder […]
MedShape, Inc. is reporting on the first clinical outcomes with the FastForward Bunion Correction System. To date, FastForward has been implanted in over 100 hallux valgus (bunion) correction surgeries. As indicated in the April 25, 2016 news release, “The FastForward system reduces the first-second intermetatarsal (IM) angle and controls first ray hypermobility via a patented […]
Researchers have found that hand and shoulder surgeries performed at a freestanding, outpatient (OP) center resulted in few complications—0.2% in nearly 29, 000 patients over an 11-year period. The study, which took place at a freestanding ambulatory surgical center in Wexford, Pennsylvania, appears in the new issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. […]
Exactech, Inc. is having its 20th anniversary of its Nasdaq listing…and they are ringing the Nasdaq bell today. Exactech founders Bill Petty, M.D., Betty Petty and Gary Miller, Ph.D., will ring the Nasdaq Closing Bell on Tuesday, May 3. The ceremony will take place from 3:45 – 4:00 p.m. ET at Nasdaq MarketSite in Times […]
Amedica Corporation has announced that it will be partnering with Shandong Weigao Orthopedic Device Company Limited, a subsidiary of Shandong Weigao Group Medical Polymer Company Limited, a medical device company in China specializing in the research and development (R&D), production and sale of spine, trauma and joint orthopedic implants. According to the April 18, 2016 […]
Patients who are relieved to have that knee replacement done may have a surprise waiting for them in the future. Swedish researchers have found an increasing risk for hip and vertebral fracture in the 10 years after knee replacement. The new study was led by Cecilie Hongslo Vala, Ph.D., of the Sahlgrenska Academy in Gothenburg, […]
Before children with cerebral palsy undergo difficult surgeries it would be good to know if they might actually benefit from these procedures. To that end, researchers from the University of Washington’s (UW) Department of Mechanical Engineering and Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare have developed a new assessment of motor control called Walk-DMC. According to the April […]
After struggling to pull together a complex research study, wouldn’t it be nice to know if people were going to participate? Machines can help, say researchers from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. The work, which appears in the latest Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, indicates that the automated algorithm developed by the researchers […]
With summer nearly upon us, Chicago is on top of the national skateboarding safety issue. Communities are joining forces with Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) to promote the Skate Safe initiative (www.skatesafer.org). The April 21, 2016 news release notes that, “According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there was a 23 percent jump in reported […]
Thousands of hips, knees, and other joints can rejoice…they now have access to Philadelphia’s largest orthopedic practice—Rothman Institute. Humana Inc. is teaming up with Rothman to give Humana members in-network access to Rothman Institute’s 130 physicians and 23 office locations throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. According to the April 21, 2016 news release, “The […]
Alpha defensins…are they doing something to help lessen inflammation? That’s the case, says new research from the University of Edinburgh. As indicated in the April 18, 2016 news release, “In a study involving human cells, researchers at the University of Edinburgh have shown that alpha defensins are released by immune cells called neutrophils when they […]
Exactly what kind of patient converts from a hip arthroscopy to a total hip arthroplasty (THA)? A team from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) wanted to find out. Using California and Florida databases that included 100% of patient visits, the researchers identified 7, 351 patients who underwent hip arthroscopy with two-years follow-up. William Schairer, M.D., […]
Those with high-level spinal cord injuries have immune system problems to worry about. A new cost effectiveness analysis helps the field by proving that hip arthroscopy is more cost-effective than rehabilitation. And a team from UCLA has upended prior thought, finding that cells surrounding neurons do NOT get in the way of cell regrowth after a spinal cord injury!
“Dale joins EOI with more than 26 years of experience in the medical device industry, including senior leadership roles with Medtronic, AlloSource, Spinal Elements and most recently with Trinity Orthopedics.”
There are ankle sprains and then there are worse ankle sprains…and the latter is going to mean a longer time for return to play. James D. Calder, M.D. is an orthopedic surgeon with the Fortius Clinic in London, England. He and his colleagues looked at 64 athletes with grade II ankle syndesmosis sprains in an […]
Researchers from the University of Missouri home in on best grafting technique in ACL surgery. Rothman researchers are making headway with treating “irreparable” rotator cuff tears. And we examine an unusually patient-friendly website on hip preservation.
Madhu K. Singh, M.D. is a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, who specializes in non-operative spine care and rheumatologic conditions.
Greg Dummer, CAE, is the new Chief Executive Officer of The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM). Dummer replaces Irv Bomberger who will retire at the end of July. For the past 16 years, Dummer was CEO of the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS), a multi-disciplinary scientific society for academic, government and […]
Get up and get moving! Minnesota-based TRIA Orthopaedic Center is telling ankle fracture patients that they have the green light to put weight on their affected joints as soon as they’re comfortable—even days after surgery. Fernando Peña, M.D. is an orthopedic surgeon and foot and ankle specialist at TRIA. In the April 14, 2016 news […]
Are calcium and vitamin D really safe for patients? New research from the UK has found that with regard to cardiovascular safety, calcium and vitamin D do not increase the risk of heart attack. The study was based on the UK Biobank, a study involving 502, 664 men and women aged 40-69 years. As indicated […]
Leo de Souza, M.D., was an orthopedic surgeon who never forgot where he came from. Dr. de Souza, who passed away on March 22, 2016, was born in Tanzania and went on to survive—and then escape—life under the Ugandan regime of Idi Amin. Dr. de Souza, who was retired from Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) […]
The problem of blood loss in combat is so severe that the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has granted researchers from Australia’s James Cook University (JCU) $532, 349 to make headway on this issue. Professors Geoffrey Dobson and Hayley Letson of the College of Medicine & Dentistry, and the Australian Institute of Health and Tropical […]
All manner of extreme sports professionals will descend on Boulder, Colorado, on June 10 and 11 for the Extreme Sports Medicine Congress. The event, which will welcome speakers from 10 countries around the globe, is meant for healthcare professionals who treat extreme athletes. According to the April 13, 2016 news release, topics to be covered […]
Results from two pivotal clinical trials sponsored by Flexion Therapeutics, Inc. show that its drug candidate Zilretta provided “sustained and significant pain relief in patients with moderate to severe osteoarthritis (OA) knee pain, ” according to the April 4, 2016 news release. Professor Philip Conaghan, M.B., B.S., Ph.D., F.R.A.C.P., F.R.C.P., Chair of Musculoskeletal Medicine at […]
EOS imaging has announced that the FDA has approved spineEOS, an online 3D planning software for spine surgery based on EOS stereo-radiographic 2D/3D imaging. This approval, says the company, is especially important for expanding its presence in the complex spine and thoracolumbar fusion surgery markets. The planning software is intended for adults suffering from degenerative […]
How to make tissue engineering less expensive? How to make larger quantities? Researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) set out to get answers. Elizabeth Loboa, Ph.D., dean of the MU College of Engineering, led the research team. Dr. Loboa told OTW, “We are trying to implement industry standard manufacturing approaches used in textiles to […]
Go ask “the people”…VerteCore Technologies is doing just that with the launch of its crowdfunding campaign for the financing of the first production run of its brand new VerteCore Lift. The company says that it has worked with leading mechanical and electrical engineers on several different prototypes. As indicated in the April 11, 2016 news […]
Patients with hyperparathyroidism are often treated with bisphosphonates in an effort to bolster weakening bones. New work from the University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles, however, has found that those drugs increase the risk of fracture. And, according to the April 4, 2016 news release, the study shows that patients who have surgery to remove […]
Joshua Jacobs, M.D. has been elected as a new director at the ABOS. A team from HSS has found that when it comes to joint replacement, peripheral nerve blocks are associated with better outcomes. And we get insight on the rocky road to doctor-hospital alignment.
A very specific amphibian just may—one day—prevent infections. Researchers from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, have found that the foam made by Trinidadian Tungara frogs represents a new, non-toxic antibiotic delivery system that may help to prevent infections. Apparently, in what is quite the energetic mating experience, the Tungara frogs release a protein […]
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found a new pathway leading to the regeneration of central nervous system (CNS) brain cells in a roundworm (C. elegans), a discovery that can help us understand the adult human nervous system’s ability to regenerate and ultimately make progress with spinal cord injury and paralysis. BUSM […]
One side is sticky…the other repels. In a stroke of novelty, researchers from MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have designed an interesting pill that can attach to the lining of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and slowly release its contents. The opposite side of the pill repels food and liquids that would otherwise pull it […]
Renown and dedicated researchers have made new progress in their attempts to help those with the extremely rare condition known as fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP). New work in a mouse model from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia indicates that the drug palovarotene may prevent skeletal problems caused by FOP…and may, may be used in newborn […]
Össur is announcing the launch of the Rebound Hip, a lightweight brace for patients recovering from hip arthroscopy, gluteus medius repair or hamstring repair surgery. As indicated in the April 11, 2016 news release, “Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is typically seen in high-level athletes and other physically active individuals, and often causes cartilage damage, labral tears, […]
Arthur M. Pappas, M.D., the first chairman of the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, died on March 22, 2016 at the age of 84.
In keeping with the personalization wave, Bodycad Laboratories, Inc. has announced the introduction of Bodycad OnCall, “its personalized, individually manufactured orthopaedic restorations for complex cases.” “With complex cases, anatomy can be compromised in an endless number of ways which makes off-the-shelf implants a sub-optimal solution, ” says Dr. Brian Hamlin, associate director of the Bone […]
Dr. Whittaker helped salvage bones in the wake of earthquakes and came to the aid of those who suffered in the 2004 tsunami. He was a longtime board member of Pottstown Memorial Medical Center (PMMC) in Pennsylvania.
A new medical device called AsTris 1.0 is now available help doctors get the pain management experience they need without having to practice on a real person. Developed by BioTras, LLC, AsTris 1.0 made its debut in Dallas at the 2016 American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) conference April 14-16 at the Hyatt Regency. […]
According to an April 12, 2016 news release, Kaiser Permanente and the Sacramento Kings are teaming up to help revitalize downtown Sacramento by opening a state-of-the-art sports medicine facility at Golden 1 Center. The sports medicine facility at Golden 1 Center will be used to diagnose and treat injuries related to sports or recreational activities. […]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Inflectra for multiple indications, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As indicated in the April 5, 2016 news release, Inflectra is biosimilar to Horsham, Pennsylvania-based Janssen Biotech, Inc.’s Remicade (infliximab), which was originally licensed in 1998. Inflectra, manufactured by Celltrion, Inc, based in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, Republic of Korea, for […]
Garrick K. Kwok, M.D., an expert in physical medicine and rehabilitation, has joined the growing OrthoAtlanta team.
A multicenter, international phase 3 ACTIVE trial on the investigational drug abaloparatide-SC indicates that it may help increase bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and reduce their risk of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures. The study was funded by Radius Health, Inc. in Waltham, Massachusetts. The lead study author, Felicia Cosman, M.D., is […]
The Innovation Center at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) will be partnering with Docent Health in order to knock patient experience out of the ballpark. “We are excited to work with HSS, who has led the healthcare industry in delivering world class patient experiences. They have consistently demonstrated a commitment to innovation and service excellence, […]
A new study from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) has found that electrical stimulation of a deep, middle brain structure blocks pain signals at the spinal cord level—no drugs involved. In addition, say the researchers, the process also triggers the release of beneficial dopamine, which may reduce the emotional distress associated with long-term […]
Medical Compression Systems, Inc. (MCS) has just announced upcoming launch of ActiveCare Online, its platform meant to improve clinical outcomes following total hip or knee replacement. Because ActiveCare Online is equipped with Bluetooth, patients and healthcare providers can wirelessly transmit important data; they can also communicate with patients using text messages. “By adding new monitoring […]
Kermit, makers of a unique digital platform, is announcing that it has been selected to participate in Dreamit Health, a global business accelerator. According to the March 24, 2016 news release, “Kermit was selected for Dreamit’s inaugural 2016 cycle from an applicant pool of nearly 1, 000 companies from over 40 countries based on metrics […]
Johns Hopkins researchers are making it possible for patients to control fingers of a prosthetic limb in a way never before possible! Turns out that patients already taking opioids for pain fare better if non-opioid methods are used as well. And a team from the University of Missouri has found that a new biologic method of resurfacing a joint results in improved outcomes.
Stimulating healing with a sponge/bridge…Martha Murray, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with Boston Children’s Hospital, has developed a new type of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair. Known as bio-enhanced ACL repair (BEAR), it connects the torn ligament with a sponge (functioning as a bridge) as a means to encourage the body to regenerate tissue naturally. According […]
Seems pretty basic…OR lights should be ON. As with many things in the medical arena, however, there is more to it than that. Invuity, Inc., in partnership with Pfiedler Enterprises, will commence a continuing education (CE) course to educate perioperative nurses about the importance of safe illumination, improved visualization and the advantages of non-conductive instrumentation […]
What is a sad mom-to-be to do? New work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found that using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy and breast-feeding causes decreased bone density in mothers that may put them at higher risk of broken bones later in life. However, the good news is that high-dose folic acid […]
IMPLANET has announced that it has the green light from the FDA—a 510k clearance—as well as the European CE mark for its new Jazz Lock implant. Let the marketing begin. According to the April 5 2016 news release, “Jazz Lock is the first of an innovative range of band products designed for degenerative spine disorder […]
Zyga Technology, Inc. is announcing the enrollment of its first four patients in the expanded EVoluSIon (EVSI) Clinical Study, a prospective, 40-site, 250-patient trial that will evaluate long-term fusion and pain reduction in patients receiving SImmetry Sacroiliac Joint Fusion. According to Antoine G. Tohmeh, M.D., the orthopedic surgeon who performed the procedures at Deaconess Hospital […]
Midwest Orthopedics at Rush (MOR) physicians will be contributing to an upcoming event focused on getting employees back to work. Participating will be occupational health specialist, Richard Rodarte, M.D., Brian Cole, M.D., and other MOR physicians and guest speakers. The event, “Getting Employees Back to Work: A Best Practice Approach for Employers, ” will take […]
New work from Canada examines the benefits and challenges of telemedicine. A new study shows that stem cells are reversing osteoporosis. Using cadaver tissue in ACL reconstructions may increase the risks for revision.
Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. has the green light from the FDA to begin the clinical trial development process for its intravenous (IV) injection protocols for use of Lymphoseek injection in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other diseases. Lymphoseek is Navidea’s first commercial product from its Manocept platform. “Our efforts to continue to unlock the significant value of […]
Delving into the surgeon measurement arena, the University of Washington Medical School’s Department of Orthopedics will be the first orthopedic program in the U.S. to utilize C-SATS, a platform to appraise and improve surgeon performance. According to the March 31, 2016 news release, “The University of Washington Medical School’s Department of Orthopedics will first use […]
The bad news? Smoking increases the chances of early death in people with RA (rheumatoid arthritis) patients. The upside? Quit smoking and the risk goes down significantly. This is according to work from the University of Manchester in England. “This research provides important evidence that the risk of early death starts to decline in patients […]
Renovis Surgical Technologies, Inc. has received FDA clearance for the first-ever 3D printed titanium stand-alone cervical cage. As indicated in the March 30, 2016 news release, “the Tesera SC is a porous titanium stand-alone cervical interbody fusion system featuring a three-screw design and a locking cover plate to prevent screw backout. Implants are available in […]
After a substantial amount of planning and effort, TissueGen Inc., makers of ELUTE fiber, controlled, sustained drug delivery from bioresorbable fiber, has been awarded ISO13485:2003. As indicated in the March 28, 2016 news release, “To drive continued growth for ELUTE fiber applications in 2016, TissueGen has expanded its team by 150% over the last twelve […]
The CORE Institute has brought on board a seasoned orthopedic trauma surgeon—James R. Ringler, M.D.
Research led by a Stanford University researcher has shown that a new drug, baricitinib, reduced symptoms and improved physical functioning in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who had exhausted other options. The study, appearing in the March 31, 2016 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, was a 24-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, which was […]
Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) has swung opened the doors to its newest endeavor, the Rush Spine Tumor Center. Leading this effort is Matthew W. Colman, M.D., Chicago’s only physician to have completed fellowships in both musculoskeletal oncology and spine surgery. Howard An, M.D., Medical Director of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, stated in the March […]
Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) has swung opened the doors to its newest endeavor, the Rush Spine Tumor Center. Leading this effort is Matthew W. Colman, M.D., Chicago’s only physician to have completed fellowships in both musculoskeletal oncology and spine surgery. Howard An, M.D., Medical Director of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, stated in the March […]
At the National Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit, Patrice Harris, M.D., the chair-elect of the American Medical Association (AMA) and the chair of its Task Force to Reduce Opioid Abuse, detailed the AMA’s plan for ending the opioid epidemic. “The AMA’s vision for ending this epidemic starts with a focus on what physicians can […]
It’s a world’s first…Researchers from California, Japan and Wisconsin report that they have successfully directed stem cell-derived neurons to regenerate lost tissue in damaged corticospinal tracts of rats, resulting in functional benefit. “The corticospinal projection is the most important motor system in humans, ” said senior study author Mark Tuszynski, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the […]
Talk about a body-mind connection! Researchers from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have found that patients dealing with chronic pain can reduce their emotional response to the pain through spinal cord stimulation. The results are published in the latest issue of the journal Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface. “Our initial study provides […]
Centrexion Therapeutics has announced the acquisition of three new analgesic candidates from Boehringer Ingelheim. The company is led by former Celgene chairman and CEO, Sol Barer, Ph.D., who chairs the company’s Board of Directors and Jeffrey Kindler, former chairman and CEO of Pfizer, who serves as the company’s CEO. “Recognizing the tremendous need for safe, […]
LDR Holding Corporation has announced in a March 29, 2016 news release that, “Five-year clinical results of cervical total disc replacement compared with anterior discectomy and fusion for treatment of two-level symptomatic degenerative disc disease: a prospective, randomized, controlled, multicenter investigational device exemption clinical trial” has been published by the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. “Mobi-C […]
Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland and Lund University have developed and validated a new computational modeling method for the assessment of progression of osteoarthritis (OA) in the knee by using MRI data. “The method we have developed is based on stresses experienced by the knee joint during walking, and these were simulated on […]
What is the #1 debated issue in TKA? USC’s Orthopedics Department Chair will tackle that and more at the upcoming Great Debates at AAOS. A new study shows that pain and function are improved when you freeze nerves prior to TKA. And alarming research finds that African-Americans with RA twice as likely to have atherosclerotic blood vessels (increasing the chances of heart attack, stroke or death).
Researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have found that rare genetic changes strongly increase the likelihood that girls will have higher bone density. “We investigated whether the same gene variants that strongly affect bone density in adults also affected bone density in children, ” said co-first author Jonathan A. Mitchell, Ph.D., a pediatric […]
Anika Therapeutics, Inc. has announced that it received CE Mark approval for CINGAL as a medical device to treat pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. CINGAL is comprised of Anika’s proprietary cross-linked sodium hyaluronate (HA–currently marketed as the single-injection viscosupplement MONOVISC) and triamcinolone hexacetonide, an FDA-approved steroid for inflammation. “The European approval of […]
EOS imaging, experts in 2D/3D orthopedic medical imaging, has just received approval from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) to market the EOS system in China. The EOS system can now be marketed in 51 countries. As stated in the March 21, 2016 news release, “The EOS system is in clinical use in several […]
Jeff Dunkel, V.P. of Strategic Partnering at Titan Spine, is joining the Executive Operations Committee of the Medical Device Epidemiology Network Initiative (MDEpiNet).
When tai chi was recently tested against lower extremity training (LET) for its effect on reducing falls, tai chi won. After six months of training, tai chi practitioners were significantly less likely to experience an injury-causing fall than those who underwent LET. As noted in the March 11, 2016 news release, “In their study, researchers […]
If you just put your mind to it…New research reveals that when it comes to low back pain, both mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can lessen back pain and functional limitations. As indicated in the March 22, 2016 news release, “Daniel C. Cherkin, Ph.D., of Group Health Research Institute, Seattle, and […]
The bad news: researchers from Spain have found that psoriasis results in loss of bone tissue. The good news: psoriasis and the related bone loss may be treated with drugs already on the market. The study was led by the Genes, Development and Disease Group, headed by Erwin Wagner, Ph.D. at the Spanish National Cancer […]
How disabling is scoliosis. A new study finds that it can be more disabling than such other conditions as blindness or amputation. Brigham and Women finds art sharpens observational skills. Former AAOS president—Dr. Terry Canale—honored with the William W. Tipton Leadership Award.
Researchers from Japan are giving cancer experts a new way to explore sarcomas. Professor Yasuhiro Yamada at the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, led the charge to explore a particular gene. “One of our projects is the EWS-FLI1 gene”, said Dr. Yamada in the March 17, 2016 news release. “We […]
Young women who take birth control pills are less likely to have serious knee injuries, says new research from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The study is published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. As indicated in the March 18, 2016 news release, “Using a national insurance claims and prescription […]
According to the March 21, 2016 news release, “Up to half of patients who receive a bone marrow transplant from a donor will develop severe gastrointestinal [GI] damage from graft vs. host disease [GVHD], a condition in which the donor cells attack the host’s body. It’s the reason why transplants—which can be very successful at […]
James Bradley, M.D. has been honored with an award from the Allegheny County Medical Society Foundation. A new HSS study finds that for the over 40 crowd whose knee cartilage is damaged fare well with cartilage restoration. And researchers are shedding new light on what to do with femoroacetabular impingement.
LDR Holding Corporation has announced the publication of “Prospective, Randomized Comparison of One-level Mobi-C Cervical Total Disc Replacement vs. Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: Results at 5-year Follow-up” in the International Journal of Spine Surgery. As indicated in the March 08, 2016 news release, the researchers found that, “five-year results demonstrate the safety and efficacy […]
D. Kay Clawson, M.D., a founding member of the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine, passed away on March 11, 2016 at the age of 88. Dr. Clawson was an orthopedic surgeon who served as dean of the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Medicine from 1975 to 1983. Dr. Clawson is survived by his […]
New research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that high school athletes from a smaller school were less likely to specialize in a sport than those attending a large school. The researchers also found that highly specialized athletes were more likely to report a history of overuse knee or hip injuries. “Sport specialization is a […]
In a new study on pain-relief medication for osteoarthritis, researchers found that paracetamol does not meet the minimum standard of clinical effectiveness in reducing pain or improving physical function in patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis. As indicated in the news release, “The study, published in The Lancet, is the largest analysis of randomized trials […]
Bill Horne will transition from his role as CEO to Executive Chairman of the Board. David Pillsbury, the company’s president, will be the new CEO.
A breakfast gala was recently held in honor of the 21 student athletes selected for the Aria 3B Orthopaedic Institute High School Sportsmanship Award. The students were presented plaques, and will also be given $1, 000 scholarships sponsored by the Aria Health Foundation, to be used towards the college of their choice. “With so much […]
New research from Mayo Clinic has found that medical students are more likely to abuse alcohol than their peers who are not in medical school. This is especially the case, say the researchers, if they are young, single and under a high debt load. “Our findings clearly show there is reason for concern, ” says […]
SpineGuard has announced that it has signed a national stocking distribution agreement with OrthoPediatrics for the exclusive commercialization of its PediGuard probes in pediatric institutions in the U.S. As indicated in the March 17, 2016 news release, “OrthoPediatrics is the only medical device company focused exclusively on providing a comprehensive product offering to the pediatric […]
Patients in Biscayne, Florida, can now avail themselves of immediate orthopedic care via OrthoNOW, the country’s only network of Orthopedic Urgent Care Centers. The grand opening, held on Thursday, March 10, 2016, included business people and local dignitaries such as Claudia Molina (author, nutritionist and fitness expert); Barry Johnson (CEO, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce); […]
“I am honored to be working as the physician for this new team, which is going to be an exciting addition to the sports landscape here in Chicago.”
Researchers from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles set out to determine why rates of low bone mass seem to be greater in HIV-infected males than in females. The team, led by Grace Aldrovandi, M.D., chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, studied 11 biomarkers associated with inflammation, bone loss and/or bone formation in about 450 individuals […]
Get moving, surgeons! New work from Adrian Park, M.D., chair of the Department of Surgery at Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC), indicates that surgeons who periodically pause for 90 seconds to perform a series of stretches throughout an operation report less work-related discomfort and an improvement in physical performance and mental focus. “The results are […]
The verdict is in…surgical approach to total hip replacement (THR) has no impact on outcomes six months after surgery. There is no difference if you go in from the front of the body or the side/back (anterior versus posterior). According to the March 3, 2016 news release, the new research, conducted at Saint Francis Hospital […]
Work from the University of Liverpool: genes point toward stress fracture susceptibility. Should surgeons avoid arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for patients with degenerative knee disease and mechanical symptoms? UCSF researchers say that to avoid knee buckling and possible falls, it’s necessary to target specific exercises to patients in need.
New work from Loyola Medicine’s Pain Management Center has found that women are 1.38 times more likely than men to report neck pain due to cervical degenerative disc disease (DDD). The study was led by Meda Raghavendra, M.D. and Joseph Holtman, M.D., Ph.D., of Loyola University Medical Center and Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of […]
Do you know exactly what XYZ implant costs? Probably not. But Kermit might be able to help…and they have now started using the Mendix platform. According to the March 15, 2016 news release, “Mendix, a Platform-as-a-Service (aPaaS) provider, has announced that innovative healthcare startup Kermit has utilized the Mendix platform to custom-build an analytics platform […]
Spines are vibrating in Canada, as new research from the University of Alberta has found that back pain can be evaluated using vibration. The team, led by Greg Kawchuk, Ph.D., worked with the University of Southern Denmark to study the lumbar spines of twins. “Instead of using large seismic vibrations to find oil, we used […]
OrthoAtlanta continues to expand, with its newest location, OrthoAtlanta Piedmont West, having just opened on Monday, February 29, 2016. “We are excited to open the Piedmont West office to serve our patients with orthopaedic and sports medicine needs, ” stated Peter J. Symbas, OrthoAtlanta surgeon, in the March 8, 2016 news release. “The Piedmont West […]
Implanet a medical technology company focused on vertebral and knee implants, has begun a prospective and multicenter clinical study, designed to document the outcomes of the JAZZ Band in adult degenerative and adult deformity indications. As indicated in the March 14, 2016 news release, “Implanet has partnered with TFS International, a professional CRO (Contract Research […]
A new company is breaking into the cast space…. Advanced Healing Medical Devices, a start-up specializing in therapeutic aids for bone fractures, sprains and strains, has debuted the new CoolCast at the 2016 annual American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) meeting. “We are very encouraged by the tremendous amount of positive feedback this product has […]
ConforMIS, Inc. has announced the full commercial launch of iTotal PS, the only customized posterior stabilized knee replacement system. Over 1, 000 patients have been treated by select orthopedic surgeons using the iTotal PS during the limited launch over the past 12 months. According to the March 2, 2016 news release, “The ConforMIS iTotal PS […]
In a retrospective study, Cleveland Clinic researchers set out to test the association between cup positioning and patient-reported functional and general health outcomes, as well as dislocation rate. Going in, the team hypothesized that cup positioning with reference to the native acetabular rim, rather than the reported safe zone, would affect dislocation risk and patient-reported […]
A survey of orthopedic programs reveals that most do not feel ready for the bundled payment initiative. Academic hospitals have lower total cost per procedure, and community hospitals have a shorter LOS, says a Cleveland Clinic study. How to save $2.5 and $4 billion in healthcare costs? Go to a high volume center for knee replacement.
The Smith & Nephew booth was sporting a new acetabular cup at the recent American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) meeting in Orlando. Known as the REDAPT Revision Acetabular Fully Porous Cup with CONCELOC Technology, according to the March 1, 2016 news release, this cup is meant for revision cases where compromised bone makes implant […]
Össur, manufacturers of prosthetic and orthopedic products, has launched the Unloader Hip, a brace meant for patients with mild-to-moderate hip osteoarthritis (OA). As indicated in the February 27, 2016 news release, “Unloader Hip’s proprietary design is intended to improve patients’ mobility by using compression to encourage external rotation and abduction of the femoral head whenever […]
Designed by children and constructed by adults…Recently, more than 200 volunteers from American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the City of Kissimmee, Community Vision and Central Avenue Elementary School along with organizers from KaBOOM! and Kissimmee residents teamed up to build a new community playground at Central Avenue Elementary. The playground—built in six hours—was designed […]
A new study shows that wrong-site surgery is still with us. New research from HSS shows that bariatric surgery before TKR could be cost-effective for morbidly obese patients with end-stage arthritis. And the chief of Sports Medicine at MGH is on to new vistas out West.
Orchid Orthopedic Solutions (Orchid) is moving into the Chinese orthopedic market by offering Vacuum Titanium Plasma Spray (VPS) coating services at their Suzhou, China, facility in 2016. According to the March 8, 2016 news release, “This expansion of capabilities supports Orchid’s strategy to provide full value stream services to the local market in Asia and […]
Researchers from Cleveland Clinic in Ohio have undertaken an effort to get clarity on optimal component placement in total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). The team, led by Eric T. Ricchetti, M.D., sought to evaluate the use of a standard and an augmented glenoid component. A total of 88 patients with advanced glenohumeral osteoarthritis underwent TSA; 57 […]
Bioventus introduced several new products at the recent meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). These include GELSYN-3, a three-injection, hyaluronic acid (HA) based product for pain relief associated with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. This is being followed up with the introduction of CellXtract, a novel cell and bone marrow extraction tool; […]
Dr. Gunston, renown for creating the first artificial replacement knee, has passed away at the age of 82.
A new study has found that certain groups of patients fare worse when it comes to pain and activity following total knee replacement (TKR). Specifically, patients age 45 and younger, and those age 75 and older, report more pain and less activity after undergoing this procedure. “Knee replacement is a common, successful surgery in orthopaedics, […]
A study recently presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has undertaken the task of reviewing applications of fitness trackers as they might be used for orthopedic care. “…fitness devices have the potential to transform orthopaedic care, ” said lead study author Claudette Lajam, M.D., an assistant professor […]
New research from Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush has found that fatigue can affect pitching mechanics and potentially result in injuries. “Our study simulated a 90-pitch game for 28 elite, adolescent pitchers and we investigated how their shoulder and elbow motions affected pitching speed, accuracy, pain, and pitching mechanics. As expected, the boys became progressively more […]
The Boston Shoulder Institute is using novel methods to cut confusion and improve outcome measurements. A Level 1 trauma center finds the best way to clear a backlog of OR cases. And the chief of Sports Shoulder at Penn is a part-time comedian who knows the power of healing with humor.
Now they can really get to work! A group of talented researchers from Thomas Jefferson University (TJU) and the Rothman Institute have been named as the first teams selected to participate in the Entrepreneurs-in-Residence program (EIR) that is part of the Independence Blue Cross/Jefferson Health Innovation Collaboration announced last June. Each of the two teams […]
As if there weren’t enough issues surrounding medications for the treatment of childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), new research has found that kids taking such medication showed decreased bone density. “This is an important step in understanding a medication class, that is used with increasing frequency, and its effect on children who are at a […]
Joseph Marotta, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and devoted Catholic-Franciscan missionary, died suddenly on February 8, 2016 at the age of 57.
Injections prior to TKR or THR could mean an increased risk of infection, according to two new studies. Research from Rush indicates that those who are malnourished before surgery are at a higher risk of infection. And new work has found that a full 65% of patient satisfaction was attributed to physician empathy!
The head team physician of the Cleveland Browns combed the vast array of wearable technologies for his recent research. James Voos, M.D., also the Jack & Mary Herrick Director of Sports Medicine at University Hospitals, examined all manner of the technology from pedometers and accelerometers to global positioning devices. The goal? Enlighten team physicians and […]
You might call it the, “I think therefore I walk” machine. In a world’s first, researchers from Australia have created a minimally invasive brain/machine interface. The paperclip-sized electrode will be tested in a human trial at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in 2017. As indicated in the February 8, 2016 news release, “Co-principal investigator and biomedical […]
David McGurl, former FDA Premarket Senior Lead Reviewer, will be joining Musculoskeletal Clinical Regulatory Advisers, LLC (MCRA), as a Director.
A new report recently issued by the United States Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI) highlights the alarming burden put on the country by musculoskeletal conditions. Specifically, the report estimated that 126.6 million Americans (one in two adults) are affected by a musculoskeletal condition—comparable to the total percentage of Americans living with a chronic lung or […]
Sheldon Roger, M.D., former orthopedic physician for the Denver Nuggets, passed away on February 20, 2016 at the age of 86.
The Board of Directors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has just approved new guidelines regarding carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The Management of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines is endorsed by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. “One physical examination maneuver is not enough to definitely diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome, […]
Physicians, along with engineering and business students from The Hebrew University’s BioDesign: Medical Innovation program, are pushing the envelope with the development of a new surgical guidewire. Their system, one that provides real-time indications of deflection or bending of the guide-wire, gives the surgeon the ability to adjust the procedure before damage occurs. Welcome, BendGuide! […]
The National Spine Foundation is attacking spine-related disability! The JBJS is recognizing superior work with its new Elite Reviewer Program. And a polymer delivers a time-released molecule to heal bone.
Researchers, reviewing data from the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study, have found that 53% of children injured by lawn mowers require an amputation! Researchers reviewed data from the Pennsylvania Trauma Outcome Study on the 199 children, ages 0 to 17 (mean age 8), admitted to a pediatric or adult trauma center between 2002 and 2013 with […]
United Orthopedic Corporation (UOC) has commenced with patient enrollment in a follow-up study in the U.S. of the commercially available U-Motion II+ Acetabular System and UTF Reduced Stem in patients receiving primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). The study, anticipated to last approximately seven years, is a prospective, single arm, multi-center, post-approval study that will evaluate […]
Things are looking good for Vital 5, Inc., a catheter company that aims to make a dent in postoperative pain for those undergoing orthopedic and spinal procedures. The company is announcing a successful series of orthopedic and spinal procedures in Logan, Utah and Chicago, Illinois. As indicated in the February 24, 2016 news release, “The […]
Titan Spine LLC is on a roll, with a 51% increase in sales of its Endoskeleton interbody fusion devices in 2015 compared to the previous year. The company has also reported over $33.5 million in worldwide sales in 2015, with sales in the fourth quarter 2015 alone equating to annualized run rate of $43.1 million. […]
Meet the most incredible orthopedist you will ever read about. His story begins, sadly, as an all too familiar story of refugees fleeing unimaginable violence. The rest of the story, however, is about a brilliant mind and how, against all odds, he redesigned prosthetics to be biologically friendly and osseointegrative. Three words—amazing, uplifting and instructive.
A new clinical trial from Emory University has shown that one dose of zoledronic acid inhibited bone loss in HIV-infected patients—this loss is increased during the first two years of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Bone loss also leads to a higher rate of fracture in HIV-infected individuals, as indicated in the February 23, 2016 news release. […]
Canadian researchers have found that postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and urinary incontinence can get help for the latter problem via pelvic floor muscle training. The study, done by the BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the University of Montreal, Quebec, found that these exercises can produce major improvements for these […]
Going forward, the Journal of Orthopedics for Physician Assistants (JOPA) will be housed within the family of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) family of publications and products. “We at JBJS have long recognized the expertise and support PAs provide to today’s multi-professional medical team, ” said Paul Sandford, CEO of The Journal […]
The Brooklyn Nets will now be training in the lap of luxury, with the opening of the Brooklyn-based Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Training Center. According to the February 17, 2016 news release, the team’s new state-of-the-art full-time practice site boasts “70, 000 square feet of amenities, including two full basketball courts, a weight room, […]
Several knee gurus have come up with an important new resource for virtually anyone interested in knee surgery. Drs. Robert LaPrade, Jorge Chahla and Chase Dean of the Steadman Philippon Research Institute have published “Complex Knee Surgery Made Easy, ” the first free educational interactive digital book of its kind in sports medicine. According to […]
Armed with funding from the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine, researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have designed a special 3D printer and proven that it is possible to print living tissue structures to replace injured or diseased tissue in patients. As indicated in the February 15, 2016 news release, “Reporting in Nature […]
A celebration was held recently when OrthoTexas Orthopedics and Sports Medicine moved into the McKinney Medical Village in McKinney, Texas. According to the February 16, 2016 news release, “In January 2011, four orthopedic groups (Metrocrest Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, Associated Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Orthopaedic Associates of North Texas and Orthopedic Specialists of North Texas) […]
Should you pop a few dried plums the next time you go for an X-ray? Maybe so. A new study just published in Scientific Reports suggests that dried plums may help to prevent bone loss in those exposed to radiation. The animal study, done at the University of California, San Francisco and Veterans Affairs, University […]
If we can detect of changes in the flow of interstitial fluid in articular cartilage, then we may be able to pick up on the onset of osteoarthritis. This work, done by researchers from the University of Eastern Finland, is the Ph.D. study of Janne Mäkelä, M.Sc. As indicated in the February 16, 2016 news […]
A new position statement from the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) gives clinicians evidence-based guidance and provides a national implementation strategy to help children and adolescents achieve optimal bone health—aka—peak bone mass, early in life. According to the February 9, 2016 news release, this work is the first systematic review of its kind. The research team […]
Green tea has long been a favorite of the alternative medicine crowd. Now there is new evidence showing that a molecule in green tea can make a big difference when it comes to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The work, done by researchers at Washington State University (WSU) in Spokane, evaluated a phytochemical called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). “Existing […]
New research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that bumping up the amount of tristetraprolin (TTP), a naturally produced protein, protects mice from inflammation…or significantly reduces inflammation. As indicated in the February 4, 2016 news release, “Perry Blackshear, M.D., D.Phil., a researcher at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part […]
Good news for Flexion Therapeutics, Inc., as its knee osteoarthritis (OA) drug Zilretta met its primary endpoint at week 12. Zilretta (also known as FX006) demonstrated highly significant, durable and clinically meaningful pain relief against placebo in patients with moderate to severe OA knee pain. According to the February 16, 2016 news release, the trial […]
Robert LaPrade, M.D. Ph.D., a knee surgeon at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, has updated his website http://drrobertlaprademd.com/, so that patients and medical professionals can better understand the anatomy of the knee, what causes knee pain, and treatment options. Some of the conditions addressed on the site include: Knee Arthritis Complex Knee Injuries Posterolateral […]
The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) has rounded out its 2016 Board of Directors.
The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) is providing even more guidance for hospitals and surgeons to get the most out of their patient-reported outcome (PRO) platforms. The group has just published a guide on their new Level III PRO platform, meaning that users can better manage their PRO programs and can build them around the […]
JBJS article discusses how while using BMDSMSCs did not aid in healing, the implant itself participated in the repair. Jim Bradley, M.D. has found that when it comes to elite athletes, those with posterior instability and rotator cuff tears fare better than those with SLAP tears and rotator cuff involvement. And the lead article in the Global Spine Journal has found that neck pain improved for many patients following laminoplasty.
The prosthetic and orthopedic wizards at Össur have launched their Rebound DUAL, a brace for people with ligament issues, including ligament instabilities and osteoarthritis (OA). According to the January 31, 2016 news release, the new Rebound DUAL features a lightweight aluminum framed with Össur’s proprietary SmartDosing controls. The controls allow patients to make fine-tune adjustments […]
Brian T. Ennis is the new President of Implanet America, a company specializing in vertebral and knee-surgery implants.
Dr. Lindsey is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
Dr. Andrew, senior partner at Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic, has retired from the practice after nearly 34 years of dedicated service.
A new review article entitled “Looking Ahead to Engineering Epimorphic Regeneration of a Human Digit or Limb, ” has just been published in Tissue Engineering, Part B, Reviews. The coauthors of this study are Lina M. Quijano, Kristen M. Lynch, and Tabassum Ahsan of Tulane University, Christopher H. Allan from the University of Washington in […]
Novartis AG has announced that the FDA has approved Cosentyx (secukinumab) for two new indications: the treatment of adults with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and active psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The approvals come as the result two AS and two PsA placebo-controlled Phase III studies involving more than 1, 500 patients. According to the January 15, […]
A new study appearing in February’s issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery has found that calcific tendinitis of the shoulder involves a significant increase in blood vessel and pain receptor growth among patients with this condition. “We found a 3-to-8-fold increase in the number of small blood vessels, nerves and inflammatory cytokines […]
Foot and ankle patients are avoiding blood clots by “sheer luck” says a new study. Repairing the rotator cuff without addressing the scapula does patients a great disservice, says the head of Penn’s Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders. And the chief of orthopedics at CHOP discusses measures they have taken to redesign their fellowship program.
You might say that scientists from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) have a “shoulder-bot.” Their new robotic exoskeleton is meant to improve the recovery of patients with shoulder injuries. According to the January 20, 2016 news release, “A team from the Centre for Automation and Robotics (CAR, UPM-CSIC) has developed a robotic exoskeleton that performs […]
SI-BONE, Inc., makers of the iFuse Implant System, has announced the formation of SI-BONE UK Ltd, along with the addition of two management team members.
New research indicates that orthopedic randomized controlled trials are under-powered therefore give results but not answers. The Rothman Institute excited about newborns? What’s up? And John Dormans, M.D. is the new L.E. Simmons Chair in Orthopedics at Texas Children’s Hospital.
What can fish in space tell us about bone loss? Scientists are trying to find out. A team of researchers went in search of answers to the question, “Why do astronauts lose bone mineral density in flight?” To that end, they raised freshwater fish (Medaka) aboard the International Space Station for 56 days and examined […]
UK researchers have found that a child’s risk of fracture can depend upon their ethnicity and where they live in the UK. As indicated in the February 2, 2016 news release, an analysis of the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink database by researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, […]
It’s a first…researchers from New York have identified and isolated a stem cell population capable of skull formation and craniofacial bone repair in mice. According to the February 1, 2016 news release, senior author Wei Hsu, Ph.D., dean’s professor of Biomedical Genetics and a scientist at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health at the University […]
Expanding Orthopedics, Inc. (EOI) has announced that Jonathan Lewin, M.D. of North Shore Forest Hills Hospital in New York is the first surgeon in New Jersey to adopt the FLXfit articulated and lordotic expandable cage as his choice of treatment for MIS TLIF (transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion) surgery. Dr. Lewin, director of spine surgery at […]
SI-BONE, Inc., manufacturers of the iFuse Implant System, has announced that CGS Administrators, LLC (CGS) the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) covering the states of Kentucky and Ohio has issued a positive local coverage determination (LCD) for MIS SI joint fusion. iFUse is a minimally invasive surgical (MIS) device indicated for fusion for certain disorders of […]
The American Joint Registry has made extraordinary progress in the last three years and now encompasses 618 hospitals, 4, 500 surgeons and all 50 states. Supported by every major large joint surgeon society, the AJRR is a vital and necessary part of every surgeons and manufacturers tool kit.
EOS imaging will be working with Montreal-based Spinologics Inc. to develop a biomechanical simulation software dedicated to spine surgery planning. The new software will be integrated into EOS imaging’s cloud-based, 3D planning software. According to the January 19, 2016 news release, “The biomechanical model of the spine and the pelvis provides input to define a […]
LDR Holding Corporation has announced that it has made a minority investment in Poly-Shape, SAS, a French manufacturing company specializing in laser sintering. In addition, LDR has entered into an exclusive partnership with Poly-Shape for the development of spinal implants. The investment was made through LDR’s wholly owned subsidiary, LDR Médical, SAS. LDR President and […]
Anika Therapeutics, Inc. has announced the enrollment of the first patient in its pivotal HYALOFAST FastTRACK Phase III clinical study, a prospective, randomized trial. In this multicenter study where the evaluators are blinded, the goal is to establish the superiority of a hyaluronan-based scaffold (HYALOFAST) with autologous bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) in the treatment […]
Amedica Corporation has just announced the release of its Valeo II C interbody fusion device system, a product made entirely of Amedica’s micro composite silicon nitride biomaterial. “We are very excited to supplement this innovative product line with an additional second generation interbody offering, ” said Sonny Bal, M.D., chairman and CEO of Amedica Corporation, […]
Craig Della Valle, M.D., a joint reconstruction and replacement surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, has just been named Chief of the Division of Adult Reconstructive Service at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. As indicated in the January 21, 2016 news release, “Dr. Della Valle adds this appointment to a long list of accomplishments […]
Dr. Melikian has a special focus on cervical and lumbar degenerative spine surgery, lateral-access and anterior surgery (XLIF and ALIF), minimally invasive surgery, spine trauma and spinal tumors
William H.B. Howard, M.D., the longtime medical director and co-founder of MedStar Union Memorial’s Sports Medicine Clinic, passed away on January 10, 2016 at the age of 81.
SpineGuard, Inc. has announced the world’s first spinal fusion surgery performed with the one-step-insertion of pedicle “smart screws” guided by DSG (Dynamic Surgical Guidance) technology. According to the January 5, 2016 news release, “this surgery was performed successfully by Dr. Court and his team at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Bicêtre Paris-Sud in France. Dr. Tropiano […]
A huge new study from the University of Southampton in the UK has found that lesions, which are visible on MRI scans, could help identify individuals who are more likely to have more rapidly progressing osteoarthritis. The work was conducted by the university’s Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit and has been published in The […]
A greater number of locations for the greater good of New Yorkers…Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has announced the signing of a lease to establish an outpatient center in Westchester County, New York. The new center, located near I-287 and the Hutchinson River Parkway at 1133 Westchester Avenue in White Plains, New York, will be […]
Dr. Romeo has been selected to be President of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES). He also serves as co-team physician for the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Bulls.
Playful rehab, it is…A new system combines two technologies—Intel RealSense, a movement sensor that was recently launched for developers, and Oculus Rift DK2 virtual reality goggles—and gives those with injured shoulders a way to rehab with a fun twist. One of the researchers was Alejandro Baldominos, of Carlos III University of Madrid’s Computer Science department. […]
Rare and painful, a little-known disease known as Hajdu-Cheney syndrome is garnering some attention. Along with colleagues, a researcher from the University of Connecticut (UConn) has discovered the gene that causes Hajdu-Cheney, an affliction that causes the softening—and fracture—of bones. Using a mouse model, Ernesto Canalis, M.D. and colleagues targeted a gene known as NOTCH2. […]
Renowned orthopedic surgeon, Anthony Romeo, M.D., has been selected to be President of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) from 2017-2018. He will serve as president-elect from October 2016 to October 2017. Anthony Romeo, M.D. is an orthopedic surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush. He is also professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Rush University […]
Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush is celebrating these days…five of its physicians were named among the Chicago area’s “Top Doctors” in the January 2016 issue of Chicago Magazine.
Screening, diagnosis, treatment…earlier is better when it comes to adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. According to the January 13, 2016 news release, “A 2013 multicenter National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study, Bracing in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Trial (BrAIST), documented significant success in preventing spinal curve progression and surgery in children who were screened, diagnosed, and treated with […]
Medtech SA has recently announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA to market the ROSA Spine robot in the United States. Bertin Nahum, CEO and Founder of Medtech, said in the January 5, 2016 news release, “We are thrilled to have FDA approval for ROSA Spine. Building on the success that ROSA™ […]
Dr. Levine has been named the new editor-in-chief of the Journal of the JAAOS, the orthopedic journal of the American Academy of Orthoaedic Surgeons.
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Working Group has just released a new editorial urging physicians to individualize treatment based on patients’ fracture risk, as opposed to automatically interrupting or stopping bisphosphonate therapy after five or three years. As indicated in the January 4, 2016 news release, “The concept of a bisphosphonate ‘holiday’ arose following concerns […]
Millstone Medical Oursourcing, LLC is announcing that going forward it will be working with ImplantBase, LLC, a web-based software platform for medical device field inventory management. “The prospect of working with the ImplantBase team to provide customers with a true end to end solution for their inventory is one that excites us, ” said Tom […]
VEXIM, a medical device company specializing in the minimally invasive treatment of vertebral fractures, has announced the initiation of a new multicenter clinical study in France. The company developed a new comparative study protocol with the Coordinators Professor Jean-Marc Vital and Professor Olivier Gille of Bordeaux. The goal of this randomized prospective study is to […]
Coping skills…undertaught and underused. And when it comes to pain and function following spine surgery, it can be THE thing that makes a difference. A new and unusual study has found that using cognitive-behavioral based physical therapy (CBPT) has a good chance of helping patients decrease a nearly debilitating fear of movement after lumbar spine […]
Paul G. Echols, M.D., has been named chief medical officer for the University of New Mexico (UNM) Sandoval Regional Medical Center (SRMC).
New research from the Rothman Institute suggests that formal physical therapy may be unnecessary for THA patients. Meta-analysis reveals that almost 30% of residents are depressed. And the surgeon in charge of the quality and value guidelines at AAOS gives details on the latest recommendations for those undergoing knee OA surgery.
In yet another indication that good doctor-patient relationships are vital, a new study has found that to be especially important when it comes to adolescent scoliosis. “Patients who were aware that their device measured brace use, wore their brace, on average, an additional three hours each day, ” said orthopedic surgeon and lead study author […]
A new literature review published online by JAMA Internal Medicine hints that exercise may reduce the risk of low back pain (LBP). The work was led by Daniel Steffens, Ph.D., of the University of Sydney, Australia. Dr. Steffens and his co-authors identified 23 published reports (on 21 different randomized clinical trials including 30, 850 participants). […]
Forbes magazine has come out with its fifth annual “30 Under 30” list, a montage of leaders in all fields who are—and will continue to—make a major impact on their respective fields. Standing tall on that list is Chris Murawski.
Alcohol abuse also raises infection risk dramatically says Cleveland Clinic president. New Harvard study reveals the power of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to cut pain from musculoskeletal trauma. And an important reminder that, yes, you can treat the pathology as you are also treating the joint—with personalized rehabilitation program.
A team of researchers from the University of Delaware (UD) and the University of Pennsylvania has clarified details on the structure and function of fibro-cartilaginous tissues. Their work could aid in the development of improved strategies to treat injuries such as meniscus tears…as well as new therapies for osteoarthritis and age-related degeneration. Their findings are […]
You might want to consider maple syrup in your morning café…a group of researchers from Université Laval in Quebec have found that arthritis and other inflammatory diseases might be helped by a molecule found in maple syrup. According to the December 22, 2015 news release, “Discovered in 2011, quebecol is the result of chemical reactions […]
A new study from the Lexington Clinic in Kentucky has found that patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) who report pain 60-120 days postop are more likely to be dissatisfied at mid-term follow-up. Cale Jacobs, Ph.D. is assistant professor in the department of orthopedic surgery at the University of Kentucky. He told OTW, “Approximately 15-20% […]
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) have manipulated the pore structure of a new bone graft to mimic natural bone tissue. The new graft is known as Inductigraft, and was able to guide bone tissue regeneration in as little as four weeks. The study was co-led […]
What to do about antibiotics and drug resistance? University of Illinois chemists and their collaborators have an idea…repurposing! There are drugs already approved to treat things such as parasitic infections and cancers, that—lo and behold—just may work as antibiotics agents against staph infections. The work, which was led by Eric Oldfield, Ph.D., a chemistry professor […]
Pinnacle Spine Group, LLC is announcing the third patent covering the company’s InFill fusion technology. The patent, Intervertebral Implants and Related Tools, follows on the heels of patents related to spinal implants and methods of post-filling to provide for superior fusion results. “This new patent significantly broadens our overall intellectual property portfolio and, from a […]
New collaborative research from seven institutions across the U.S. is showing an association between increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids and a decreased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in people likely to develop this disease. The research has been published in Rheumatology. Researchers, led by Jill Norris, Ph.D., a professor in the department of […]
After completing a new literature review, researchers from the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children have found an increase in children and adolescents seeking treatment for back pain. The work, published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, was led by Suken A. Shah, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon […]
Pairing aminoglycosides with systemic antibiotics vastly reduces open fracture infection rates. Craig Della Valle, M.D. and colleagues determined how to save money on TKA with oral tranexamic acid. New study finds that obese trauma patients need more surgery, post-discharge care and cost more.
With all of the concern about non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) these days, it makes sense to look toward a natural pain-relief alternative. Promisia Integrative Limited, a New Zealand company, is doing just that. The company has announced positive results from a clinical trial on their natural dietary supplement, Arthrem. The results the 12 week randomized, […]
Just because obese children usually have more muscle doesn’t mean that their bones are in good shape. Past studies show that obese children tend to have more muscle; a new literature review from the University of Georgia (UGA) reveals that excess body fat may compromise bone growth. Joseph Kindler, a doctoral candidate at UGA’s College […]
A team of researchers—led by the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada—has found that the standard practice of preoperative wound cleaning using soap and water needs to be challenged. The researchers, who worked in collaboration with the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, found that soap and water is less effective than using […]
Kitov Pharmaceuticals is announcing that KIT-302, a drug that treats both osteoarthritis (OA) pain and hypertension, has done well in its Phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. KIT-302 met the primary efficacy endpoint of the trial protocol as approved by the FDA. In addition, KIT-302 was more efficacious at reducing hypertension than the hypertension drug […]
Helen H. Lu, Ph.D., professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia Engineering, has won a three-year $1.125 million Translational Research Award grant from the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs for her research on tendon-to-bone integration for rotator cuff repair. Dr. Lu is collaborating with William Levine, M.D., chairman and the Frank E. […]
TissueGen, Inc. has completed major facility upgrades, thus allowing it to manufacture and develop ELUTE fiber in an ISO Class 7 cleanroom environment. ELUTE fiber is a biodegradable fiber format for advanced drug delivery. “ELUTE fiber revolutionizes how medical applications may be approached, enabling breakthroughs in advanced drug delivery, nerve regeneration and tissue engineering, ” […]
Tick tock OW! A researcher from the UK has made an unusual discovery, namely that osteoarthritis (OA) is linked to the human body clock. Dr. Qing-Jun Meng, a Senior Research Fellow for Arthritis Research UK and a University of Manchester biologist, discovered that chondrocytes control thousands of genes which segregate different biological activities at different […]
Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. announced that it has reached an agreement with Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) on the last trial needed to apply for conditional approval of PLX-PAD cells in the treatment of critical limb ischemia (CLI). “With this achievement we have advanced our strategy to expedite commercialization of our cell products. Pluristem […]
Talk about advanced warning! Scientists from the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology at Oxford University have found a marker that can tell you whether you might eventually have rheumatoid arthritis (RA)…and it can tell you this information even 16 years before the condition takes effect! Specifically, the team found that a blood test that looks for […]
Continuing their good works, the folks at gSource, LLC have made another donation of their surgical instruments to the Foundation of Orthopedics and Complex Spine (FOCOS) in Accra, Ghana. The instruments are valued at $9, 496; this brings the total amount donated to FOCOS by gSource to $44, 768. Billmann told OTW, “gSource is pleased […]
Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has “made nice” with the FDA. The company has, according to the December 15, 2015 news release, “achieved an amicable resolution with the United States in its lawsuit (filed on September 8, 2015). The resolution confirms that EXPAREL (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension) is, and has been since 2011, broadly indicated for administration […]
Eureka for UK researchers! They have developed the world’ first ibuprofen patch. These pioneers are from the University of Warwick and Medherant, a Warwick spinout company. According to the December 8, 2015 news release, “the transparent adhesive patch consistently delivers a prolonged high dose of ibuprofen directly through the skin. The team has found a […]
Kelly Doyle of Rothman Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital has been recognized by the Philadelphia Business Journal as one of Philadelphia’s Most Admired CEOs of 2015.
NYU Langone has figured out how to safely discharge patients to home-with no increase in readmission rates. Obese patients who lose pounds can protect their knees from osteoarthritis. New study finds that cartilage can partially regenerate by running.
EOS imaging, specialists in 2D/3D orthopedic imaging, is building out its U.S. operations by expanding commercially and organizationally. With EOS, surgeons can capture 2D and 3D full-body, stereo-radiographic images of patients in functional positions. And with these images, patients are getting a dose of radiation that is 50% to 85% less than Digital Radiology and […]
A group of researchers from Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles is now closer to developing new treatments for patients with osteoporosis and spinal compression fractures. They found that using a combination of adult stem cells and parathyroid hormone (PTH) significantly increased new bone formation—and may speed healing for human bone fractures caused by osteoporosis. As indicated […]
C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., Chairman of Orthopaedics and also the Carl L. Nelson, M.D. Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, talks about his transition from private practice, and how UAMS Orthopaedics is growing in leaps and bounds.
Researchers from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Children’s Oncology Group investigators have released new findings indicating that variations in genes involved in normal bone development are associated with an 8-to 15-fold increased risk for osteonecrosis in young patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). According to the December 5, 2015 news release, “osteonecrosis is a […]
Maybe chewing gum is the ONLY thing we should be attempting while walking! A new study from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) shows that we have a long way to go to curb distracted walking. According to the December 2, 2015 news release, more than three quarters (78%) of U.S. adults believe that […]
Researchers from Brazil have found evidence that resistance strength training reduces pain and increases function and treatment satisfaction in people with hand osteoarthritis (OA), according to new research findings presented in November at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Francisco. “There is a scarce literature regarding strength exercise in hand OA, and […]
Osteosarcoma (OS), a rare cancer that primarily affects adolescents and children, originates in the bone tissue. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered that OS cells degrade the bone tissue through a completely different process than metastasized bone cancer. Led by Dr. Niels Behrendt and Dr. Lars Engelholm, a team at the Finsen Laboratory, […]
Hiroshima University and Daiya Industry Co. Ltd. in Japan have joined forces to revolutionize human movement. They have developed a wearable model of a device using pneumatic muscle. Called the Unplugged Powered Suit (UPS), the device supports human movement without requiring any electronic devices and tanks because it uses the new Pneumatic Gel Muscle (PGM) […]
Trauma kills more people than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. But we are mis-training the surgeons who can help. Andy Pollak, M.D. and colleagues are advancing a strong solution. Rothman Orthopaedic Hospital in Bensalem, Pennsylvania “crowned” best hospital for Value Based Purchasing! And Neel Anand, M.D. wins Best Paper Award at SMISS.
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive (FOP), the rare genetic disease where bone is grown within soft tissue, is also known as Stone Man Syndrome. Now, researchers from Japan are delving into the connection between this disease and inflammation. According to the November 30, 2015 news release, an immune response or trauma triggers the disease. The team from […]
Researchers from the University of Southampton in the UK are using a protein to help develop a new type of drug that may help bones heal faster and better. The research is published in the journal Stem Cells. As indicated in the November 19, 2915 news release, the researchers demonstrated that “the drug—a protein that […]
A team of scientists from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has found that fat cells produced by stem cells from human bone marrow may be linked to chronic illnesses. “The study’s senior author, Dwight Klemm, Ph.D., professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said in the November 24, 2015 […]
With the turn of the calendar, residents of Northwest Indiana will have access to the quality care offered by the orthopedic program ranked 6th in the country by U.S. News & World Report…Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR). The expansion into Northwest Indiana will begin January 4, 2016. MOR physicians will see patients at 9200 Calumet […]
In a study that involved data from 274 million patients, researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) found that physicians are underutilizing methotrexate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Led by James O’Dell, M.D., Bruce Professor of Internal Medicine and chief of the UNMC divisions of rheumatology and immunology, the team found […]
Bioventus LLC, a company specializing in orthobiologics, has announced the acquisition of BioStructures LLC, a maker of bioresorbable bone graft products for spinal and orthopedic applications. The agreement covers the entire portfolio of current products in addition to the company’s entire research and development pipeline. Employees of BioStructures will be given the opportunity to join […]
A very special event occurred last night at the Franciscan House of Mary and Joseph in Chicago. A generous group of 40 volunteers from Rush University Medical School and Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) foot and ankle section treated an estimated 170 clients of the shelter last night. Volunteers were led by Drs. Johnny Lin […]
“All hands on deck” could be the motto for the surgeons willing to donate their time caring for the world’s poor. Budding orthopedic researchers have a new way to start their careers: at NYU Langone. Rush University Medical Center is flagging patients at risk with their Fracture Liaison Service.
There is anterior THR training….and there is Medacta training. Founded by a patient, but built on innovative and comprehensive surgeon training, Medacta has changed the way more than 3, 500 surgeons around the world perform total joint arthroplasty.
A team of University of Copenhagen scientists has found that for men undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, an hour of soccer several times a week counteracts many of the negative effects of the treatment. This work was part of the Ph.D. thesis defense by Jacob Uth, a physiotherapist at the University Hospitals Centre for Health […]
Orchid Orthopedic Solutions has signed an agreement to acquire the Cam Bioceramics coating facility and operations in Suzhou (Cam China), a company that provides hydroxylapatite (HA) plasma coatings in China. Cam Bioceramics, based in Leiden, the Netherlands, specializes in calcium phosphates; the company is Dutch-owned. According to the November 19, 2015 news release: “The acquisition […]
He was an accomplished orthopedic surgeon, a leader, and he had a passion for writing. John Samuel Gould, M.D. passed away.
Makers of the iFuse Implant System—SI-BONE, Inc.—have announced that the FDA has cleared the iFuse Implant System to include in its indication statement that, “Clinical studies have demonstrated that treatment with the iFuse Implant System improved pain, patient function and quality of life at 12 months post-implantation.” According to the company, this addition was based […]
New research from Swedish is advancing our knowledge of how inflammation-induced bone destruction causes damage. The research makes use of prior work showing that bacteria that cause inflammation to communicate with the body’s cells through Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Since the receptors can also be activated by internal substances in autoimmune diseases, the discovery can also […]
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and the Pittsburgh Steelers have announced that they are extending their partnership for 15 years. In addition, the UPMC Sports Complex will be renamed the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex as an honor to Ambassador Dan Rooney, chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelers. As indicated in the news release, “The […]
Research from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center is showing that some neuromuscular conditions may fuel the risk of cardiac arrest during pediatric spine surgery. The study, published in Spine, is believed to be the first to quantify the risk of this potentially lethal complication among children. As indicated in the news release, “The study results stem […]
Researchers from the University of Michigan (U-M) have found that a common ingredient in sunscreen could be an effective antibacterial coating for medical implants such as pacemakers and replacement joints. Using a coating of zinc oxide nanopyramids can disrupt the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), reducing the film on treated materials by over 95%! […]
Florida-based NovaBone Products, LLC has received a patent for its—as stated in the November 12, 2015 news release—“kit for a minimally invasive delivery of a composition for regenerating bone at or near the site of a bony defect.” “This patent is for an effectively designed and highly demanded delivery system that will include the use […]
James Edwin White, M.D., co-founder of Eastern Oklahoma Orthopedic Center and a pioneer in Oklahoma sports medicine, died on October 21.
Rothman Institute using plasma medicine to pursue limb growth! Chris Bono reveals information on pilot registry, additional coverage recommendations, and more. And Christopher A. Jarrett, M.D. Receives Hugh C. McLeod Award of Excellence.
Laser Spine Institute has announced that it will partner with two companies for two upcoming clinical trials: Spinal Kinetics and Titan Spine. Patients will be enrolled at Laser Spine Institute’s ambulatory surgery center (ASC) in Tampa, Florida. According to the news release, “In an FDA-regulated clinical trial studying the M6-C artificial cervical disc, considered by […]
Researchers from Duke University and the University of Rochester have made progress in determining what is going on with patients who have intra-articular fractures and—even after anatomic fracture reduction—develop ankle arthritis. Twenty-one patients with an intra-articular ankle fracture were included in this study. The research team set out to characterize the inflammatory cytokine and matrix […]
In just five years they have achieved crazy low readmission rates and accolades from the likes of U.S. News & World Report and Harvard. And Hoag Orthopedic Institute (HOI) officially celebrated its 5th anniversary on Tuesday, November 10, 2015. “Every single employee and physician contributed to HOI’s incredible accomplishments and successes, ” said Carlos Prietto, […]
NYU Langone Medical Center researchers have found that psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis symptoms were significantly lessened in patients who underwent bariatric (weight loss) surgery. The study was led by Soumya Reddy, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology at NYU Langone, and co-director of NYU Langone’s Psoriatic Arthritis Center. According to […]
A new prospective study of patients undergoing weight-loss surgery at 10 different hospitals across the U.S. has found that in the three years following bariatric surgery, most patients experience an improvement in pain and walking ability. These preliminary results were the findings of a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health-led analysis. The National […]
Thomas Cycyota, the president and CEO of AlloSource, has been honored with the LAS Alumni Humanitarian Award from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Conventus Orthopaedics, Inc. will have lots more equity to grow with these days…the company has just finished a $23.5 million equity round of funding. All of the new financing comes from existing investors. As indicated in the November 4, 2015 news release, “Conventus’ innovative 3-dimensional fracture management platform technology allows surgeons to achieve reliable 3D […]
Researchers, led by scientists at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), have found that wrist fractures may also predict more serious fractures in other parts of the body later in life. The study, published in the November issue of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, found that one in five women who had […]
And now, a world’s first on a cadaver…Mazor Robotics, Ltd. has just showcased its PROlif Lateral solution on a cadaver at the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (SMISS) Global Forum ’15. Additionally, the company has—for the first time—presented data for the PROlif. According to the November 9, 2015 news release, “A podium presentation entitled, […]
Further proving that diabetes exacerbates just about everything, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital have found that diabetic carpal tunnel patients undergoing one corticosteroid injection were at greater risk of future symptoms. The researchers, led by Philip Blazer, M.D., director of the Harvard Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery Fellowship, found that the diabetic patients in […]
Up until now, doctors aiming to save a limb have had a small window of around four hours to reattach the severed limb. There is a new device, however, that extends that window up to 12 hours. Bohdan Pomahac, M.D., director of plastic surgery transplantation and the burn center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is […]
SI-BONE, Inc. has received some good news from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)…the company, makers of the iFuse Implant System, indicates that CMS has issued its 2016 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (HOPPS) payment recommendation for MIS SI joint fusion that provides an increased outpatient payment when billing CPT 27279 from $9, […]
You say you want a revolution? It’s here…degradable polymer implants. New study from HSS finds scary variability in MRI quality. And new work from the University of Chicago says that osteoporosis medication can reduce the chance of a second fragility fracture by a whopping 40%.
Researchers from Harvard have determined that even in the absence of a “bull’s eye” looking rash, spontaneous knee effusion (water on the knee) can be a primary symptom of Lyme disease. By conducting a literature review, published in The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS), the team found that early diagnosis and […]
Noted sports medicine surgeon James Andrews, M.D. has broken ground on a sparkling new facility in Texas. New work from NYU shows that using bupivacaine liposome results in quicker discharge, fewer falls (and more). University of Delaware researchers have learned that articulation doesn’t cause wear!
Researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee in Scotland have identified (for the first time ever) the mechanism by which a certain gene contributes to the development of Paget’s disease. The researchers, led by Omar Albagha, M.Sc., Ph.D., at the Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, have found that a glitch in the gene […]
A new construct “like native bone” dissolves in the body within 18 months. Study finds that mental health scores have little effect on the long term benefit of ankle surgery. And John Feagin, Jr., M.D. has been honored with the Dr. Ernst Jokl Sports Medicine Award.
Research from Scotland has found that the mood-enhancing hormone called serotonin could play a role in recovering from a spinal cord injury—at least for zebrafish. According to the October 22, 2015 news release, “They have found that serotonin sends signals to stem cells found in the spinal cord to boost the growth of new motor […]
Robert LaPrade, M.D., Ph.D., who graduated from the University of Maine in 1981, was recently awarded the university’s Alumni Association’s 2015 Career Award.
Studies are underway to determine if a new modular partial wrist replacement will allow for better movement and last longer than traditional implants for people seeking relief from painful wrist arthritis. Although current options such as total wrist replacement and wrist fusion can alleviate pain, patients are often limited in performing certain activities after surgery. […]
Nikhil N. Verma, M.D., has been named Professor and Director of Sports Medicine Research for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center.
David Burris, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Delaware, has found some answers to the question, “Why doesn’t cartilage deflate over the course of days, months or years?” Working from the idea that the cartilage was able to reabsorb the fluid that leaks out when we’re stationary, Dr. […]
Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) has just been named the Official Orthopedic Provider of the Chicago Men’s and Women’s Platform Tennis Leagues, Region V of the American Platform Tennis Association. MOR physicians will be on site to provide treatment for select tournaments. “We are thrilled to begin this relationship with Chicago area platform tennis players, […]
What is the use of having recommendations if no one follows them? A team led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has plunged into the issue of regulatory guidance documents and cartilage repair. Indicating in the October 21, 2015 news release that there is “little to no” adherence […]
Researchers from New York and Israel have taken on an unusual topic…lumbar spine surgery in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The investigators, from Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem, and Beth Israel Medical Center and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City, found that Parkinson’s patients fared well after undergoing lumbar spine surgery, […]
Calling into question the standard thinking that training with heavy weights is necessary to build bone mineral density (BMD), researchers from Pennsylvania State University have found that low-weight, high-repetition resistance training does increase BMD in adults. The research, published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, indicated that participants who completed the study […]
They may be onto something in Southeast Iowa. Ottumwa Regional Health Center (ORHC) has just launched a new program—ORHC Joint Camp—a program exclusively designed for patients who are preparing for, undergoing and recovering from hip or knee replacement surgery. Patients and family members undergo education regarding how to prepare for joint replacement surgery, as well […]
According to a new study in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, patients who are treated non-surgically have fewer complications and return to work sooner. “For severe AC [acromioclavicular] joint dislocations, surgery is the common practice but there’s not much evidence to suggest this is actually the best treatment, ” said Michael McKee, M.D. an orthopedic […]
New research from The University of Manchester has shown for the first time that the number of opiate receptors in the brain increases to combat severe pain in arthritis sufferers. By applying heat to the skin using a laser stimulator, Christopher Brown, Ph.D. and his colleagues showed that the more opiate receptors there are in […]
Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have received generous grants from the Richard J. Fasenmyer Foundation in the past…and now they have been awarded $18.5 million in new grants meant to support collaborative research efforts, physician recruitment and sustain into perpetuity the Richard J. Fasenmyer Center for Clinical Immunology at Cleveland […]
Colorado HealthOP (CO-OP), the state’s only nonprofit health insurance cooperative, has announced a partnership with SI-BONE, Inc. to cover the company’s iFuse Implant System, as well as current physical therapy interventions for lower back pain due to the sacroiliac (SI) joint. “Lower back pain is a significant health condition in Colorado that impacts our members’ […]
SeaSpine Holdings Corporation has announced the launch of its Cambria NanoMetalene cervical interbody body fusion device, an implant that is indicated for use as an adjunct to fusion in patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD). According to the October 15, 2015 news release, “NanoMetalene is an ultra-thin layer of commercially pure titanium molecularly bonded to […]
New research from the University of Florida and the University of Alabama shows that among patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, women experienced greater sensitivity to things such as lower tolerance to heat, cold, and pressure…they also had greater widespread pain than men. The study was led by Emily Bartley, Ph.D. of the University […]
The orthopedic surgeons joined OrthoAtlanta choosing to close their practice, Orthopedic Surgery, P.C.
Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. and the Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapy at Charité – University Medicine Berlin have agreed to expand their five-year Collaborative Research Agreement. Both parties will work toward the identification of orthopedic indications that may be eligible for development under Europe’s Adaptive Pathways and conditional marketing approval in the European Union. Pluristem’s program […]
The spine gurus at Benvenue Medical, Inc. have made the U.S. commercial launch of the Luna 3D Interbody Fusion System happen. In conjunction with this rollout, which took place at the recent North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting, the company accepted the 2015 Spine Technology Award for Luna in the Minimally Invasive Spine and […]
SeaSpine will surely benefit from Keran’s 15 years of experience as the company currently markets its products in the U.S. and in over 30 countries worldwide.
LinkSPINE has announced the first U.S. implantation of the FacetLINK HEMI. According to the October 9, 2015 news release, the titanium HEMI device is a low-profile plate that cross connects a Transfacet pedicle screw on the ipsilateral side of a Micro-Decompression to a Translaminar pedicle screw on the contralateral side. It is designed to provide […]
Why is osteolysis happening so much earlier in TAA than in TKA? Steven Haddad’s clinic tackles the issue. The International Consortium of Orthopedic Registries reveals new data regarding mobile bearing revisions. Treat patients with psychiatric problems preoperatively and you can boost outcomes, says a Cleveland Clinic study.
Safe Orthopaedics has announced that the FDA has approved the marketing of the company’s new implant in the U.S. The product, known as the One-Step System, is meant for repairing traumatic spinal injuries and allows simultaneous fracture correction and spine stabilization. As noted in the October 13, 2015 news release, “The innovative self-correcting screw mechanism […]
Want quick, accurate help on the sidelines or in the locker room? Cleveland Clinic to the rescue! Sports medicine physicians, led by Kurt Spindler, M.D., vice chairman of Research at Cleveland Clinic’s Orthopaedic & Rheumatologic Institute, have developed a first-of-its-kind app called “Sideline Guidelines.” The app contains medical information to aid in diagnosis, in assessing […]
Providence Medical Technology, Inc. has just introduced its Cavux surface technology, an innovation meant to speed bone fusion during the healing process. According to the company’s October 13, 2015 news release the company’s portfolio of DTRAX Cervical Cage implants will be available with Cavux, a unique surface technology that produces micro-textures on titanium surfaces. The […]
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Board of Directors is confronting the problem of opioid abuse, with a new information statement outlining ways to improve physician, caregiver and patient education and track opioid prescription use, among other things. “While minimizing patient discomfort remains an important goal of orthopaedic care, great caution should be used […]
When Radd Berrett sold his orthopedic companies he had visions of a relaxing retirement. Fate took a hand, however, and now he is a hero to some of the world’s most desperate children. Read how this former industry executive travels the world to rescue children from a life of sex trafficking.
A unique foot and ankle course is about to take the stage in Tampa, Florida. The biennial American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society’s (AOFAS) Surgical Complications Course attracts foot and ankle specialists from the interested to the experienced. The uniqueness of this course lies in its academic premise: Each lecture is limited to a discussion […]
Patients stepping into the new Spine Hospital in New York just may think they are in a 5-star hotel. A new book takes a vignette-based approach to acing the Orthopedic Board Exam. And 12 years’ worth of data from Mark Frankle, M.D. says that lateralization of reverse shoulder prostheses does not lead to implant failure.
Christoph Röder, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., director of the Institute for Evaluative Research in Medicine at the University of Bern in Switzerland and a senior researcher in Spine Tango, has passed away.
Researchers from Cardiff University in Wales think they have discovered something with the potential to prevent the onset of an aggressive form of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that is especially hard to treat. The team is now shedding light on how interleukin-27, an immune system protein, regulates the inflammatory process in lymphoid-rich RA. The researchers indicate […]
Wouldn’t you like to get some big-name sports medicine experts in a room and pick their brains? Now you can. From January 27-31, 2016 The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) will hold its 17th annual sports medicine course. The event, to be held in Steamboat […]
For 47 years, when nervous children and families awaited their appointments at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), their fears were eased when a warm-hearted doctor named Leon Root reached out to greet them.
Syria. It’s in the headlines every day. The following is a story of a Syrian physician who underwent unusual trials, a long journey, and an outstanding level of dedication to patient care and to the pursuit of a better life.
Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush will continue to be the “go-to” medical facility for The Chicago Steel, a member team of the United States Hockey League. Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush will serve as the team’s physician group for the 2015-2016 season; this will be the team’s first season at Fox Valley Ice Arena. As indicated in […]
Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush will continue to be the “go-to” medical facility for The Chicago Steel, a member team of the United States Hockey League. Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush will serve as the team’s physician group for the 2015-2016 season; this will be the team’s first season at Fox Valley Ice Arena. As indicated in […]
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is pleased to announce that for the second consecutive year, its orthopaedic residency program has been top ranked by Doximity. “We are honored that our residency program has been recognized once again by Doximity, ” said Mathias Bostrom, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and residency program director at HSS, in the September […]
Spine news from France…SpineGuard, developers of disposable medical devices for the spine, has announced today the CE marking for its DSG Threaded Drill and the first surgery, a thoracolumbar scoliosis correction, in Lille’s Centre Hospitalier Universitaire by Dr.s Assaker, Chopin and Allaoui. “As a long-standing user of PediGuard probes, I find that this smart threaded […]
The bionic prosthetic company iWalk (aka BiOM) has had a makeover. The company has re-launched itself as BionX Medical Technologies, Inc. and is sporting a new logo. According to the company, this re-launch also reflects company milestones, including the addition of an executive team, product enhancements, international commercial expansion and ongoing support from reimbursement authorities […]
A new study led by University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine researchers demonstrates that a protein called Del-1 can inhibit bone loss associated with periodontitis. Del-1 was also found to slow the activity of osteoclasts. The scientists found that applying Del-1 to the gums can inhibit inflammation and bone loss in a mouse model […]
When Radd Berrett sold his orthopedic companies he had visions of a relaxing retirement. Read how this former industry executive travels the world to rescue children from a life of sex trafficking.
A literature review conducted by Alan Dine, senior director of Global Clinical Strategy and Government Affairs at Halyard Health, has found that a continuous infusion of local bupivacaine reduced the need for opioids more than injections of liposomal bupivacaine (EXPAREL, manufactured by Pacira Pharmaceuticals) following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The continuous infusion came via Halyard’s […]
Massive new study from Johns Hopkins says yoga is an effective arthritis treatment. University of Virginia research says proper tibial tunnel placement needs more than the old landmarks. And Jonathan Mathers, M.D. has joined the team at OrthoAtlanta.
A man who was paralyzed for five years due to a spinal cord injury is now able to walk. Using the power of his own brain, the man achieved this without use of manually controlled robotic limbs. The research, published in the open access Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, involved an electroencephalogram (EEG) based system. […]
Researchers from Inserm/Strasbourg University in France have a new way of tackling infections. The team, housed at Unit 1121 “Biomaterials and Bio-engineering, ” has created a nearly invisible biofilm with antimicrobial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties. It may be used to cover titanium implants, and to prevent or control post-operative infections. According to the September 21, […]
Todd M. McGrath, M.D., Douglas C. Sutton, M.D., and Daniel E. Bronsnick, M.D., have all joined the Aria 3B Orthopaedic Institute, a large provider in Philadelphia and the surrounding communities.
If you’re decision to have spinal fusion is driven by cost, you may want to drive to the Midwest. According to a new study from the University of Utah, the price of such an operation varies by region, with costs being lowest in the Midwest and highest in the Northeast. The research, published in the […]
Coordinated Health (CH), located in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, is rolling out CH Orthopedic Urgent Care (OUC). The facility will have orthopedic experts at the ready to care for people with sprains, strains, fractures and general pain. Patients will be seen at 2300 Highland Avenue Campus in Bethlehem. This location was chosen because of […]
Ceterix Orthopaedics, Inc. is announcing the receipt of U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance and U.S. commercial availability of the its NovoStitch Plus meniscal repair system, a product that is intended to help orthopedic surgeons address horizontal, radial, and other complex meniscal tears in new ways. According to the September 22, 2015 news release, “The system enables […]
David Clinton McNabb, M.D., a fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in total joint replacement and revision surgery, is the new expert on board at the Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic in North Carolina. According to the September 17, 2015 news release, Dr. McNabb completed his undergraduate and master’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel […]
Aurelio Sahagun has been tapped to lead MicroPort Scientific Corporation into the future. Sahagun has assumed the role of President.
Eliminate one problem, create another…A team of researchers from Boston has found that osteoarthritis (OA) patients who underwent total knee or hip joint replacement surgery were at increased risk of heart attack in the early post-operative period. And while the team found that there was no long-term risk of having a heart attack, the risk […]
Young athletes with instability more likely to require advanced arthroscopy—new HSS study. New stem cell trial from Rush and BWH shows promise for knee cartilage defects. The Center for Disruptive Musculoskeletal Innovations brings industry and academia together to address unmet musculoskeletal needs.
Dr. Park specializes in the treatment of adult degenerative cervical, thoracic and lumbar spinal disorders as well as traumatic spinal injury through minimally invasive spinal surgery and motion preservation technology such as total disc arthroplasty.
Dan Adair, M.D., a much-loved Illinois surgeon who was devoted to sports medicine, has passed away. Dr. Adair gave his time to family, patients, and to creating sports medicine programs that would help protect athletes.
Karen Licitra and Keith Valentine, experienced medical device professionals, are now on the board of directors at SI-BONE. Inc.
Fox Valley Orthopedics is announcing that a novel cartilage restoration technique is being pioneered by sports medicine surgeon, Vishal Mehta, M.D. Dr. Mehta is the first doctor to be approved to perform ProChondrix Augmentation in the U.S. “It is true that in 70-80% of related cases, micro-fracture surgery reduces pain and improves function, ” stated […]
Researchers from the University of Rochester have come across an interesting finding…turns out that patients with back pain prefer pain relief to mobility. The study, just published in the journal Neurology, looked at patients who have lumbar spinal stenosis. When asked to choose between treatments that reduced pain or would help them stand or walk, […]
Sinai Health System and the University of Chicago Medicine are collaborating on a massive new effort to create a more comprehensive system of needed trauma and emergency care for Chicago’s South and Southwest side communities. The result? A Level 1 adult trauma center located at Holy Cross Hospital, part of the Sinai Health System. Doug […]
James D. Kang, M.D. has been appointed chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
The results are in…and they might seem unusual. Researchers in Sweden have found that a high body mass index (BMI) could reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in men. The study, published in Rheumatology, did not find this to be true for women. The researchers analyzed data from 383 patients (taken from two population […]
Genetic wizards from Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Aging Research (IFAR), a Harvard-affiliated institution, worked with scientists from a number of international institutes to identify a genetic variant regulating a gene responsible for bone mineral density and fracture risk. Findings from this study—funded in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—are published in […]
Spine sage Shay Bess, M.D. has taken NYU’s helm as Chief of Adult Spinal Deformity. Timothy Gajewski, M.D. left Cleveland Clinic for OrthoAtlanta. Orchid Orthopedics acquires Alhenia, a European coatings company.
The finances of Safe Orthopaedics are now the responsibility of Thierry Lambert who has been appointed the company’s chief financial officer.
Dr. Wittig, vice chairman of Orthopedic Surgery, and chief of Orthopedic Oncology and Sarcoma Surgery at Hackensack UMC and director of the Skin and Sarcoma Division at the John Theurer Cancer Center in New Jersey has been named one of the top cancer doctors in the U.S. by Newsweek.
SI-BONE, Inc. is on a publishing roll, with two prospective randomized clinical trials appearing in print, as well as a systematic review of 18 MIS (minimally invasive surgery) SI (sacroiliac) joint fusion studies. The first clinical trial—the INSITE (Investigation of Sacroiliac Fusion Treatment)—was published in Neurosurgery and involved 19 institutions. The study, which included 148 […]
Good news for OA patients and for Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.. The company is announcing that in the first of two pivotal clinical trials of its drug FX006 in patients with moderate to severe osteoarthritis (OA) knee pain, the drug made a difference. Specifically, 40 mg of FX006, compared to placebo (saline), demonstrated statistical significance in […]
Contradicting a previous study published in the New England Journal Medicine (NEJM), a new study has found that patients with spinal stenosis experienced a good short term benefit after receiving epidural steroid injections (ESI). The findings were published in a letter in the journal Pain Medicine. According to the September 4, 2015 news release, researchers […]
Jesse George Jackson, one of the earliest orthopedic product distributors in the modern era, has passed away.
Thanks to researchers at the Salk Institute, for the first time it is possible to watch motor neurons—in real time—as patients walk. The work, published in Neuron, is laying the groundwork for a deeper understanding of how spinal cord cells make connections with motor neurons. Such knowledge could aid medical professionals in repairing broken connections […]
Doctors at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center are the first in Ohio to use a tissue implant made from a patient’s own cells to treat knee cartilage damage. In an effort to gain regulatory approval, the Neocart cartilage tissue implant is currently in an FDA-approved, randomized trial that is underway at 20 sites […]
Charles Bush-Joseph, M.D. has been elected to the presidential line for the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine (AOSSM).
Robert LaPrade, M.D., Ph.D., an orthopedic knee and sports medicine surgeon at The Steadman Clinic, has launched a new video series that is meant to educate non-orthopedic physicians, medical students and patients on reading an MRI of the knee. In this video series, “How to Read a MRI of the Knee, ” Dr. LaPrade reviews […]
Now that a group of geochemists, biologists and clinicians have come together, patients may now be able to benefit from near real time monitoring of bone diseases. The researchers, from Arizona State University and Mayo Clinic, have worked with NASA to develop a new, rapid test of bone health. The test, which measures changes in […]
Scientists from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan have discovered that in addition to proteins, lipids are also necessary for guiding axons. Specifically, a phospholipid released by glial cells controls the positioning of sensory neurons within the spinal cord. “While many proteins are known to direct axon growth and network formation, ” said Senior […]
Ankylosing spondylitis patients have significantly higher risks of stroke and heart attack says surprising new study from Canada. New research shows that exercise won’t go a long way towards forming bone in diabetics. And Loyola University researchers have found that TKR can be an effective way to treat Blount disease.
Hoag Orthopedic Institute has received an endorsement from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and, through its Orthopedic Education and Research Institute (OERI), will now provide fellowship training in sports medicine. Hoag Orthopedic Institute will begin accepting residents in sports medicine 2016; this is in addition to its previously offered fellowship opportunities in […]
It will be the most important team huddle yet…as far as the science of concussion goes. On October 15, 2015, nearly 30 concussion clinicians and researchers from around the U.S. will attend a two-day meeting at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) with a goal of creating standard guidelines on the best practices, protocols […]
John Sontich, M.D. is the new chief of the Division of Orthopaedic Trauma and Post Traumatic Reconstruction at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.
Recovering from knee surgery shouldn’t send you to THAT kind of rehab…Fortunately, SPR Therapeutics, LLC is advancing the science of non-narcotic postop recovery—now via a $1.6M grant from the National Institute on Aging, an Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Their creation? The SPRINT peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) System. Orthopedic surgeon and joint […]
Thanks to the vision of clinician-researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center, scoliosis patients who undergo surgery can now emerge from the OR with less chance of an infection. The NYU team has developed a new wound closure technique whereby the surgeon can close several layers of muscle and fascia while maintaining blood supply from the […]
A $12 million infusion of new funding to Providence Medical Technology, Inc. means that the company can ramp up work on its tissue-sparing cervical spine technology. The funds are to be utilized to further commercialize and expand the company’s portfolio of DTRAX cervical fusion products designed to help patients suffering from cervical degenerative disc disease. […]
Tobias “Toby” Buck, chairman, president, CEO and founder of Paragon Medical, Inc., is the new chair of the board of directors at OrthoWorx.
Massachusetts-based Ranfac Corporation is now giving doctors the ability to percutaneously harvest a bone dowel using the systems introducer cannula. As stated in the August 19, 2015 news release, “The Marrow Cellution System allows the user to harvest bone marrow in small amounts in a measured and controlled manner over a large geography inside the […]
James H. Mackaness, a seasoned medical device and operations executive, has been named chief financial officer (CFO) of Invuity, Inc.
Medicine and engineering have come together again at Imperial Innovations, a UK entity focused on commercializing innovative technologies. They have just launched Orthonika, a spinout company from Imperial College London that is working on the creation of a new knee meniscus replacement. According to the August 3, 2015 news release, “A team of Imperial scientists, […]
Richard Hawkins, M.D. has been selected to receive the 2015 “Mr. Sports Medicine” award from AOSSM. Geoffrey Westrich, M.D. tells us his presidential plans for the Eastern Orthopaedic Association. And a new study has achieved a 100% union rate for calcaneal osteotomies.
Florida Hospital is truly looking out for the local community. The institution is launching a sports medicine program with local schools that will involve a wide spectrum of services for children and adults. Patients will benefit from injury prevention and sports performance programs, as well as post injury services like outpatient rehab, noninvasive treatments and […]
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center are delving into a new therapy using stem cells to treat spinal cord injuries that occur within the first 14 to 30 days of injury. There is only one of center in the U.S. that is studying this new treatment. According to the August 13, 2015 news release, “The […]
When the U.S. Rugby Team is making its way across the United Kingdom, Sam Akhavan, M.D. will be there. An orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Allegheny Health Network and a team physician for USA Rugby, Dr. Akhavan has been officially selected to accompany the national team to the 2015 Rugby World Cup in […]
When the U.S. Rugby Team is making its way across the United Kingdom, Sam Akhavan, M.D. will be there. An orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Allegheny Health Network and a team physician for USA Rugby, Dr. Akhavan has been officially selected to accompany the national team to the 2015 Rugby World Cup in […]
Vanderbilt researchers are shaking things up in the world of fracture care. The scientists have discovered that contrary to popular belief, fibrin is not required for fracture healing. Instead, fibrin breakdown must happen in order to have healthy fracture repair. “Many of the current pharmaceutical protocols are based on using fibrin to promote fracture healing, […]
Were you one of the 7, 000 people touring the new first-of-a-kind sports facility in Pittsburgh this weekend? The remarkable UPMC LEMIEUX Sports Complex—meant for training and treatment—has just opened its doors to welcome athletes of all ages and skill levels. The new facility, which boasts 50 sports medicine experts on site, uses science-based medicine […]
SeaSpine Holdings Corporation has announced the launch of its Ventura NanoMetalene transforaminal intervertebral body fusion device. The product is indicated for use as an adjunct to fusion in patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD). According to the August 10, 2015 news release, “NanoMetalene is an ultra-thin layer of commercially pure titanium molecularly bonded to a […]
Dr. MacLean will be co-leading the Value Management Office, an established group focused on improving the way HSS defines, measures, and achieves value.
18 months, 3 hospitals, 40 medical personnel, and 10 hours for the first bilateral hand transplant. New Study: no difference between stem cells and autologous bone graft for treating nonunion subtalar fusions. Finally—Wash U researchers link status of articular cartilage in the tibiofemoral compartments at the time of rACLR to meniscal status.
Researchers are shedding new light on the relationship between psychosocial factors and heart disease. A study, recently published in Arthritis Care & Research has found that depressive symptoms, stress, anxiety, and anger and lack of social support in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were linked to atherosclerosis. “Understanding the risk factors that lead to greater […]
OrthAlign, Inc. has entered into a European distribution agreement with Lima Corporate for KneeAlign, its total knee arthroplasty (TKA) technology. “As Lima embarked on building a best-in-class platform to provide surgeons with a complete range of solutions in TKA, we were convinced that OrthAlign’s precision alignment technology should be included in our offering, ” said […]
According to a new study, the majority of patients younger than age 50 who had a torn or severely damaged meniscus experienced reduced pain and improved knee function following transplant surgery. The study, just published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, also found that many patients had to undergo another surgery within 10 […]
Gérard Hascoët, a veteran entrepreneur, is the new chairman of the Board at EOS imaging. Hascoët succeeds Mike J. Dormer, chairman of the company’s Board since 2012.
An investigational drug for a rare orthopedic tumor is showing promise, says a new study in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). According to this research, PLX3397, an oral targeted CSF-1R inhibitor, led to prolonged tumor regressions in most patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT), a disease that affects the joint or tendon […]
Details from the largest-ever study of hip arthroscopy patients show statistically significant improvement. HSS has again walked away with the number one U.S. ranking for orthopedic surgery—the CEO tells us how! Video coaching…Why didn’t anyone think of it before?
First in U.S.! LinkSPINE is announcing the first U.S. implantation of the FacetLINK MINI, a titanium device that uses two screws and an expandable cross-connector assembly to stabilize the lumbar spine after a tissue-sparing midline decompression. Dhruv Pateder, M.D., an orthopedic spinal surgeon, performed the first U.S. MINI case at HCA Reston Hospital Center in […]
Orchid Design has been selected by the FDA to be the sole regulatory consulting firm to participate in their submission tracking initiative. The FDA is piloting a web-based program to track the status and key details of 510(k) submissions in an effort to add transparency and eliminate confusion surrounding the often misunderstood “FDA Review Clock.” […]
A new study has found that cooled radiofrequency (RF) ablation—with the tool known as COOLIEF—provides long-term relief of knee pain after total knee replacement (TKR). The researchers, whose work was published in Pain Practice, indicate that this is the first piece of published literature supporting the use of cooled RF for the knee after TKR. […]
Six new clinical studies are confirming that ConforMIS, Inc. is having a good year. One study, an ongoing, blinded, U.S. multicenter study, found that patients with customized ConforMIS iTotal CR knee replacements were more likely to have an excellent or good objective Knee Society Score (KSS). These patients walked statistically significantly faster than patients with […]
New research from the University of Nebraska Medical Center is indicating that when it comes to treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with total knee replacement (TKR), surgery is “highly effective.” The gains, however, were not as substantial as those for osteoarthritis (OA) patients who underwent the same procedure. According to the July 28, 2015 news […]
Dr. Small, a much-loved orthopedic surgeon, passed away on July 14, 2015 after a bicycling accident. He was 63 years old.
It turns out that a drug used to stabilize moods—lithium chloride—may be helpful in treating osteoarthritis (OA). New research from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and the University of Otago in New Zealand has found that this drug slowed the degradation associated with OA. According to the July 16, 2015 news release, “The study […]
Get hoppin’ guys…new research from the University of Missouri (MU) is showing that certain types of weight-lifting and jumping exercises can improve bone density in active, healthy, middle-aged men with low bone mass. These exercises, which need to be done for at least six months, may help prevent osteoporosis by facilitating bone growth. “Weight-lifting programs […]
Jim Sevey, a veteran of the biomaterial space, has just been appointed Senior Nanotechnology Specialist at Titan Spine, LLC.
Patients appreciate this kind of technology…Invuity, Inc. has been recognized by The Joint Commission for its proprietary technology that helps prevents unintended retained foreign objects (URFOs) that are left inside patients during surgery. “Surgeons can reduce the likelihood of URFOs by utilizing superior illumination technology to thoroughly inspect the surgical cavity, ” said Philip Sawyer, […]
Safe Orthopaedics has announced the positive outcomes of a retrospective clinical study carried out on its SteriSpine system. The study was performed by Gregory Lanford, M.D., a neurosurgeon at St. Thomas Hospital for Specialty Surgery in Nashville, Tennessee. In the July 22, 2015 news release, Dr. Lanford said, “Safe Orthopaedics’ SteriSpine is a cost-effective system […]
BioStructures, LLC is pleased to report on its latest corporate landmark event…the company is announcing that it has reached a milestone of 4, 000 implantations of Signafuse Bioactive Bone Graft Putty. In 2014 Signafuse was FDA 510(k) cleared as a bone void filler indicated for standalone use in posterolateral spine fusion procedures. According to the […]
France and Germany, get ready…FH Orthopedics, developer of the Elastic Spine Prosthesis (ESP), is on its way to a hospital near you. The company has recently signed two new agreements, one with France Rachis and the other with Via 4 Spine in Germany. Eric Hermann, FH Orthopedics’ Spine Business Unit Director, said in the July […]
A new study appearing in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery indicates that patients who received rehabilitation via video teleconference, or “telerehabilitation, ” following total knee replacement (TKR) had comparable outcomes to patients who received in-person physical therapy. “This study is the first to provide strong evidence for use of telerehabilitation as an alternative […]
New research from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto is indicating that older patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries are less likely to receive surgery compared with younger patients. And the bad news doesn’t end there…these patients also experience a significant lag between injury and surgery. The research team utilized data from the Rick Hansen Spinal […]
Those at Connecticut-based Woven Orthopedic Technologies, LLC are feeling pretty festive these days…they have hit the $6.6 million mark in equity financing since the company’s inception in 2013. This is thanks to the recent sale of more than $4 million worth of capital. Brandon Bendes, vice president of strategy & finance at Woven Technologies, told […]
Do YOU know what to do with an athlete (in full gear) if a spine injury is suspected? Updated guidelines are here. Two New Studies of Note: New research indicates that athletes who undergo surgery before college more likely to have future surgeries. And female and male runners have different risk factors for low BMD.
Kudos to OrthAlign, Inc. for its novel thinking…the company is announcing that its precision alignment technology was awarded the 2015 Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award in Orthopedic Alignment. “Building on a powerful and sensitive navigation platform, OrthAlign’s products not only surpass conventional mechanical guides in performance, but also match the precision of CAS (Computer […]
llen F. Anderson, M.D. of the Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance was recently installed as the 44th president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.
Potentially practice changing information regarding anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is coming out of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Surgeons treating patients with ACL injuries can now consider both bone-tendon-bone (BTB) grafts and hamstring autografts on an equal footing in terms of healing. “We compared the graft-tunnel motion of patients receiving either kind […]
Anika Therapeutics, Inc., following up on the success of its CINGAL 13-01 trial for knee osteoarthritis (OA), is announcing that CINGAL 13-02 has also been a home run. The study evaluated the safety of a repeat injection of CINGAL for symptomatic relief of knee OA. According to Anika Therapeutics, CINGAL is made up of its […]
New Study: 80% of golfers returned to pre-surgery handicap…or IMPROVED their handicap. New research from The Steadman Clinic finds evidence that those with multidirectional shoulder instability can safely be treated under arthroscopy. ISSG – an emerging leader in spine research.
Researchers from New York University’s Langone Medical Center have further evidence that multiple courses of antibiotics in childhood may significantly impact bone development. The study was led by Martin Blaser, M.D., the Muriel G. and George W. Singer Professor of Translational Medicine, director of the NYU Human Microbiome Program at NYU School of Medicine. According […]
More tissue ablation and less heat…Mitek Sports Medicine, part of DePuy Synthes Companies of Johnson & Johnson, has introduced two new arthroscopic surgery radiofrequency devices. The VAPR TRIPOLAR 90 Suction Electrode and the VAPR ARCTIC Suction Electrode are hand-held devices used to ablate or coagulate targeted soft tissue. Both products feature Mitek’s proprietary COOLPULSE Technology, […]
Scientists at the University of Sheffield and Royal Hallamshire Hospital in the UK have found that an existing arthritis drug—methotrexate—might also come to the aid of patients with blood cancers. According to the July 7, 2015 news release, treatment for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) is limited to aspirin, removal of excess blood and mild chemotherapy. The […]
In what may be a unique approach to wound healing, researchers have developed a new approach for better integrating medical devices with biological systems. The researchers, led by Bozhi Tian, Ph.D., assistant professor in chemistry at the University of Chicago, have created a world’s first: skeleton-like silicon spicules prepared via chemical processes. “Using bone formation […]
In another example of why it’s good not to reinvent the wheel, Yale researchers have discovered that a drug already used to treat rheumatoid arthritis patients can be used to help people with vitiligo, a disease that strips the skin of color. Last year, Brett King, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at Yale School of […]
The single-use bone fixation wizards at Flower Orthopedics are celebrating the acquisition of its CE mark approval. Makers of the FlowerCube, Flower Orthopedics is pleased that the European Union approval covers its entire product line—more than 400 implants. “Receiving CE marking approval is a significant milestone for Flower Orthopedics. The market response to the FlowerCube […]
Anat Kaphan is the new Vice President of Marketing and Product Management at Mazor Robotics Ltd. Kaphan is the first individual in this newly established role.
New research from Stanford indicates that surgeons should not over-rely on CT scans when diagnosing lower back pain. Listen up: Patients who report being distressed are less likely to be satisfied with their surgeons! And a new study pinpoints exactly where delaying a primary ACL reconstruction can affect patients.
Researchers from the UK have found a way to predict which rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients will not respond to biologic drugs. The team, from the University of Manchester, was led by Dr. Meghna Jani of the Centre for Musculoskeletal Research. According to the July 3, 2015 news release, “In order to detect the antibodies and […]
New research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital has found that women who have symptoms known as the “female athlete triad” are more likely to develop bone stress injuries and fractures. The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS), found that the risk of these injuries increases with each symptom. […]
Shining a light on healing…Ali Khademhosseini, Ph.D., and Nasim Annabi, Ph.D. of the Biomedical Engineering Division of Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) have led a team that has created a new protein-based gel for healing. When you expose the gel to light, say the researchers, it behaves like elastic tissue. “We are very interested in […]
Jennifer Seifert, Ph.D. is inaugurating a new role at TissueGen…Dr. Seifert has just been named the company’s first Senior Scientist.
“Twenty-five years of implant retrieval has shown that we definitely have a solid attachment with cementless devices, ” argues Aaron Hofmann. Aaron Rosenberg counters, “The literature and registries clearly show that it sometimes is just silly not to cement (patients with osteopenia, patients with significant bone defects, the elderly).”
New research has revealed the role of a protein called Sox9 in regulating cartilage production. University of Southern California (USC) stem cell researcher Xinjun He and University of Tokyo researcher Shinsuke Ohba were two members of the research team. “Our paper is a blueprint of how the cartilage-producing cell, called a chondrocyte, is made and […]
What do pimply, embarrassed teenagers have in common with those undergoing shoulder surgery? They can both benefit from the active ingredient in Clearasil, says a new paper to be published in The Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. Researchers from Yale University have found that topical benzoyl peroxide (BPO), with chlorhexidine skin preparation can reduce […]
David M. Joyner, M.D. will put his talents to work as senior vice president and executive director of the Andrews Institute.
MX Orthopedics (MXO) is celebrating the recent FDA clearance of its patent-pending dynaMX Compression Staple. The product features malleable nitinol technology, and is “indicated for fracture and osteotomy fixation of the hand and foot, joint arthrodesis of the hand and foot, and fixation of proximal tibial metaphysis osteotomy.” “MXO utilized its vast nitinol processing expertise […]
IlluminOss Medical’s fracture repair technology has now officially been used in the U.S. The company has announced that the first two U.S. patients have been treated through Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in collaboration with Cabell-Huntington Hospital and the Marshall Clinical Research Center. This effort is part of the U.S. Lightfix clinical […]
Researchers from Purdue University are making it possible to deliver drugs using wirelessly controlled nanowires. The nanowires, made of a polymer that responds to electromagnetic fields, can be loaded with a drug. Then, when the correct electromagnetic field is applied, the nanowires release small amounts of the drug. “This tool allows us to apply drugs […]
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is attempting to help surgeons when the pressure is really on in the OR. If you need to treat a child with elbow fractures where there is a vascular injury involved, you can now benefit from AAOS guidelines. The Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) walks surgeons through the assessment […]
David Joyner M.D. is new executive director at Andrews Institute. Johnny Huard, Ph.D. is the new chief researcher at Steadman Philippon and UT. Microvascular training may be the missing link for many orthopods.
For the many millions who battle chronic pain, there is a new smartphone app that can help them manage their condition. The app, which prompts patients to answer questions throughout the day, was developed at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Robert Jamison, M.D., professor of anesthesia and psychiatry at the Brigham and Harvard Medical School, is […]
Intellirod Spine has announced that it has received more equity financing, funding that will go a long way toward commercializing its disposable, implantable wireless RFID sensor technology for monitoring spinal rod strains. Intellirod CEO Ric Navarro also announced the company has recently received ISO 13485 Certification for its Quality Management System. In the June 16, […]
New research from the Netherlands has found that when it comes to hand osteoarthritis (OA), use of the disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for 24 weeks did not diminish mild-moderate pain when compared with placebo. The researchers also found that using HCQ didn’t result in any overall improvement in physical, social and emotional wellbeing. “The […]
New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering, NYU School of Medicine, and Stanford University are the recipients of a $1.1 million grant that will enable them to aid soldiers and civilians alike. With the funds—provided by the U.S. Veterans Health Administration’s Office of Rehabilitation Research and Development—will be targeted towards a new approach that could […]
According to a new study that took place at the Kerlan Jobe Orthopedic Clinic, patients who utilize a web-based tutorial will understand their knee surgery better…and they will have a better experience overall. The study, just published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS), involved a control group “(29 patients) and an intervention […]
FH Ortho has announced the receipt of approval from FDA to market the CALCAnail System to treat calcaneus fractures and subtalar arthrodesis (rear foot fusion surgery) in the U.S. “The CALCAnail System allows surgeons to employ an innovative reduction technique that reduces surgical trauma and the risk of complications, ” said Jim Hook, Managing Director […]
Andrew W. Gurman, M.D., orthopedic hand surgeon will take the helm of the AMA in 2016…we have his plans! Leesa Galatz, M.D. discusses her new role as System Chair at Mount Sinai…and James Kang, M.D. is named as the next Chair of orthopedics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
A protein known as “PPARy” just may help develop new bone-forming cells in patients who are losing bone. Researchers from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have created a novel approach that focused on the protein’s impact on stem cells derived from bone marrow. This work has just been published in Nature […]
Centinel Spine, Inc. has announced that it has hit a milestone of 20, 000 of implantations of STALIF C cervical Integrated Interbody devices. The STALIF C device is implanted during cervical fusion procedures to treat degenerative spinal disorders. According to the company, the procedure is attractive to surgeons because it involves a single incision procedure […]
New research from the Netherlands indicates that a certain cell signaling protein—cytokine Interleukin-1β (IL-1β)—is critical in the development of blood-induced cartilage damage. Healthy human cartilage samples were cultured for four days in the presence or absence of 50% whole blood. Either IL-1β monoclonal antibody, IL-1 receptor antagonist, or TNF-α monoclonal antibody was added during blood […]
Bad to the bone, those electric screens…A new observational study from Norway has found that when boys spend too much time in front of a screen on the weekends it could very well result in poorer bone health. In a collaboration between UiT The Arctic University of Norway, the University Hospital of North Norway and […]
“There are higher complications and mortality with simultaneous bilateral total knee surgery (SBTKA), ” argues Jay Parvizi, “it is for a select group of patients.” Richard Scott counters, “SBTKA is indicated in 10-15% of patients, patient and family satisfaction is high, and recent reports indicate a cost savings and the overall morbidity is less compared to staged procedures.”
Depressed? Cheer up…you’re losing bone, too. According to researchers from the University of Eastern Finland and Deakin University in Australia, recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD) in men is associated with lower bone density. The team also found that antidepressants were associated with lower bone mineral density (BMD), but this association was dependent on the person’s […]
China-based Weigao Orthopaedic Device Co., Ltd. has chosen to work with Invibio Inc. on its spinal stabilization system known as Tulip. The device uses semi-rigid rods made from PEEK-OPTIMA, and is meant for one to three spine level surgeries. Surgeons may choose from either a 6.35mm-diameter round rod or a 6.35×7.2mm-diameter oval rod. “Throughout the […]
Two osteoid osteoma patients were successfully treated with a remarkable new magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity ultrasound. Famed traumatologist Clifford B. Jones, M.D. joins The CORE Institute. And FORCE-TJR becomes certified as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry.
Australian researchers have developed a novel immunotherapy for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Noted in the June 4, 2015 news release as a “world-first vaccine-style therapeutic approach, ” the treatment is said to target the underlying cause of RA. Professor Ranjeny Thomas leads the team from the University of Queensland’s Diamantina Institute. The study is a […]
BioStructures, LLC has announced the first application of Prohesion, its patented surgical wound technology that is an activated type I collagen wound filler. With Prohesion, type I collagen fragments that have been sheared to a powder format. BioStructures CEO Russell Cook stated in the June 2, 2015 news release, “We are very pleased to offer […]
He thought fast when he sailed off the Eiffel Tower and he thinks fast in the OR…learn about your B.A.S.E. jumping colleague at the University of Colorado. Robert Marx, M.D. of HSS discusses refinements in levels of evidence. And Hoag Orthopedic Institute earns a 5-star rating from CMS. (See how in-room TVs serve as patient satisfaction tools!)
“Patient specific TKA—especially in large patients or very small patients—gives a precise fit. It’s easy for the OR staff, the jigs are accurate, and you get excellent intraoperative stability, ” argues Tom Minas. Paul Lachiewicz counters, “Ask yourself three questions: Does it provide better outcomes and decreased revisions for patients? Is it less expensive? Is it easier for the surgeon? For patient specific instrumentation the answer is ‘NO’ to all three.”
Benvenue Medical, Inc. has announced that the Kiva VCF (vertebral compression fractures) Treatment System resulted in a substantial cost and resource savings over balloon kyphoplasty (BKP)—the current standard of care. The results were published online in the May/June issue of Pain Physician. These savings were documented in the KAST study, the largest randomized, controlled, clinical […]
Titan Spine is touting the results of a new study demonstrating a reduced subsidence rate and overall subsidence amount of its Endoskeleton TA device compared to a commercially available PEEK device. The findings emanate from a dynamic mechanical study assessing subsidence rates of spinal implants during continuous cyclic loading. In this study, “Titan’s TA ALIF […]
On April 1, Orchid India opened a 28, 400 square foot facility in Pune, India. The new entity, known as Orchid India Medisolutions Private Ltd., will expand its capabilities over time to serve local, regional and global customers (including other Orchid sites). The company intends to add a clean room to provide sterile packaging services […]
“Modular platforms are more expensive, unproven, and you have a rigid implant along with bone stress shielding, ” argues David Lewallen. But Tom Thornhill counters, “You have fewer options with an all poly tibia, including the fact that you can’t go without cement. And if you cemented an all poly tibia you can sometimes miss the fact that there is cement left towards the back.”
The surgical robot experts at Medtech are announcing that the company has received official authorization to market its ROSA robot in Australia for minimally invasive surgical procedures on the brain, and also spine surgery. “This is an important milestone in the company’s development and ongoing expansion of our market opportunity. This authorization to market ROSA […]
As of September 1, Munish C. Gupta, M.D. will be heading up spine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WUSTL).
American orthopedic surgeons share their experiences in Nepal after the earthquakes. Thomas Einhorn, M.D. discusses his new role as Director of Clinical and Translational Research Development at NYU Langone.
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is announcing the receipt of a $2.76 million grant to establish a program aimed at preventing sports injuries, especially among vulnerable young athletes. The grant was provided by HSS Board member James Dinan and his wife, Elizabeth Miller, through The Dinan Family Foundation. James Kinderknecht, M.D. and Robert Marx, M.D., […]
gSource, LLC is pleased to announce a fifth donation of their surgical instruments to the Foundation of Orthopedics and Complex Spine (FOCOS), a nonprofit organization founded in 1998 by Dr. Oheneba Boachie-Adjei, a world renown spine surgeon, innovator, and professor. The donated instruments, valued at $9, 870, will be provided to the FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital […]
Smart phones…nice! Smart limbs…phenomenal! Thanks to the foresight of those at the Icelandic company Össur, today there are two amputees—the first people in the world—who can control their bionic prosthetic legs with their thoughts. The prosthesis works via implanted myoelectric sensors (IMES) that have been surgically placed in their residual muscle tissue. The IMES, which […]
During their careers, most professional athletes have a string of injuries. They suffer for a bit—or a lot—for glory. During the recent dustup between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, the latter party emerged scathed. He turned to his orthopedic surgeon, Neal ElAttrache, M.D., for advice and ultimately, an operating room. Dr. ElAttrache, who is with […]
A new study of nearly 51, 000 women has found that many patients who should be screened for osteoporosis are not…and some of those who do get screened shouldn’t be. The study, published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, comes from the University of California Davis Health System. The researchers “found that screening […]
InVivo Therapeutics Holding Corp. recently showcased its Neuro-Spinal Scaffold, an investigational device, at the 83rd American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Scientific Meeting in Washington, D.C. InVivo is involved in an ongoing Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) pilot trial of its Neuro-Spinal Scaffold in subjects with acute spinal cord injury. At the event, members of […]
DJO Global, Inc. has recently launched the new Exprt Precision System, indicating that it is meant for highly proficient revision knee surgeons. “Streamline” is the word here, with a compact design that reduces turn times and minimizes waste. The bonus? It costs 40-70% of the cost of comparable knee revision systems. The company worked alongside […]
Craig Della Valle, M.D., a joint reconstruction and replacement surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, has just been elected to the board of directors of three orthopedic organizations.
How important is communication? A novel program at NYU Langone Medical Center’s residency program is putting it front and center. New research from OrthoIndy and Brigham & Women’s studies the effects of amniotic stem cells in arthritic knees. Robert L. Mauck, Ph.D. and colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania have been honored with the 2015 Kappa Delta Young Investigator Award.
New research indicates that orthopedic surgeons are the third highest prescribers of opioid prescriptions among physicians in the United States. The literature review, which appears in the May issue of The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, found that this is resulting in a plethora of problems. “The past few decades have seen […]
When it comes to small canals, with cemented stems you get better outcome and survival, fewer dislocations, fewer periprosthetic fractures, and fewer revisions!” argues Thorsten Gehrke. Hugh Cameron says, “Small stems are short and lucency will develop. And with cement in small canals you are reaming heavily and most of the cancellous bone is removed, thus the bone-cement interlock is poor.”
Lima Corporate is hailing the recent release its new total knee replacement innovation, the Physica System. This system is based on technology research that combines the concept of natural knee movement with an advanced biomechanical design. The Physica System includes three types of total knee implants: Physica KR (Kinematic Retaining), Physica PS, and a Cruciate […]
NuVasive, Inc. is shining a spotlight on its recent launch of the Integrated Global Alignment (iGA) platform. The company indicates that the platform is a leap of progress for spine because it integrates procedural technology and tools into one platform to help obtain proper alignment. “More than a decade ago, NuVasive redefined minimally disruptive spine […]
LDR Holding Corporation is celebrating two major recent milestones. The company indicates that it has reached 80, 000 implantations of its exclusive VerteBRIDGE plating technology and 30, 000 implantations of its exclusive Mobi-C Cervical Disc replacement technology worldwide. LDR President and CEO Christophe Lavigne told OTW, “It is very rewarding to see continued, positive and […]
Stuart Weinstein, M.D. is recognized for his lifetime dedication to individuals with scoliosis. New research shows that readmission rates are 25% lower when patients skip rehab and go home directly from the hospital. And a new study finds that patients have no idea how much their surgeons are reimbursed.
Drs. Jeff Mjaanes and Joshua Blomgren, sports medicine physicians at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, have been designated team physicians for the Chicago Fire Soccer Club. Dr. Mjaanes is serving as chief medical officer for the team and Dr. Blomgren is serving as the associate medical officer. Dr. Mjaanes has served as a team physician for […]
Atlanta-based Meditech Spine has received FDA 510(k) clearance to market the next generation of its Talos line of interbody devices. Accompanying this will be the implantable polymer from Invibio Biomaterial Solutions: PEEK-OPTIMA HA (hydroxyapatite) Enhanced. According to the company, these devices are meant for skeletally mature patients with degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine […]
A two-minute patient survey just might make everyone’s lives easier. Stephen Lyman, Ph.D., Yuo-Yo Lee, M.S., and Douglas Padgett, M.D. of Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York set out to improve upon existing surveys of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) as related to total hip arthroplasty (THA). Utilizing the HSS hip replacement registry, […]
Frank Schwab, M.D. is taking charge of spine at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). Dr. Schwab, who comes to HSS from the New York University (NYU) Hospital for Joint Diseases, will be the new Spine Service Chief.
Alan Hilibrand, M.D. discusses AAOS’ new distracted walking campaign. New research shows that portable compression devices outperform warfarin. Work from Cleveland Clinic finds discrepancies between early and late week hip and knee surgery.
How to help athletic patients with co-occurring femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and osteitis pubis (OP)? In what is the first multicenter case series on this topic, Dean K. Matsuda, M.D., director of Hip Arthroscopy at the DISC Sports and Spine Center, has just published a study called, “Multicenter Outcomes of Endoscopic Pubic Symphysectomy for Osteitis Pubis […]
The Dallas Limb Restoration Center has developed a new program that will allow patients undergoing minimally invasive hip and knee replacements to go home the next day. This is the only center in Dallas-Fort Worth to do such surgeries. The implant technology utilized for next day knees and the AMIS (anterior minimally invasive surgery) surgical […]
“There is a great track record on constraint for intraoperative MCL injury. The bonuses: no need for sutures or staples, no need for a hinged knee brace, full weight bearing, early ROM, and excellent long term survival!” argues Paul Lachiewicz. But Josh Jacobs counters, “CCKs in primary TKR are not very conservative…you’re resecting a lot of bone. And there are issues of wear and ease of removal.”
Scientists from the University of Nottingham are hoping that a drug from a parasitic mushroom that lives on caterpillars could be used to treat osteoarthritis (OA). The University of Nottingham researchers, led by Dr. Cornelia de Moor, say that this might occur within the next six years. Dr. de Moor and her team are investigating […]
According to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, individuals with osteoporosis face a 1.76-fold higher risk of developing sudden deafness than those who do not have the bone disease. “A growing body of evidence indicates that osteoporosis affects not only bone health, but the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems, ” […]
Titan Spine, LLC has announced that data from a study comparing its proprietary surface technology to polyetheretherketone (PEEK) have now been published in the March 15 print issue of Spine. According to the April 6, 2015 news release, the study found that “Titan’s Endoskeleton Interbody Devices promote osteoblastic differentiation and enhanced bone-forming environment compared to […]
New work from Cleveland Clinic finds that α-defensin and Interleukin 6 (IL-6) can reliably diagnose shoulder infections. Dan Riew has invented an anterior osteotomy procedure that reduces blood and OR time. And Lew Schon talks about a particularly destructive type of arthritis that affects diabetics.
Recent research from the University of Florida (UF) has found that individuals who are obese and have osteoarthritis (OA) can benefit from vitamin D. Specifically, higher levels of vitamin D may decrease pain and improve function in obese individuals with osteoarthritis. “Adequate vitamin D may be significant to improving osteoarthritis pain because it affects bone […]
A blood test for arthritis is on the way, say researchers from the University of Warwick in the UK. The team, led by Naila Rabbani, Ph.D. of the university’s medical school, has identified a biomarker linked to both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. The research team investigated what is known as citrullinated proteins (CPs), a biomarker thought […]
Researchers from Switzerland have found that individuals with depression are at a higher risk for physical diseases, especially for arthrosis and arthritis. Their results, based on data from 14, 300 people living in Switzerland, have been published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Public Health. Roughly one-third of the participants suffering from depression also suffer […]
New research from Australia has found that paracetamol (acetaminophen) doesn’t work when it comes to reducing pain, disability or improving quality of life for patients with low back pain or osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. This study, a review of 13 randomized controlled trials, also found that acetaminophen may cause problems for the liver. […]
Research from Brown University discusses how to treat patients with atypical femur fractures. MOON Group researchers find that diabetics are almost 19x more likely to get an infection after ACLR. And new work points to polyethylene debris in osteolytic cysts in total ankle replacement.
“Femoral neck modularity lacks proof of superiority, increases the risk of corrosion and fracture, and makes everyone’s life miserable, ” argues Mike Dunbar. “Let’s not overreact, ” cautions Fares Haddad. “We need to learn from modular implant failures and then move forward and still be able to use modularity for patients in the future.”
“With superior capsulotomy there is no fluoro or X-ray required, there is more accurate component placement, and it’s extensile, ” argues Stephen Murphy. “And there is a 23% lower cost over 90 days.” Jose Rodriguez counters, “The major reason why this hasn’t spread is that you have to buy into navigation. Then there is technical ability; it’s a very different technique. It’s quirky, and you lose tactile feedback.”
New research from Canada has found that when it comes to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair in younger athletes, those patients receiving their own tissue fare MUCH better. The study, published online in Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, utilized a systematic review of 1, 016 young, very active patients to compare ACL failure rates using […]
Andrew J. Weiland, M.D. has been honored with the 2015 William W. Tipton, Jr., M.D., Leadership Award by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).
Benvenue Medical, Inc. has announced that it has signed a group purchasing agreement for the Kiva VCF Treatment System with Novation. The three-year contract means that the Kiva System can be offered to the more than 100, 000 members and affiliates of VHA Inc., UHC, Children’s Hospital Association and Provista served by Novation. The Kiva […]
There are new options for shoulders and hips these days, with the launch of the Smith & Nephew Q-FIX All-Suture Anchor. According to the company, the Q-FIX is meant to address conditions involving tight spaces such as rotator cuff repair and labrum repair. “The Q-FIX All-Suture Anchor is a great option for hip labral repair, […]
New BWH research shows that autologous chondrocyte implantation in the patella can reduce pain and improve function. In another fascinating study, Tom Errico reveals there are fewer re-ops for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis at high volume centers. And now…further proof that blood transfusions bring a significant risk of complications.
David D. Teuscher, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and a military veteran, is now president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Board of Directors.
Ask patients with chronic low back pain and they will tell you…sex is affected by their condition. New research, recently presented at the 2015 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), has found that 70% of patients consider sexual activity “relevant” to their life quality. Patients who underwent surgery for spinal spondylolisthesis […]
New research from the University of Toronto has found that 48% of hip fracture patients, age 65 and older, had delirium, or acute confusion, before, during and after surgery (perioperative), resulting in significantly longer hospital stays and higher costs for care. The study, recently presented at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of […]
Vexim, a company focused on the minimally invasive treatment of vertebral fractures, is announcing 2014 annual sales of €10.3m ($11.14 million), reflecting a jump in sales by a factor of 1.7 over 2013. The company indicates that this increase is due to the continued adoption of the SpineJack technology, with more than 8, 000 implants […]
A mammoth four-year, $12 million national research effort—known as Function and Outcomes Research for Comparative Effectiveness in Total Joint Replacement (FORCE-TJR)—has surpassed its original goal and has become the most comprehensive U.S. database on total hip and knee joint replacement patients and their surgical outcomes. The project is funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research […]
FOI President Roy W. Sanders, M.D. will chair the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.
Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have found that people in certain racial and socioeconomic groups are at a disadvantage when it comes to care they receive after fracturing a hip. Investigators based their findings on information available for nearly 200, 000 patients in a New York state database. “The study found that black […]
John Dahldorf has just joined Benvenue Medical, Inc. as the company’s chief financial officer (CFO). Dahldorf, who has more than 30 years of financial, operational and leadership experience in the healthcare industry, was most recently CFO at Volcano Corporation. “I was looking for a great management team and a portfolio of medical technology that has […]
“Ceramic-ceramic is a good option for the young, active patient. It is wear resistant, has improved lubrication, and allows thin inserts for large heads, ” argues Carsten Perka. “Ceramic has long been on a steady decline, ” says Robert Barrack. “There are malposition issues (leading to impingement and potential for failure), liner breakage and mal-seating and squeaking. Why pay more for something that is not improved?”
Confetti will fly as William D. Bugbee, M.D. and his team is presented with the Kappa Delta Award! Are surgeons eliminating dislocation risk with a new dual mobility device? New research indicates the exact properties necessary for rotator cuff repair.
Despite enormous efforts to stop joint infection, the problem persists. In continuing their search for answers, researchers from Thomas Jefferson University and the National Institutes of Health have found new information on why infections occur even after antibiotics are administered. “In this study, we decided to find out if pre-operative, prophylactic antibiotic concentrations in joint […]
“Patient satisfaction is better with unis, and complications are fewer. About 90% of surgeons would choose a uni.” argues David Murray. “There are no proven clinical advantages to unis, ” says Steve MacDonald. “Was the poll taken at a bar?”
In 28 days, 4 hours, and 8 minutes (er, roughly), 1000 surgeons will convene in Paris for the International Congress for Joint Reconstruction’s first-ever World Arthroplasty Congress. Led by co-chairs Jean-Noël Argenson, M.D., Ph.D. and Jan M. K. Victor, M.D., as well as Arlen D. Hanssen, M.D. and W. Norman Scott, M.D., FACS, this event […]
Eugene R. Corasanti, known as the gentlemanly founder of CONMED Corporation, passed away in Naples, Florida, on Thursday, March 5, 2015 at the age of 84.
joimax, a German company focusing on technologies and training for minimally invasive endoscopic spinal surgery, is announcing the receipt of 510(k) clearance from the FDA to market its Percusys percutaneous pedicle screw-rod system. With a focus on simplicity, the single, small instrument set is used to perform surgery through a percutaneous, minimally invasive or open […]
A new study has found that a stepped-care strategy improved function and decreased pain severity in veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, producing at least a 30% improvement in pain-related disability. The researchers, from the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University School of Medicine, led the randomized […]
A new web platform provides a peer-level second opinion network for surgeons. Surprise! Those least experienced with reverse shoulder arthroplasties are doing the majority of these complex surgeries. And Rocky Tuan, M.D., of the University of Pittsburgh, has received the 2015 Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award.
Proxy Biomedical Ltd. has just launched Proxy Bio-XT, an innovative, strength reinforcing technology that provides a valuable solution to developers of next generation resorbable orthopedic products. According to the March 10, 2015 news release, “The proprietary processing technology optimizes the microstructure of biomaterials to enable greater than 100% strength gain in resorbable implantables using the […]
Charles Bush-Joseph, M.D. has been awarded an honorary membership from the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA).
“Let it bleed, ” argues Dickey Jones. “Tranexamic acid has been a game changer, and use of a CarboJet increases cement penetration. You don’t need a tourniquet.” Arun Mullaji says, “You should use a tourniquet because it helps reduce blood loss, provides much better clarity, and it gives you a better cement mantle.”
In a study involving 3, 321 current and ex-smokers, researchers have found that men were more likely than women to have osteoporosis and fractures of their vertebrae. Smoking history and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were found to be independent risk factors for low bone density among both men and women. The study has just […]
Send 40 rodents into space and what do you get? Hopefully, new information that will help scientists grow bone on demand. A new study that investigates NELL-1, a bone-growing protein, has just been funded. The location? The International Space Station. “This research has translational application for astronauts in spaceflight and for patients on Earth who […]
NYU Langone Medical Center has become the first academic medical center in New York City to initiate an outpatient hip replacement program! Roy I. Davidovitch, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Director of the Hip Center at NYU Langone, performed a minimally invasive anterior approach hip replacement in January; two […]
A new study appearing in the February 4th issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (JBJS) found that those 80 and older can derive significant benefit from surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis with and without degenerative spondylolisthesis. And the bonus? These patients had no higher overall complication rate and no higher mortality […]
Riew, Lenke, and Lehman are departing Wash U for the Big Apple where they will debut a spine supercenter! METRC researcher finds that teaching hospitals tend to re-operate more often in limb loss cases. Liping Tang, Ph.D. discusses his research on “rescuing” cells (hint: HA particles travel from the injection site into the injury site).
IlluminOss Medical has announced that the first of 45 patients has been enrolled in its EU Light Fix trial. The trial is for the treatment of impending and pathologic fractures in the humerus due to metastatic carcinoma. Professor Reinhard Windhager, M.D. of the University Clinic of Vienna Orthopaedic Department, is leading these efforts. Dr. Windhager […]
“With bi-cruciate retaining knees the patient has normal kinematics, improved range of motion, and pain relief is equivalent to a total knee, ” argues Adolph Lombardi. “We are repeating the mistakes of the past, ” counters Chit Ranawat. “You must match the lateral condyle posterior slope—very hard. Preserving both cruciate ligaments is technically challenging. And the most quoted paper on this (by Cloutier) found that the survival rate at 20 years was no better than other knees done at the same time.”
Dean K. Matsuda, M.D. has now joined DISC Sports & Spine Center where he will launch and direct the new Hip Arthroscopy Center of Excellence.
A new study in the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma has found that the first hour is critical in reducing infection rates after open fractures. The researchers, led by William Lack, M.D. of Loyola University Medical Center (LUMC), found that these rates can plummet if you give patients antibiotics within the first hour of injury. Dr. […]
Dallen Medical Inc. is announcing the receipt of 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its Tensyn Plug. According to the company, this is the first adjustable orthopedic fixation device. The company indicates that this is an improvement over its prior product—the Tensyn Band—because it offers a lower profile, knotless fixation implant. The Tensyn Plug allows […]
Gary D. Henley is the new Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors at OrthAlign, Inc.
Alex Vaccaro, M.D., Ph.D. takes Rothman Institute into the future with strong leadership and major expansions. Hoag Orthopedic Institute has been courted by Harvard due to its standout model of care. And Bill Heisel of OrthoCarolina tells what it’s like to take care of (nearly everyone) in the motorsports world.
High-impact jumping just may be the latest thing to help those at risk of osteoporosis. Researchers from the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland have found that such training improved the quality of the patellar cartilage and physical function it also improved the biochemical composition of the patients’ cartilage. Eighty […]
David W. Bates, M.D., M.Sc. has been named senior vice president and chief innovation officer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH).
It’s a first for the spine experts at Benvenue Medical, Inc…the first American spinal fusion patient in the U.S. has been treated with the company’s new minimally invasive Luna 360 Interbody Fusion System. The surgery was performed by Sandeep Kunwar, M.D., FACS, a neurosurgeon at Washington Township Medical Foundation and an associate clinical professor of […]
“Constraint should be reserved for cases where there are no other options. These liners can compromise fixation and they don’t always work, ” argues Doug Padgett. “Failure with constrained liners is caused by either poor judgment or poor technique, ” counters Larry Dorr. “Dual mobility is hot stuff, but it’s going up against the tried and true constrained liner.”
Actress Jennifer Grey was in so much pain that she wasn’t up for much activity…Dirty Dancing or otherwise. After more than 30 years of severe neck pain, Grey underwent surgery and received a two-level artificial disc replacement using Mobi-C technology from LDR Spine. Robert Bray, Jr. M.D., founder of the DISC Sports and Spine Center […]
Titan Spine, LLC is celebrating the receipt of a 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the release its Endoskeleton TCS, an interbody fusion device for the cervical spine with integrated fixation. The TCS utilizes Titan’s proprietary surface technology. It is part of the fusion process in that it creates an […]
Gunnar Andersson, M.D., Chairman Emeritus of Orthopedic Surgery at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, looks back on his many years in orthopedics. The head of the NFL Physicans’ Society describes major advances in the speed and accuracy of NFL player care. And Rush jumps on urgent care bandwagon.
Researchers from Japan are announcing results indicating that bone marrow transplants (BMTs) may help in treating a rare, fatal disease—hypophosphatasia (HPP). In this study, the researchers performed BMT for two infants with HPP in combination with allogenic mesenchymal stem cell transplants (MSCTs). The allogenic MSC donors were a parent of the infant. At present there […]
“All the benefits to dual mobility are theoretical, ” argues Paul Lachiewicz. “There’s little lab data—except from the manufacturers.” “Dual mobility has a proven track record, ” counters Edwin Su. “It could be indicated for primary hip because it provides greater stability and it can reduce your dislocation rate to less than 1%. I would consider it in high risk, primary cases.”
At Tufts University, a team of researchers is reporting a “world’s first”…the discovery that near-infrared fluorescence can be used to detect osteoarthritis changes over time. Specifically, they successfully tracked the development of osteoarthritis (OA) in mice with a fluorescent molecule “probe” that brightened as the disease progressed. The researchers—from Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) […]
From the treatment of wounded warriors to domestic violence victims to auto accident patients, orthopedic traumatology has experienced significant advances in the science and treatment of trauma over the last 15 years. Much of this progress is due to the people who appear on this list.
Want details about what patients have experienced at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS)? Now there is a central location for such personal stories. HSS has made hundreds of patient-submitted stories available on a new patient forum, one that is searchable by type of care, physician, and patients’ hometown. Because patients come to HSS from 105 […]
New study from Steadman Clinic supports rotator cuff surgery on elderly (over 70 years) patients. University of Pennsylvania professor tests out whether retaining both cruciate ligaments in TKA will give patients better outcomes. And Carl Deirmengian, M.D. from the Rothman Institute discusses the real game-changer in the knee world…perioperative management.
Using data from 346 U.S. hospitals, researchers from Northwestern Medicineand the American College of Surgeons have just published work suggesting that it may be not be useful to penalize hospitals for patient readmissions following surgery. They even learned that it may be counterproductive for improving the quality of hospital care. According to the February 3, […]
MedShape, Inc. has announced that the company has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its FastForward Bone Tether Plate, a product featuring the company’s latest technology platform: the 3D printing of medical grade titanium alloy “that allows for the fabrication of devices with complex and/or customizable geometries.” The plate is the main component of the FastForward […]
Cobalt-chrome or delta (ceramic) heads? According to Steve MacDonald, cobalt-chrome wins because: “There’s no evidence of decreased revision rates with a delta head and it’s more expensive.” Counters Fares Haddad: “If you look at the level one data, you will move away from cobalt-chrome heads.” Excellent debate!
A new Johns Hopkins study has found that when it comes to keeping patients safe, a health system must have clear goals, strong leadership and infrastructure, staff engagement, and transparent reporting methods. The study, led by Peter Pronovost, was published in Academic Medicine in December 2014. Pronovost, senior vice president for patient safety and quality […]
Thanks to researchers at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, doctors will not have to jettison tissue that is donated for joint replacements. At present, says the January 28, 2015 news release, doctors have to throw away more than 80% of donated tissue used for joint replacements because the tissue does not survive long […]
Titan Spine, LLC has announced that it has achieved 27, 000 implantations of its Endoskeleton interbody fusion devices, a figure which represents an increase of 25% from 2013. Titan President Kevin Gemas commented, “The significant growth of Titan Spine observed in 2014 alone has been tremendous, and we are extremely well positioned to continue our […]
EOS imaging, a France-based company specializing in orthopedic 2D/3D imaging, has announced that the FDA has cleared the Micro Dose feature for pediatric imaging. The company indicates that the initial results presented at the 2013 French Society of Radiology Annual Meeting and during the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America concluded […]
While it’s not ready for prime time in human patients, a protein molecule called C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), which occurs naturally in the body, may eventually be used to treat osteoarthritis (OA). This protein, known to reduce inflammation and aid in the repair of damaged tissue, may one day be injected by general practitioners. The […]
It’s not a license to eat bonbons all day, but there IS new evidence that sugar can be a good thing—at least if it’s in saline. Researchers from Edinburgh University’s Centre for Integrative Physiology have found that adding sugar to saline solution could reduce the risk of osteoarthritis (OA). To counteract the possible cartilage cell […]
Nextremity Solutions, Inc. is announcing that it will unveil the MSP Metatarsal Shortening System at the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) 2015 Scientific Conference on February 19, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. Nick A. Deeter, CEO and chairman of Nextremity Solutions commented in the January 26, 2015 news release, “We are very pleased […]
Gaetano Scuderi laments that his colleagues have displayed little interest in finding solutions that do not involve surgery. Todd Albert is drilling down into efficiency, safety at HSS. And the University of Pennsylvania has been working for 15 months in order to prepare for the world’s first pediatric elective hand transplant.
Spinal Elements, Inc. has announced that they recently received clearance through the FDA for a full line of interbody devices with Ti-Bond coating for use in the cervical spine. The company intends to make the product available starting in the first quarter of 2015. According to the January 21, 2015 news release, the “Ti-Bond coating […]
There is a new place in Chicago for comprehensive orthopedic and spine care. Northwestern Medicine has just opened the doors of the Center for Comprehensive Orthopaedic and Spine Care, a one million square foot outpatient pavilion on the health system’s downtown medical campus, home to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. […]
“With cemented TKA, if you have the right skill level, instruments, design, fixation, and the correct implant, then you can guarantee your patients a well fixed TKA, ” says Leo Whiteside. Aaron Rosenberg isn’t so sure about that guarantee. “The registries show a significantly higher rate of revision amongst uncemented knees. Besides, the data is trending towards cementless TKA.”
Rick Simmons is the new person in charge of presenting the “face” of Benvenue Medical, Inc.
Nick A. Deeter, formerly of OrthoPediatrics Corp., has been named as the next Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board at Nextremity Solutions, Inc. Deeter has more than 30 years of business leadership and health care industry experience. After initiating his orthopedic career at Zimmer, Deeter spent seven years with DePuy Orthopaedics (a Johnson […]
FREE software accurately predicts outcomes from deformity surgery 97% of the time. Bronze Star winner Tad Gerlinger, M.D. shows how soldiers CAN get back to active duty after joint surgery. Jeff Wang, M.D. and Zori Buser, Ph.D. are looking toward a future where they can grow spinal discs outside the body and use them to address degenerative disc disease.
Paris-based EOS imaging has announced that the FDA has cleared hipEOS, a 3D hip arthroplasty planning software based on EOS stereo-radiographic 2D/3D imaging. The hipEOS software will have its U.S. launch at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual Meeting from March 24-28 in Las Vegas, Nevada. As indicated by the company, hipEOS is the […]
NuVasive has announced that its Chief Operating Officer Keith Valentine, will step down as of April 30. Pat Miles, current president of Global Products and Services, will assume an expanded role as President and COO.
“There isn’t a single randomized prospective study showing that the direct anterior is worse than other approaches, ” says Jay Parvizi. “It’s the marketing, ” says Bill Maloney. “This approach is being pushed by patients because of that. And it’s harder clinically…in part because you can’t easily visualize the femur.”
New research from Finland indicates that being happy in life may translate to stronger bones. The work, which included 2, 167 women, found that women aged 60-70 who are satisfied with their lives have a higher bone density and they suffer from osteoporosis less frequently than their unsatisfied peers. The research was completed at the […]
New research from the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit is revealing that women who use bisphosphonates could have about half the risk of developing endometrial cancer as women who do not use these medications. Sharon Hensley Alford, Ph.D. led a team that evaluated information from the National Cancer Institute’s PLCO (Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and […]
Why is there such lack of consistency between orthopedic residents and neuro? Alan Daniels, M.D. tackles the subject. New Israeli cage goes in “like a ship in a bottle.” Very slick! Major League Baseball picks Rush University’s Kathleen Weber, M.D. to head its physician group.
As if hot flashes and night sweats weren’t enough to deal with, new research indicates that women who have these problems during menopause are likely to have lower bone mineral density and higher rates of hip fracture than those without these symptoms. The work, published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, […]
The California Stem Cell Agency, created to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs, is announcing the launch of CIRM (California Institute for Regenerative Medicine) 2.0. “Our mission is to accelerate the development of stem cell therapies for patients with unmet medical needs. Today, in officially launching the first three programs under […]
Scott Duncan, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. is the new chief of orthopedic surgery at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and chair of the department of orthopedic surgery at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).
“Cup position is critical, ” says Wayne Paprosky. “And if the abductors are deficient then I’m not sure there is an advantage to constrained liners.” “Really?” says John Callaghan; “There are good results with large heads in revision surgery. And if you need something very large you can go to the dual mobility rather than jumping straight to a constrained liner.”
Mary Kate Callahan, a 19-year-old dynamo recently sponsored by Rush Ortho for the Chicago Marathon, is the number three ranked para-triathlete in the country. The executive director of NASS’ new foundation talks grand plans. Jeffrey Katz, M.D. of Harvard discusses the research and clinical work that goes into Operation Walk in the Dominican Republic.
Titan Spine, LLC recently announced that it has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA to market its Endoskeleton line of interbody fusion implants featuring its next generation nanoLOCK surface technology. This advance makes the company’s line of Endoskeleton spinal implants the first FDA-approved interbody fusion that features nanotechnology. Barbara Boyan, Ph.D., Dean of the School […]
Ray Van Fossen has joined Pinnacle Spine Group, LLC as the Vice President of Sales. Mr. Van Fossen brings more than 20 years of experience in spine and medical devices to the company’s team.
“Dual mobility does not show equivalence in wear, fixation, midterm results, complications, or cost. It is not an option for primary total hip, ” says Steve MacDonald. “Not so, ” says Edwin Su. “It provides excellent stability and range of motion…and it can reduce your dislocation rate to less than 1%.”
Illinois Bone & Joint Institute (IBJI) has expanded its services across the border and into Wisconsin. IBJI, a well-known orthopedic specialty care provider with offices throughout downtown Chicago and Chicago’s north and northwest suburbs, is now offering its full spectrum of care to residents of southeast Wisconsin. According to the December 3, 2014 press release, […]
After nine months of aching knees, shoulders, arms and legs, Diane Velluci was at her wit’s end. Then she went to Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). What began as a double knee replacement at a Philadelphia hospital ended in extreme pain and weakness. Velluci says that her original orthopedic surgeon refused to take her complaints […]
New work from researchers at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center is challenging the clinical status quo. In a study of 40 pediatric patients, the investigators found that many children with open fractures in the forearm or lower leg can heal safely without surgery. The study, which involved children ages 4 to 16 treated nonsurgically at Johns […]
Twenty-five…that is the grand total number of U.S. patents owned by IlluminOss Medical, Inc. as of December 9, 2014. The company has just announced that it has been issued two new patents related to its internal bone fixation system. The patents include “kits for repairing a weakened or fractured bone, as well as internal bone […]
Edward Craig, M.D. of Hospital for Special Surgery gives details on the explosion in shoulder arthroplasty and reverse replacements. On his own dime and his own time, Roman Hayda, M.D., traveled to Ukraine to get a better understanding of the care provided to war casualties. And John Flynn, M.D. discusses his new appointment as chief of the Division of Orthopedic Surgery at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
SI-BONE, Inc. must be uncorking the champagne these days…the company has just won the Gold 2014 International MarCom Award for its SI [sacroiliac] Joint Patient Community website (http://sijpc.org/) and an Honorable Mention for the SI Buddy Patient Networking Program. SI-BONE manufactures the iFuse Implant System, a minimally invasive surgical option for sacroiliac joint fusion for […]
According to a study presented at the recent Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), it’s possible that surgery to repair meniscal tears may increase the risk of osteoarthritis (OA) and cartilage loss in some patients. The researchers used data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, an ongoing observational study of knee OA incidence and progression. “Meniscal surgery […]
“The data does not support the use of patient specific instrumentation (PSI), ” says Gwo-Chin Lee. “Claims of decreased operative time and improved alignment are unfounded.” Adolph Lombardi states, “The majority of studies DO show decreased processing and sterilization time, turnover time, etc. And hey, these things could soon be delivered to your OR by drone.”
Benvenue Medical, Inc. has announced that its expandable fusion device is expanding the company’s spine portfolio. The Luna 360 Interbody Fusion System, made from PEEK-OPTIMA, has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for spinal fusion treatment of symptomatic degenerative disc disease (DDD). According to the December 2, 2014 news release, the Luna 360 System is […]
In a wonderful display of holiday giving, Christiana Care Health System’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery recently provided new shoes, socks and foot exams for free to nearly 150 people—many of them homeless—on December 2, at the Sunday Breakfast Mission, a homeless shelter in Wilmington, Delaware. The event is part of a campaign by a national […]
CoorsTek Medical, LLC, a company affiliated with CoorsTek, Inc. of Fort Worth, Texas, has acquired medical device manufacturer Nanosurfaces Industries Sri. (NSI) of Bologna, Italy. According to the press release, after a brief transition period, the Nanosurfaces Industries name will be retired and the Bologna operations will fully adopt the CoorsTek Medical brand. NSI was […]
Northwestern Memorial Hospital is being hailed by GE as one of the company’s national centers of excellence for total hip and knee replacement. GE is offering coverage to program eligible members who have total hip or knee replacement surgery at Northwestern Memorial (this includes reduced out of pocket expenses and travel reimbursement). “Northwestern Memorial is […]
“OK, so you have a bloodless field using a tourniquet in TKA, ” says Dickey Jones. “But there are many downsides, such as nerve damage and a delay in the recovery of muscle function.” Hold on says Steve MacDonald, “There is no clinical evidence of nerve damage or delays in muscle function recovery when employing a tourniquet.”
West Point graduate turned orthopedic surgeon says that women walking in high heels have a gait pattern that is strongly associated with OA. David Lewallen, M.D., Medical Director for the AJRR says that in 2015 the registry will exceed 250, 000 procedures. And on implant choices, you would think that in 2014 you wouldn’t hear, ‘Geez, I don’t know. I should probably just use a nail.’
Creating what will be the mothership of all outcomes research, PearlDiver Technologies, a division of Liventa Biosciences, is teaming up with Humana Inc. to provide healthcare professionals with an unprecedented amount of data.With PearlDiver’s proprietary portal, healthcare researchers, investigators and other professionals will be able to conduct lightning fast, customized research in a longitudinal fashion.Comprehensive […]
There were some extra special holiday bells ringing on December 2 for LDR Holding Corporation when the company—and specifically President and Chief Executive Officer Christophe Lavigne—had the honor of ringing the Nasdaq Stock Market Opening Bell. LDR is a medical device company focused on designing and commercializing novel and proprietary spinal surgical technologies. The LDR […]
David Alchek, M.D. is finding out why “healed” athletes are crashing and burning. A new, quieter knee is providing more stability and thrilling patients. Todd Albert, M.D. is improving on perfection at HSS…streamlining and naming “CEOs.”
Researchers from North Carolina State University (NC State) have found away around ultrasound’s inability to penetrate bone and metal. Using customized structures, the researchers have created “metamaterial structures” that take into account the acoustic properties of the layers that block/distort ultrasound’s waves. These blockages are known as “aberrating layers.” “We’ve designed complementary metamaterials that will […]
One surgeon, one foot, one scan…the pedCAT system just may be eliminating the need to take multiple X-rays. CurveBeam, LLC is announcing that a new software feature automatically generates unlimited standard x-ray views. The company’s weight bearing CT imaging system now makes it possible for an orthopedic surgeon to capture standard, three-dimensional volume and multi-planar […]
IlluminOss Medical, Inc. is pleased to report that it has received a conditional “green light” from the FDA to conduct a clinical trial for the treatments of impending and pathologic fractures in the humerus due to metastatic carcinoma. According to the November 18, 2014 news release, IlluminOss’ Photodynamic Bone Stabilization System (PBSS) is the world’s […]
“An ultracongruent liner provides the same function and similar results to a PS liner, ” says Ken Gustke. And it avoids the risk of clicking, post wear, etc. John Callaghan disagrees, “It’s all about motion. After 90-110 degrees of motion you need rollback…and a post provides that. An ultracongruent liner couldn’t possibly do that.”
How do young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who undergo total hip replacement (THR) fare 15 to 20 years out? Researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) are enlightening people on this little-researched topic. First of all, they say, THR is an “excellent option” for patients under age 35 when conservative treatments don’t solve […]
Totally new approach…Harvard Orthopedics maps minutiae of care cycle with Harvard Business School. Dan Riew and Alan Hilibrand debate repeat surgeries and adjacent level pathology. And a nationwide study finds that allogeneic transfusions are on the rise.
4WEB Medical, the first company to receive FDA clearance for an additive manufactured spine implant, has announced that its surgeon customers have implanted over 3, 000 of the company’s 3D-printed orthopedic truss implants. “Crossing the 3, 000 implant milestone is a significant accomplishment for our company, ” said Jessee Hunt, president of 4WEB Medical, in […]
Max E. Link, Ph.D., a veteran of the device industry, has passed away unexpectedly at the age of 74.
Move over, standard of care…Mobi-C is coming through. LDR Holding Corporation has announced a new study showing that its Mobi-C Cervical Disc is more cost-effective than two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). The study, which appears in JAMA Surgery, states that cervical total disc replacement is cost-effective for two-level cervical disc disease, and that […]
OrthAlign, Inc. has announced the completion of a $15.0 million preferred series capital raise led by current OrthAlign investors, River Cities Capital Funds, a growth equity firm investing in healthcare and IT companies, and Mutual Capital Partners, a venture fund investing in rapidly growing, post-revenue technology businesses. “River Cities has had the opportunity to watch […]
“Mega prostheses can work in elderly patients and osteopenic patients with poor bone stock who need a quick procedure, ” says Thorsten Gehrke. George Haidukewych isn’t quite so sanguine. “I do a mega prosthesis as a last resort, with a very distal fracture, with severe osteolysis, etc.” and “ORIF remains the gold standard for periprosthetic fractures.”
Spinal Elements, Inc. recently celebrated the two-year anniversary of its Hero Allograft program. The national “Pledge to Be a Hero” program offers surgeons and hospitals across the country the opportunity to pledge to use only allograft tissue from companies that do not profit from the transfer of that tissue whenever clinically feasible. The company indicates […]
Doctors treating pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) should know: their offspring might be born prematurely. Researchers from Denmark and the U.S. are reporting in Arthritis & Rheumatology that babies of patients with RA or pre-clinical RA are 1.5x more likely to be born prematurely in Denmark. The researchers—from Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark—found that […]
What works better after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), a multi-drug analgesic cocktail for pain management or a periarticular injection of Pacira Pharmaceuticals’ EXPAREL? The results of a new, independent, physician-initiated study found that individuals treated with EXPAREL had significantly lower patient-perceived pain scores and morphine sulfate equivalence consumption, and reported higher satisfaction with pain control […]
Dogs are guiding the way when it comes to progress on arthritis. New research from the University of Montreal’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine indicates that arthritis pain can be relieved in our canine friends by mere plants and supplements. Two different formulas of this medicinal “cocktail” were developed at the university by Professor Éric Troncy, […]
“There are men in pain out there, ” is the cry from researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). A new study indicates that we are missing diagnostic and treatment opportunities by not focusing more attention on bone loss and fracture risk in older men. The study, whose results appeared online November 5 in […]
Mitchell Seyedin, Ph.D., one of the pioneers in regenerative medicine for orthopedics and, most recently, Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Chairman of ISTO Technologies, Inc., passed away.
It’s good news for those suffering from degenerative sacroiliitis and/or sacroiliac (SI) joint disruptions. SI-BONE, Inc. is reporting 5-year results indicating that patients treated with its iFuse procedure experienced low back pain relief and patient satisfaction. In this single center study, the minimally invasive SI joint fusion involved a series of triangular TPS coated implants. […]
Metal/plastic like metal/metal in terms of elevated metal serum levels? Surprising artifact in new Rothman research: pre-operative hemoglobin protects against TJA infection. UVA researchers find less impingement with independent tunnel drilling…and that safe drilling of tunnels is possible anteriorly.
Orthocell Limited, an Australian regenerative medicine company, has announced that it has succeeded in growing human tendons in a laboratory for the first time. These efforts were led by Professor M.H. Zheng, Orthocell’s chief scientific officer and the Winthrop Professor and Director of Research at the Translational Orthopaedic Research Centre at the University of Western […]
Researchers in Denmark have found that individuals taking COX-2 inhibitors were 19% more likely to die after stroke than those who did not take these drugs. For this study, published online November 5, 2014 in Neurology, researchers studied newer generation COX-2 inhibitors, older generation COX-2 inhibitors, and non-selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen. […]
“There are many issues with patella resurfacing, ” says Robert Barrack. “These include early loosening and patella revision.” “Well, ” adds Andrew Freiberg, “Resurfacing patients have less pain, the procedure is easy, it’s not that expensive, and results in lower revision rates.”
Severely injured soldiers will be getting a huge boost from the work getting underway at the University of Texas at Arlington. Liping Tang, Ph.D., a bioengineering professor and interim chair of the bioengineering department, has received a $1.04 million grant from the U.S. Army. Dr. Tang and his team will be working on the regeneration […]
Mitchell Seyedin, Ph.D., one of the pioneers in regenerative medicine for orthopedics and, most recently, Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Chairman of ISTO Technologies, Inc., passed away on October 8, 2014 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Drs. Deland and Ellis received the prestigious J. Leonard Goldner Award, a recognition that highlights the most outstanding research paper presented at the AOFAS annual meeting.
Lawrence Gulotta, M.D. and Edward Craig, M.D. at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have co-authored a new “soup to nuts” 163-page textbook entitled “Massive Rotator Cuff Tears: Diagnosis and Management.” These highly experienced surgeons, both from the Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service at HSS, have highlighted throughout the book that patients may look the same […]
A new study published in the November issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) is suggesting that despite higher complication rates among obese patients, these individuals can benefit from orthopedic procedures. In the October 20, 2014 news release, William M. Mihalko, M.D., Ph.D., of Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics in Memphis, Tennessee, […]
Mayo study details the challenges of treating morbidly obese patients who undergo two-stage revision arthroplasty. William Levine, the chair of orthopedics at Columbia University, comes out swinging on residency work hours…and he’s got the data. And the amazing orthopedic surgeons who teach operative techniques and research to their peers from other countries.
“Surface replacement trumps THR because it preserves bone, offers greater stability, and allows a higher activity level, ” advocates Ed Su. “Keep in mind, ” says Adolph Lombardi, “resurfacing is a more difficult operation with a high learning curve. Few patients meet the criteria…and there is concern over metal ion toxicity.”
A team of researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has identified a new cell signaling pathway that contributes to the development and progression of inflammatory bone erosion, which occurs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study, published online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation on October 20, 2014, was led by Baohong Zhao, […]
You don’t often hear “morphine” and “children” in the same phrase. But, says a new study from Canada, giving morphine to children is getting more common. The study involving 134 children, the authors found that for cases of broken limbs, ibuprofen should be given to kids instead of morphine due to adverse events associated with […]
Mark Levy, M.D. an orthopedic surgeon and founder of Expanding Orthopedics, said in the October 22, 2014 news release, “My vision, since I founded the company, was to develop a unique family of expandable devices covering spine and trauma applications, creating a new standard of care. This 13th granted U.S. patent covers innovative technologies in […]
Brian Cole, M.D. and colleagues are doing their best to clarify the misunderstandings surrounding the Sunshine Act. The largest-ever consortium of orthopedic registries is proving to be different and very valuable. And the Vice President of Research at Merck details the company’s latest efforts to find a drug for osteoporosis.
“Listen to your body, ” goes the old adage. Researchers in the UK, it seems, are doing just that. A team from the Lancaster University is using a portable device with microphones to listen to sound waves in the knee. The goal? Detect osteoarthritis (OA) and see if those receiving treatment are improving. The device […]
“Ceramic-ceramic hips have a place in young, active patients, ” advocates Gwo-Chin Lee. “And they have the lowest wear rate.” Robert Barrack counters, “The new ceramics are better, but standard metal-crosslinked poly has improved more. And the 10-15 year results cannot be improved upon. Ceramic-ceramic isn’t ready for prime time.”
Frank F. Cook, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon known for his sense of humor, left this world too soon. Dr. Cook, only 59 years of age, passed away on October 2, 2014.
Touting a bevvy of orthopedic luminaries, Rotation Medical has begun a multi-center post-market clinical study evaluating the use of its rotator cuff system in treating supraspinatus rotator cuff tendon tears. Some of the orthopedic surgeons leading the effort are Ted Schlegel, M.D., from Steadman Hawkins Clinic, Jeffrey Abrams, M.D., from Princeton Orthopaedic Associates and Timothy […]
“Failure is the dirty underwear drawer of orthopedic surgeons, ” says David Altchek, M.D. of HSS. So his study at HSS will tackle a crucial ACL, UCL failure issue. Time and motion study for scoliosis surgery? The results from Beth Israel are fascinating. New smartphone app gives surgeons increased flexibility while also saving time.
Infections and their treatment are on the mind of every orthopedic surgeon. New work from scientists at Thomas Jefferson University and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is giving insight into the why infections tend to be so difficult to get under control. “Biofilm formation has been suspected to play a key role during septic […]
According to a new study that appears in the October 1, 2014 issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (JBJS), joint replacement patients who undergo preoperative physical therapy (PT) are saving “the system” money. As indicated in the October 7, 2014 news release, the researchers demonstrated that preop PT can reduce the need […]
There’s a new orthopedic triumvirate in Southern California these days. Cedars-Sinai Health System has just announced an agreement with the Institute for Sports Sciences that clears the way for a formal affiliation with the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic and Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Group. In 2014, the Institute for Sports Sciences was formed by […]
“Highly crosslinked polyethylenes have a very low wear rate and have reduced revision rates, ” says Andrew Freiberg. “Let’s not forget, ” says John Callaghan, “there are issues such as increased frictional torque and wear issues with larger heads.”
New work from the University of California (UC), San Diego, may help clarify things when it comes to loss of muscle mass in the elderly. The researchers, led by J.S. Chen, the William Prager Professor of structural engineering at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego, are touting the first ever comprehensive numerical […]
Brown University researchers have found a new way of extracting bone-producing cells from human fat, even developing a fluorescent tag that could locate and identify cells expressing the gene known as ALPL (alkaline phosphatase). If the tag finds the RNA (ribonucleic acid) produced when the gene is expressed, it attaches and glows. Hetal Marble, lead […]
By working with CTSK (Cathepsin K), one of the enzymes used to resorb bone, researchers from Johns Hopkins have found that a group of “scientifically overlooked” cells could be crucial to the process of bone loss caused by osteoporosis. The researchers say that the cells, known as preosteoclasts, also explain the success and activity of […]
New study finds that doctors are stuck in their ways…despite evidence that they should change. Medicaid patients near academic medical centers are treated differently than private pay patients. And a massive new study from the Netherlands raises concerns about new devices. (Hint: they are no better after all.)
In conjunction with its appearance at Eurospine 2014 in Lyon, France, NuVasive, Inc. is the opening of the company’s European Center of Excellence (COE) in Amsterdam. According to the October 1, 2014 news release, “The center will serve as NuVasive’s European commercial headquarters and function as the commercial hub for the European executive leadership and […]
Researchers from the University of Michigan Health System have made progress in treating those in unusual situations: individuals burned by high-velocity explosive devices whose body turns on them and begins a process known as heterotopic ossification (HO) wherein bone begins growing where it should not be. According to the September 25, 2014 news release, the […]
Rotation Medical has officially begun a multi-center post-market clinical study evaluating the use of the Rotation Medical rotator cuff system in treating supraspinatus rotator cuff tendon tears. Involved in the study on this 510(k) cleared device are Ted Schlegel, M.D., from Steadman Hawkins Clinic, Jeffrey Abrams, M.D., from Princeton Orthopaedic Associates and Timothy Codd, M.D., […]
“I haven’t saved a cruciate ligament in the last five years. It’s more difficult and less predictable. It’s more forgiving to take the PCL, ” argues Aaron Hofmann. “A recent study found that ROM was better with the posterior stabilization, ” counters John Callaghan. “And Chit Ranawat has had a 95% satisfaction rate with a PS knee…no revisions at 10 years.”
Working with a protein known as RANKL (receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand), scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have created a new way to develop treatments for osteoporosis and autoimmune diseases. The key differentiator is that this treatment could avoid the risk of infection and cancer posed by some […]
Kevin D. Cordell has been appointed president of U.S. Extremities at Wright Medical Group, Inc.
Harvard’s Wyss researcher details their remarkable Soft Exosuit invention. John Tongue, M.D. documents the lifetime societal cost savings of hip fracture surgery. And a spine fellow in the NYU Langone laboratory discusses his discovery of the Global Sagittal Angle, which “unmasks” the link between spinal and lower limb alignment.
Jeffrey Mjaanes, M.D., a head physician for the DePaul University Blue Demons and a team physician for the United States Soccer Federation, has been added to the medical team for the USA Men’s Rugby team, the USA Eagles.
In order to maximize positive clinical outcomes, LDR pursues its surgeon education programs with the utmost planning and care. Their regional and national educational programs, which nearly 1, 000 surgeons have attended in just the last 12 months, are ensuring that the nuances of the company’s key products are clear to surgeons. The company offers […]
“No modular necks for routine primary hip arthroplasty!” argues Michael Dunbar. “We have no proof of superiority and there is an increased risk of fracture and fretting, ion debris, etc.” Hugh Cameron counters, “Look, I’ve done more than 350 cases with no incidents of delayed metal hypersensitivity and no pseudotumors.”
Small bones, rejoice…things are on a roll with a new rigid compression fixation technology from Dallen Medical, Inc. The company has just announced the first human use of its FDA-cleared Compressyn Staple, which, as noted by Dallen, is “the only rigid compression fixation technology that delivers continual, dynamic compression for small bone fixation.” In this […]
Romosozumab, a bone-forming agent currently under study by Amgen, Inc. and Belgium’s UCB, has shown promise in several new analyses. The work, which concentrates on evaluating the drug’s efficacy in postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density (BMD), found that romosozumab led to increases in lumbar spine and total hip BMD. The mechanism of action […]
Neal ElAttrache, M.D. explains recent surge in the number of Tommy John surgeries. ABOS executive director shines bright light on certification exam process. Sixteen volunteer projects with 110 orthopedists make Ortho #1 in Volunteerism.
A torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)…to operate or not? Knowledge is lacking, say the authors of a recently published article, about the clinical course of nonoperative treatment of an ACL tear. The study, conducted by Grindem et al. from the Norwegian Research Center for Active Rehabilitation in Oslo, Norway, has just been published in The […]
Question: What is portable, inexpensive, and fights infection? The Air Barrier System (ABS), an FDA-cleared device that shields surgical sites from bacteria in the OR. And now, Nimbic Systems, creator of the device, has received a $1.5 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant for a pivotal, multi-center clinical trial. According to the September 15, […]
After working for four months to get the FDA go-ahead, Richard Buch, M.D. was able to save a man’s arm. Dr. Buch, an orthopedic surgeon at The Dallas Limb Restoration Center, performed the first total humerus replacement in the U.S. using Implantcast GmbH’s MUTARS (Modular Universal Tumour and Revision System). Dr. Buch replaced the patient’s […]
The Florida Orthopaedic Institute (FOI) has announced the addition of three physicians: Drs. Donna A. Saatman, Jeffrey A. Westerfield, and Joseph M. Zavatsky. According to the September 11, 2014 news release, “Donna A. Saatman, M.D. is fellowship trained in neurosurgery and specializes in the surgical treatment of adult degenerative spinal and peripheral nerve disease. Prior […]
Researchers from Georgia Regents University (GRU) have found that a small protein named GILZ may be protective against bone loss that can accompany arthritis and the medicine meant to treat it. Could the drugs currently in use—which have the side effects of bone loss and diabetes—be supplanted by GILZ? Working with colleagues, Dr. Xing-Ming Shi, […]
Jim Bradley, M.D. details first ever head-to-head trial of two types of Tommy Johns. New study says 3D CT may not make data interpretation more consistent as far as proximal humerus fractures. Vital new research shows that morbidly obese patients can safely undergo reverse shoulder arthroplasty, but their treatment is more expensive.
What to do when a little tyke shows up in the Emergency Room at 7pm with an elbow fracture? Now there is clarity, as the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has just released new Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) and a mobile app for the treatment of pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures. “These are very serious […]
Matthew W. Colman, M.D. and Adam B. Yanke, M.D. have joined the team of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) in Chicago.
“It’s undeniable that the all poly tibia is cheaper, ” argues Mike Dunbar. “And there is no backside wear, more poly for the same tibial resection, better RSA data, and better survivorship.” “I agree that all poly components are equal to well-designed monoblock designs, ” counters Mike Berend. “But caution…it’s design and technique sensitive.”
Confidence building…Invibio Biomaterial Solutions is announcing that its laboratories have been accredited to ISO 17025:2005 by UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service). As noted in the September 2, 2014 news release, “this achievement demonstrates that Invibio’s Laboratories can consistently produce valid test results for each of the standards for which they have been accredited, averting the […]
A team of researchers from the University of Liverpool has found new information on how cells change their behavior at the onset of osteoarthritis (OA). The researchers, from the University’s Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, have learned that “changes in the rate at which molecules in joint cartilage (mRNA) are created and destroyed are […]
According to a new study in a rabbit model, BioStructures, LLC’s Signafuse bioactive bone graft as a standalone implant works better than autograft in posterolateral spine fusion. The study was performed at the Bone Healing Research Lab/Iowa Spine Research Center at the University of Iowa. As indicated by the company, Signafuse is a moldable, bioactive […]
Erik B. Eller, M.D. has joined the clinical staff at The CORE Institute in Novi, Michigan. Dr. Eller is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle reconstruction as well as fracture care. “I’ve been impressed to watch The CORE Institute become one of the most respected orthopedic groups in Michigan with its growing […]
A spine surgeon from the Texas Back Institute discusses his volunteer trips to Ethiopia and the deep satisfaction it brings. Residents-to-be at NYU receive innovative curricula that emphasizes increased assessment. Surprising new study finds two-thirds of athletes with shoulder instability have it again in the same season.
New algorithms coming out of the lab at Washington University in St. Louis could help identify weak spots in tendons, muscles and bones before there is actual tearing or breaking. The research, available online in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, is not yet ready for use in humans. “Tendons are constantly stretching as […]
France was the setting for the first-ever surgery performed with Expanding Orthopedics’ FLXfit 3D Expandable Interbody Cage, the world’s first 3D expandable interbody cage. The surgery was performed by Professor Jean-Charles Le-Huec, Head, Ortho-Spine Department, Bordeaux University Hospital, France and Former President of the European Spine Society and the International Society of Advanced Spinal Surgery. […]
“This patient MAY be infected, ” says Ed McFarland. “For patients who are even a bit ill, I would do a one-stage revision; those who are young and healthy get a two-stage revision. I don’t think debridement adds much.” Reuben Gobezie counters, “If you’re going to do anything to this patient, I think it would be reasonable to get an arthroscopic debridement at the most before you rip their arm out, Ed.”
Rudy Padua, Ph.D. is bringing 16 years of medical device industry experience to his new role as director of clinical affairs at St. Teresa Medical, Inc. in St. Paul, Minnesota.
A new meta analysis from McMaster University in Canada has found that knee surgery isn’t necessary for mild osteoarthritis (OA). The study, just published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), says middle-aged or older patients with mild or no knee OA may not benefit from the procedure of arthroscopic knee surgery. Doctors need to […]
His credo was that actions are necessary, words are not. Yet many have wonderful words to say about Albert B. Ferguson, Jr., the man who founded the Pittsburgh Department of Orthopedic Surgery in 1954. Dr. Ferguson was 95 when died on August 20, 2014.
David Backstein has his favorite mega prosthesis system and he’s not giving it up any time soon. “You have shorter length of stay, and there is no chance of malunion or non-union.” George Haidukewych pulls the reins in, saying, “Mega prostheses have a limited role, namely, in situations where fixation is likely to fail. ORIF remains the gold standard for periprosthetic fractures.”
Researchers from the University of Cincinnati (UC), Harvard School of Public Health, and Harvard Medical School have found that oxidative stress is a significant predictor for hip fracture in postmenopausal women. The study appears online ahead of print in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. The research was led by Tianying Wu, M.D., Ph.D., […]
Pinnacle Spine Group has announced that Paul J. Sendro has been appointed the position of Chief Operating Officer for the Company.
In attempting to treat a patient with a genetic condition known as alkaptonuria (AKU), researchers from the University of Liverpool have shed new light on the destruction involved in osteoarthritis (OA). Along with Professor Alan Boyde and colleagues from Queen Mary University of London, Professor Jim Gallagher in Liverpool found a new mechanism of joint […]
Jim Bradley’s review of 1, 035 publications reveals that there is no standard as far as shoulder outcome measures to assess shoulder instability. Excellence in Research Award from AOSSM goes to medical student for work on PCL rotation. And the certification of the FORCE-Total Joint Registry as a CMS PQRS Qualified Registry makes it easier for doctors to avoid penalties.
Two randomized clinical trials from the lab of Trisha F. Hue, Ph.D., M.P.H. at the University of California, San Francisco, have found that bisphosphonates aren’t likely to reduce a patient’s risk of breast cancer. The team found that three to four years of bisphosphonates, sometimes used to treat osteoporosis, is not linked to reduced risk […]
Researchers from Vanderbilt are giving hope to patients with a genetic disorder known as neurofibromatosis type-1. The study, led by Florent Elefteriou, Ph.D., director of the Vanderbilt Center for Bone Biology, was reported in the August issue of Nature Medicine. Working with a mouse model, the researchers demonstrated that the enzyme asfotase-alpha improves bone growth, […]
ConforMIS, Inc.’s iTotal faces off against its off-the-shelf (OTS) competitors…In two in vivo clinical studies comparing these adversaries, researchers found that the motion and stability of ConforMIS’ iTotal behaved much more like a normal knee. Additionally, these studies debuted the use of a novel fluoroscopy system developed by Dr. William Hamel and Dr. Richard Komistek. […]
Matt Abdel is all over cementless TKA. “It involves shorter operative times, preserves bone stock, means easier revision surgery, eliminates third body wear, etc.” Slow down, says Arun Mullaji. “With cementless TKA you’re paying more for a procedure for which the jury is still out. We don’t have good long term data and we don’t know what the optimum design is.”
Blowing autograft out of the water? Perhaps. Researchers from Texas A&M University are reporting that they have developed a new material that expands with warm salt water and “precisely” fill bone defects. The material—a shape-memory polymer (SMP)—is also a scaffold for new bone growth. “The problem is that the autograft is a rigid material that […]
The advanced imaging experts at CurveBeam, LLC are announcing the results of a study indicating that the amount of radiation a patient is exposed to during a weight bearing cone beam CT (CBCT) scan is negligible. The research, published in the International Journal of Diagnostic Imaging (Vol. 1, No. 2), found that the radiation dose […]
AOSSM’s new president, Robert Arciero, M.D., leading society into new building and future of innovation. Alex Vaccaro, M.D., Rothman Institutes’ new Prez, talks expansion and quality with OTW. Constance Chu, M.D.’s new form of MRI reveals “bruised cartilage.”
Swiss researchers at ETH Zurich say that they have treated and cured mice with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The team indicates that they have developed a drug that is a biotechnologically produced active substance consisting of two fused components. The first one is interleukin 4 (IL-4); then, the ETH scientists “coupled an antibody to IL-4 that, […]
Professor Alan Boyde and colleagues from Queen Mary University of London have identified a new mechanism of joint destruction that is caused by a material that grinds down healthy cartilage and makes painful osteoarthritis (OA) even worse. Initially, the team looked at the hip of a man with alkaptonuria (AKU). According to the news release, […]
Pau Golanó, professor of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Barcelona, died on July 23, 2014 of a massive stroke.
The CORE Institute has announced that it has signed an agreement with The Arizona Neurological Institute, an entity with nine Phoenix area locations. As indicated by The CORE Institute, the agreement combines the largest orthopedic and neuroscience practices in Arizona. As of October 1, 2014 Arizona Neurological Institute physicians and staff will be formally employed […]
Symmetry Medical Inc. will be selling its OEM Solutions business to Tecomet; it will also be transferring its Symmetry Surgical business to its shareholders. Tecomet, owned by Genstar Capital, is a contract manufacturing, engineering and metal fabrication technology company based in Wilmington, Massachusetts. Symmetry President and CEO Thomas J. Sullivan stated in the August 4, […]
The spine gurus at LDR are celebrating an event that should make a real difference in the lives of patients…UnitedHealthcare (UHC) is now covering one and two-level cervical disc replacement. As indicated by LDR, this move, which affects those with degenerative cervical disc disease, follows compelling clinical data in support of cervical arthroplasty and the […]
Toes in distress now have an option available from Smith & Nephew, plc. The company has entered the forefoot market with the launch of the HAT-TRICK Lesser Toe Repair System. The system has products for metatarsophalangeal (MTP) ligament repair and reconstruction, a metatarsal osteotomy guide, and a revisable, all-PEEK implant for Proximal Inter-Phalangeal (PIP) fusion, […]
Will payers or physicians comply with NASS’ clinical guidelines? Acid test underway in Boston. New biomarker diagnosis periprosthetic joint infection 100% of the time—the Rothman Institute. Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., M.D. talks about his success with outpatient knee and hip surgery.
NuVasive, Inc. is announcing NVM5 V2.0, a new nerve monitoring technology designed to further reproducible outcomes in spine surgery. The company believes that the procedural integration of neurophysiology and computer-assisted surgical technologies facilitates these reproducible outcomes. This second generation technology has new capabilities that include the sensory monitoring modality, somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) for multimodality […]
A bilateral TKA procedure triggers higher rates of post-operative complications, says Javad Parvizi, M.D., F.R.C.S. and specifically cites rates of cardiac complications and pulmonary embolus. Actually, these procedures are safe, says Thomas Sculco, M.D. particularly as “We move towards improved patient selection, better anesthetic techniques, better perioperative care, and faster surgery.” Who wins this debate? Read on.
Working with horses, researchers from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and the University of Liverpool have found differences in younger and older tendons that might inform future treatments. It is the proteins, say the scientists, that break down in older tendons. As indicated in the August 5, 2014 news release, their examinations of younger […]
A big stamp of approval for Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc.…the company is announcing that it is officially through the Israeli Ministry of Health approval process and has now received clearance for its 3D cell therapy manufacturing processes at its new facility in Haifa. “This latest regulatory clearance further validates our proprietary cell manufacturing processes, which we […]
AAOS Humanitarian Award Winner, Dr. Oheneba Boachie-Adjei goes home to Ghana after 20 years at HSS. New knee revision research from Rush says avoid cement, use cones. Hello! Center for Disruptive Musculoskeletal Innovations established at USC and tasked by the NSF to study and ‘fix’ orthopedic innovation issues.
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has been named the “Official Hospital of USA Basketball.” USA Basketball has announced a number of other new marketing partnerships, including those with Samsung and Diageo. Each entity will promote its brand and products throughout USA Basketball Men’s and Women’s National Team training camp, exhibition games, media, and during special […]
Dr. Fu was presented the Masaki Watanabe Award in Hiroshima, Japan, in recognition of his contributions to the field of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.
“OK, so you have a bloodless field using a tourniquet in TKA, ” says Dickey Jones. “But there are many downsides, such as nerve damage and a delay in the recovery of muscle function.” Hold on says Steven MacDonald, There is no clinical evidence of nerve damage or delays in muscle function recovery when employing a tourniquet.”
A new smart tool for the OR…Intellijoint Surgical Inc. (formerly, Avenir Medical Inc.) is announcing the FDA clearance of its flagship product, Intellijoint HIP. According to the company, the tool has two miniature sensors that are placed in the sterile field and communicate with a portable display. The surgeon-controlled device quantifies the measurements that are […]
KFx Medical Corporation has announced a new license agreement with DePuy Mitek, LLC (“Mitek”) relating to its patents used in knotless double row rotator cuff repair. Under the agreement, Mitek and its Johnson & Johnson affiliates will have the right to promote the use of products and techniques for knotless double row rotator cuff repair […]
The spine experts at Israel-based Expanding Orthopedics Inc. (EOI) are likely celebrating these days, as they have recently received U.S. commercialization clearance for their FLXfit, the world’s first 3D expandable interbody cage. Ofer Bokobza, CEO of Expanding Orthopedics, said in the July 21, 2014 news release, “I am extremely proud of the EOI team and […]
Regis James O’Keefe, M.D., Ph.D., an orthopedic oncologist who is director of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, has been named head of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
There is merriment in the halls these days at Rush University Medical Center with the notification that U.S. News and World Report has ranked its orthopedic program as #6 in the United States and the top-ranked program in Illinois. “This is an honor that we take very seriously, ” explained Joshua Jacobs, M.D., chairman of […]
Dr. William F. Enneking, a co-founder of the University of Florida (UF) College of Medicine, passed away July 17 at the age of 88.
“Using augmented implants has not worked in the past. With this arthritic patient I would ream the high side, ” says Bill Seitz. “No, no, ” exclaims Lynn Crosby, “Augment it. He has posterior subluxation and 22 degrees of retroversion!”
Millstone Medical Outsourcing, LLC has announced that they will have shovels on hand July 28 and thus will officially break ground on a massive new addition to its Fall River, Massachusetts headquarters. The additional 40, 000 square feet will add 8, 000 square feet of class 10, 000 clean room to the facility as well […]
It’s a product launch festival at Mitek Sports Medicine, which has just announced the launch of two new products: MONOVISC High Molecular Weight Hyaluronan, a single-injection treatment for knee pain related to osteoarthritis (OA), and the PEAK Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) System, a device that produces PRP in only 2.5 minutes. “Both products are important […]
Benvenue is welcoming Gil Kliman, M.D. from InterWest Partners to its board of directors.
The spine gurus at Benvenue Medical, Inc. just might have a few ideas on how to use its recent infusion of $64 million in financing. According to the company, they intend to use the proceeds to build its U.S. commercial presence, scale up manufacturing, increase administrative functions to support overall corporate growth and provide working […]
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) has welcomed three new members to its ranks: Steven P. Arnoczky, D.V.M., Bruce Reider, M.D., Timothy N. Taft, M.D.
Play it again, Louis Shapiro…Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has once again been ranked the No. 1 hospital in the country for orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report in its 2014 “Best Hospitals” survey. “We are honored to be recognized nationally as the best in our specialized field for the fifth consecutive year, ” […]
It’s a slam dunk for Titan Spine, LLC, which has just received clearance from the FDA to commercially release its Endoskeleton TL system, a spinal fusion system that utilizes a lateral approach. As noted by the company, the Endoskeleton TL represents the first lateral fusion device to feature surface technology that is designed to participate […]
Dr. Andrews, who has operated on such luminaries as Emmitt Smith, and Drew Brees, is a founding member of Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
Thanks to an electronic device, those with severe injuries—even paraplegics—could be walking again soon. Initially tested at MossRehab in Philadelphia, this device has now been approved by the FDA and can be used outside of the hospital environment. Described by MossRehab as a “motorized exoskeleton suit, ” the ReWalk uses motion sensors and measures a […]
Duke Researchers find that weight loss correlates directly with OA pain reduction. Is light based surface tomography superior to X-rays for scoliosis diagnosis? And orthopedic research whiz Mo Bhandari announces early results from his massive, 40, 000 patient global trauma study. Incredible early data!
C. Lowry Barnes, M.D. is being hailed as the new chief—chair—of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Dr. Barnes, who will occupy this position as of August 1, 2014, will hold the Carl L. Nelson, M.D., Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery. According to the news release, Dr. Barnes […]
Want to survive knee surgery? Your chances may be better with a partial knee replacement. According to a new study from the University of Oxford in the UK, people who undergo total knee replacement are four times more likely to die in the first month after surgery compared to those who have a partial knee […]
Mice from Duke University are shedding light on the role of omega 3 fatty acids in osteoarthritis. The research team, led by Farshid Guilak, Ph.D., Laszlo Ormandy Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, found that mice given an omega 3 fatty acid supplement had healthier joints than those fed diets high in saturated fats and omega 6 […]
James S. Raphael, M.D., formerly associate chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Einstein Medical Center Philadelphia, has now moved into the position of chair of orthopedics at that institution.
Eliminating most needle sticks sounds like a dream—a dream that’s coming true at Mass General! Our man at the World Cup reports in. Bottom line, Brazil wins as host—despite that ugly loss to Germany! AANA launches largest, most comprehensive surgery simulation EVER.
Researchers from Belgium have learned that by blocking inflammasomes, protein complexes that are suspected to play a role in the development and progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), they can effectively fight the progression of the disease. The team, scientists from Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB) and Ghent University, have also demonstrated that RA should be […]
Todd J. Albert, M.D., FACS, recently named Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director at Hospital for Special Surgery, has another new role. Dr. Albert has been named a board member of The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons
Is the Hills-Sachs lesion best treated with a surface replacement? Sumant Krishnan, M.D. of The Shoulder Center in Dallas says “yes” while Anthony Romeo, M.D. of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush disagrees. Who gets the best of this interesting and stimulating debate? Read on…
There is likely a bit of merriment at Rotation Medical these days. The company, which recently received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its implantable bioinductive implant technology, is reporting that it has received an investment of $27.2 million. Life Sciences Partners (LSP), a new investor, and New Enterprise Associates (NEA) co-led the financing, which […]
“Tragic” is the only word to describe what happened on I-20 in Kaufman County, Texas, last Saturday night. John Adam Malonis, M.D. of Fort Worth, Texas, was killed that night in a motor vehicle accident.
Titan Spine, LLC is moving across the globe, spreading its technology and know-how. The company has just received separate registration approval from both the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (MEDSAFE) to commercially market its full line of Endoskeleton interbody fusion devices. And there is definitely […]
New study questions usefulness of standard X-rays for operative decisions. New app channels sports med superstar Jimmy Andrews, M.D. for kids’ pitching injuries. Is there a business case for improving healthcare value? “Yes!” says a group of visionary surgeons and business gurus.
Benvenue Medical, Inc. has announced that Jeffrey Jones has joined the company as chief operating officer. Jones brings more than 20 years of related operations experience with both medical technology start-up and Fortune 500 companies to the newly created position.
Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital has announced that it has broken ground on a top notch facility—60, 000 square feet of excellence—that will house Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. According to the hospital, the new building will include space for physical therapy, occupational therapy, aquatic therapy, an outside training facility for athletes recovering from […]
“Larger femoral heads have decreased the need for constrained liners, ” argues Craig Della Valle.” “And constrained liners don’t always work.” “Hold on, ” says Larry Dorr. “I’ve used constrained liners for 20 years and I haven’t had the failure rates that have been reported.”
Acumed is announcing the release of its Total Wrist Fusion Plating System, which is designed to meet the needs of a variety of anatomy types. The stand-out feature? It is the only system on the market with plates specifically designed to be placed on both the second and third metacarpals. As indicated by the company, […]
Bert Mandelbaum, M.D. is on site at the World Cup and lets us know the structure and challenges of health care at this massive event. Brian Cole, M.D. of Rush details findings of his new study on OA, PRP, and HA. Up-close lessons for orthopedic surgeons from the Columbine and Aurora theater shootings. And Matt Provencher, M.D. talks about his new role at Mass General, and gives his thoughts on sports medicine.
Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. has announced that it will be moving forward with rotator cuff repair as the second indication in its orthopedic program. The company indicates that its PLacental eXpanded (PLX) cells offer potential as the first off-the-shelf cell therapy product for muscle and tendon regeneration that can be used to enhance repair after rotator […]
Atlanta-based MedShape, Inc. has been honored with a prestigious Medical Design Excellence Award (MDEA) for its Eclipse Soft Tissue Anchor. Since the MDEA commenced in 1998, over 600 products have received these awards. According to the Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry website, “The Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA) competition is the medtech industry’s premier awards […]
It’s celebration time for the spine gurus at Expanding Orthopedics Inc. (EOI). The company is announcing that it has been granted a Chinese patent for its XPED System, an expandable pedicle screw with instrumentation. Mark Levy, M.D. an orthopedic surgeon, founder and chief technology officer of Expanding Orthopedics, said in the June 16, 2014 news […]
It’s Penenberg vs. Rodriquez. “The direct anterior approach is quicker and people recover sooner…”, says Dr. Brad Penenberg. Hold on a minute, says Dr. Jose Rodriquez. Success using the direct anterior approach depends on “…by whom, which outcomes, and compared to what.” It’s a lively and extremely informative debate.
Ozan Akkus, Ph.D., a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Case Western Reserve University, has been awarded a $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to grow replacement rotator cuffs and other large tendon groups. His work will impact injured soldiers and athletes, accident victims and the wider population. Dr. Akkus, […]
The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) has been designated as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), meaning that it will be able to provide an enhanced array of medical outcome data, including patient safety information. Other information will include physician and patient observations and joint replacement […]
Rush University’s new study found that PRP lowered pain, improved function for knee OA patients. Lessons from the Columbine school and Aurora theater shootings for all orthopedists. New head of sports medicine at Massachusetts General talks changes he hopes to bring to his program.
Orchid Orthopedic Solutions has announced that it will be offering expertise in machining and precision engineering at its new location in Pune, India. According to the company, Orchid India currently offers orthopedic, trauma and spine components machining and are expanding to include all the machining capabilities required to support customers in the fields of orthopedic, […]
Smith & Nephew has recently reported the results of a survey of participants at its first North American Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Summit outlining a pathway to greater adoption of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). At the event, entitled, “Unlocking the Potential of NPWT, ” 115 participants discussed new clinical research and issues relevant to […]
Medical Care at the World Cup—on site update from Bert Mandelbaum, M.D. And a surprising JAMA study says that physical therapy isn’t particularly helpful for patients with hip OA. And Beaumont Health System has announced the creation of the Harry N. Herkowitz, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedics.
Research from Ohio State University has found that regular exercise suppresses local and systemic inflammation. The findings from the in vivo study were recently presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2014). “As the inflammatory process in rheumatic diseases is a major cause of disability, we are excited to uncover the process […]
American and European fellows and spine surgeons, along with luminaries from the medical device industry, will be on hand for the upcoming fourth Annual Spine IEP Fellows & Young Surgeons’ Course, to be held in Scottsdale, Arizona, November 21-23, 2014. The three-day course has been developed specifically to educate spine fellows and young surgeons on […]
Researchers from Boston University have found that walking reduces the risk of functional limitation associated with knee osteoarthritis (OA). The study, in part funded by the NIH (National Institutes of Health), was just published in Arthritis Care & Research. The researchers measured the daily steps taken by nearly 2, 000 people with—or at risk for—knee […]
“I think that the ultracongruent insert provides excellent posterior stability, it’s bone sparing and technically easy, there are fewer complications, and it’s certainly time saving, ” says Aaron Hofmann. “Wait, ” says Chit Ranawat. “RP-PS has better survivorship and improved ROM compared to fixed bearing posterior stabilized.”
Symmetry Medical Inc. has announced that it has launched the Dual Connection Offset Acetabular Reamer Driver through its OEM Solutions team. Symmetry indicates that its new Dual Connection Offset Acetabular Reamer Driver is used during total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgery to easily introduce acetabular reamers to the hip joint and to enhance visibility in minimally […]
Paradigm Spine, LLC has announced the recent publication of two focal clinical research articles addressing both the costs and morbidity associated with fusion procedures performed in the treatment of spinal stenosis, and separately its comparative effectiveness relative to the company’s coflex Interlaminar Stabilization device and procedure. In the recently released publication titled “Comparative Cost Effectiveness […]
Five thousand patients is a serious study and this one covers complication rates for anterior hip surgery. Results may surprise! First-of-its-kind study shows that hinged external beats out external bracing. And new research from Mayo Clinic has found that short-term reoperation after shoulder arthroplasty is uncommon.
William Levine, M.D., has been named chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and orthopedic surgeon-in-chief of NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, effective July 1. Dr. Levine is a clinician, scholar, and teacher who has served in numerous leadership roles since joining NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia in 1998. Most recently, […]
“Saying that modular metal backed tibial trays are somehow the ‘gold standard’ for modern TKA just isn’t true, ” says David Lewallen. “Wait, ” says Tom Thornhill. “Most all-poly tibia results are in low demand patients. And, backside wear is now substantially better than it was during the period of time that David showed us.”
SafeWire, LLC, a medical device company focused on the design and development of devices for minimally invasive spine surgery, announced today that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its Y-Wire 2 orthopedic guidewire with additional claims. The Y-Wire 2 is a patented orthopedic guidewire with a […]
“Pain is lower without a tourniquet, and non-tourniquet patients have better ROM, ” says Aaron Rosenberg. “Hold up, ” says Steve MacDonald. “Do you really want to increase OR time and cost when there is no evidence to support the supposed downsides of using a tourniquet?”
Nextremity Solutions, Inc. has announced that its latest proprietary forefoot surgery system, the MSP Metatarsal Shortening Plate and System, has received FDA clearance and CE Mark certification. The MSP system is positioned for metatarsal shortening osteotomies to correct toe angulation/dislocation and relieve pressure. It provides the company with a product candidate in another key segment […]
Pinnacle Spine Group has announced the CE Mark (Conformité Européenne) approval for its entire line of InFill Interbody Devices, as well as its patented InFill Graft Delivery System. Pinnacle’s line of interbody devices includes the InFill Direct Lateral system, the InFill Lordotic Oblique TLIF, the InFill Convex Oblique TLIF, the InFill Contour Oblique TLIF, the […]
Researchers from Canada and Spain are making headway regarding the slowing down of bone breakdown. Faleh Tamimi, DDS, Ph.D., a professor in McGill’s School of Dentistry, is the leader of a research team that has just discovered that melatonin supplements make bones stronger in elderly rats and therefore, potentially, in elderly humans too. The researchers […]
Johns Hopkins researchers have created high-speed computing methods for 3D imaging and registration. New JAMA study: Physical Therapy doesn’t help those with hip OA. HSS is celebrating its designation as one of only three FIFA Centres of Excellence in the U.S.
NuVasive, Inc. has announced that Michael Lambert intends to retire from his role as chief financial officer later this year and that Quentin Blackford, its current executive vice president of Finance, Accounting and Investor Relations, will succeed Mr. Lambert. Lambert has been NuVasive’s CFO since November 2009. His retirement as chief financial officer, which will […]
New research is suggesting that regular grape consumption may help alleviate pain associated with symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, and improve joint flexibility and overall mobility. Researchers, led by Shanil Juma, Ph.D. of Texas Woman’s University, attribute these potential benefits to the polyphenols found in grapes. The researchers found that both men and women […]
SI-BONE, Inc. recently received a major infusion of funding with which to grow and expand…$33 million in capital will go a long way. Those disbursing the funds included Orbimed and Novo A/S, as well as current investors Skyline Ventures and Montreux Equity Partners. Proceeds from the investment will be used to fund expansion of the […]
“Cemented stems in revision TKA trump press fit stems, ” says Thorsten Gehrke. “With fully cemented stems, ” says Kelly Vince, “if you assume that you don’t have to worry about position you’ll be disappointed in a high percentage of fully cemented stems.”
A novel study has found that two protein molecules that fit together “as lock and key” seem to promote the abnormal formation of blood vessels in joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This team of researchers, who hail from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, found that the substances are present at […]
New research from Columbia University Medical Center has found that that universal neuromuscular training for high school and college-age athletes—which focuses on the optimal way to bend, jump, land and pivot the knee—is an effective and inexpensive way to avoid anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sprains and tears. The study, published in the Journal of Bone […]
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have identified a new approach to treating osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), also known as brittle bone disease. Patients who have this congenital disorder live with fragile bones that break easily. The study, published in the current issue of the journal Nature Medicine, showed that excessive activity of an important signaling […]
It’s a first! Using monkeys, researchers have shown that it is possible to make new bone from stem-cell-like induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) made from an individual animal’s own skin cells. The study also shows that there is some risk that those iPSCs could seed tumors, but that unfortunate outcome appears to be less likely […]
Mayo Clinic has recently opened its Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center expansion at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Center in Rochester, Minnesota. The new space offers performance solution programs, including hockey, golf, running, baseball/softball, anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention, return-to-sport, and EXOS training. The programs begin with personalized assessment and are then tailored to meet […]
New study highlights downside of rotator cuff surgery—joint damage. Two bombs exploded in Boston last year and Dr. Metzler found a new calling. His story will inspire you. And OrthoCarolina, BCBSNC are working together to provide less expensive knee replacement.
A new study indicates that age and testing of hip bone mineral density (BMD) when postmenopausal women discontinue bisphosphonate therapy can help predict the likelihood of fractures over the next five years. The study, performed by Douglas Bauer, M.D. of the University of California, San Francisco, tested methods for predicting fracture risk by measuring BMD […]
Neurologists from Mayo Clinic are reporting new findings that link some nerve damage after hip surgery to inflammatory neuropathy. Historically, nerve damage from hip surgery has been attributed to mechanical factors caused by anesthesiologists or surgeons, such as positioning of the patient during surgery or direct surgical injury of the nerves. In this retrospective case […]
New bill in Congress protects sports medicine providers. New multicenter study finds compression device as effective at reducing the risk of thrombosis in hip and knee arthroplasty as blood thinners..
EOS imaging has announced the installation of the EOS imaging system in Japan’s leading spine medical center at Meijo Hospital in Nagoya. The installation is one of the four installations of EOS in Japan since the equipment has received market clearance. Japanese adoption of the EOS system began in December 2013 with a first installation […]
TissueGen, Inc. has announced that it has been issued a patent from U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a self-expanding medical device capable of drug elusion within the body. TissueGen’s patented product meets the market’s need for devices that are self-expanding and can stay in place when implanted in tubular organs of the human body. […]
Propelled by the positive results of the limited commercial release of its second proprietary product line, Nextremity Solutions, Inc. announces the full launch of the Re+Line Bunion Correction System in the United States. Rod K. Mayer, company president and CEO, commented in the April 29, 2014 news release, “We are very pleased by the overwhelmingly […]
“Is patient specific instrumentation (PSI) less expensive? Is it easier for you? The answer is definitely ‘no, ’” argues Paul Lachiewicz. “PSI provides a way to position the implants specific to that patient’s anatomy (preop valgus, patient height, hip pathology, etc.), ” says Mike Berend. And you can do it before you enter the OR…with templating this means it is time neutral.”
gSource, LLC is pleased to announce a fourth donation of their surgical instruments to the Foundation of Orthopedics and Complex Spine (FOCOS), a 501c3 nonprofit organization. The donated instruments, valued at $5, 730, will be provided to the FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital in Accra, Ghana, for use in orthopedic procedures to help alleviate musculoskeletal problems including […]
New program diagnoses the arthroscopists (Are they damaging cartilage? Can they triangulate within the joint and coordinate the use of both hands?). UVA professor finds lateral meniscus guides can be 30-50% off! President Steve Haddad, M.D. gives a rundown on the happenings at AOFAS.”
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York is announcing that it has signed a four-year agreement to provide a wide range of consulting services to Hospital Alvorada (São Paulo, Brazil), focusing on its Department of Orthopedic Surgery. The partnership with Alvorada is the second collaboration with a Brazilian hospital. In 2013, HSS signed a […]
The strategic intelligence gurus at ORTHOWORLD®, Inc., leading producer of strategic intelligence for the orthopedic industry, announced its education curriculum for OMTEC® 2014, the 10th Annual Orthopaedic Manufacturing & Technology Exposition and Conference (OMTEC). Slated for June 11-12 in Chicago, Illinois, OMTEC will welcome nearly 1, 000 industry executives from more than 200 unique companies […]
Expanding Orthopedics Inc. (EOI) is pleased to announce that the FLXfit, TLIF 3D expandable cage will be presented for the first time at the prestigious annual meeting of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) in Miami. Professor Jean Charles Le Huec will present the work performed with his international colleagues, Dr. […]
“Ceramic-ceramic bearings are exceptionally reliable in young, high demand patients, ” says Steve Murphy. “Cross-linked polyethylene is a better option, ” says Doug Padgett. “There is a lot of basic science behind it, we can measure its performance, and people tolerate it well.”
Melissa H. Leeb, a longtime resident of Skokie, Illinois, joins the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) as director of public relations. Leeb is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, and has an extensive background in public and media relations. In her early career, Leeb worked in broadcast journalism as a television […]
Former head of The Knee Society and AAHKS says hip rehab could be better. New study: under-coding may translate into under-employment. New app gives doctors the ‘virtual’ ability to treat a fracture and get scored for doing so.
MedShape, Inc. is reporting new clinical outcomes pertaining to the use of its DynaNail TTC Fusion System to treat non-unions from previous hindfoot fusion procedures. In two revision cases, both performed by Daniel Latt, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Arizona in Tucson, the patients successfully underwent revision surgery and reported no pain and a […]
“It’s time to end the tyranny of the tibia, ” argues Mark Pagnano. “Let’s consider the femur as the prime driver of function.” “Wait, ” says Leo Whiteside. “I suggest that you get ligament balancing and alignment—both in flexion and extension—and don’t settle for anything less.”
New research from Sweden is indicating that regarding patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), at 12 months, total femorotibial cartilage thickness loss was reduced in sprifermin (recombinant human fibroblast growth factor 18) treated knees compared to placebo treated knees, with effects being significant in the lateral femorotibial compartment but not in the central femorotibial compartment. The […]
Bruin Biometrics has reported that its OrthoSonos device is showing promising trends in the detection of early stage osteoarthritis (OA). Initial data show that patients with confirmed severe OA who are scheduled for arthroplasty demonstrate a consistently negative OrthoSonos Health Index (OHI), while patients with healthy joints have a consistently positive OHI. Patients with OA […]
A team of researchers from Mayo Clinic has found that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are likelier than the average person to develop chronic kidney disease, and more severe inflammation in the first year of rheumatoid arthritis. The scientists recommend that physicians test rheumatoid arthritis patients periodically for signs of kidney problems, and patients should work […]
DJO Global, Inc., a global provider of medical device solutions for musculoskeletal health, vascular health and pain management, announced the appointment of Susan Crawford as the company’s new chief financial officer in the April 15 press release. Crawford joins DJO Global from Life Technologies Corporation, where she most recently served in a global leadership role […]
“The data proves that registries cannot compare implant designs!” says David Murray. “Going to single surgeon or institutional efforts allow large numbers of patients to be studied very quickly, ” says David Lewallen. “What registry studies really do is allow us to ask interesting questions and perhaps direct the next studies.”
They are entering a new era at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York. For 11 years, it has been the vision and drive of Thomas Sculco, M.D. that has led this outstanding facility to new heights. Now, says Dr. Sculco, it is time for a change. Enter Todd Albert, M.D. of the Rothman Institute.
Symmetry Medical Inc. has announced that its subsidiary, Symmetry Surgical, has launched the Symmetry Sharp Kerrison, a first-of-its-kind, patented surgical instrument designed to provide a sharp tip every time. The single use tips feature a thin footplate and boasts twelve possible configurations with three reusable handle sizes and four single use, 2” tip sizes, which […]
New Duke Study: patients opt for surgery more often than previously thought. Surprise! ACL injuries in the NFL are not increasing. Great news for physicians and patients, liposomal bupivacaine can get patients to the point of being pain free.
Researchers from the University of Toronto have released a new study indicating that the adult offspring of parents who were addicted to drugs or alcohol are more likely to have arthritis. Investigators examined a group of 13, 036 adults and found that 20.4% of respondents had been diagnosed with arthritis by a medical professional. Investigators […]
Smith & Nephew has recently launched its DYONICS PLAN Hip Impingement Planning System, a product that contrasts with standard imaging tools. DYONICS PLAN is a 3D software system that allows surgeons to visualize, assess and generate a comprehensive surgical report for each patient’s unique Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) surgery before that patient ever enters the operating […]
Benvenue Medical has announced the full commercial launch of the Kiva VCF Treatment System for the reduction and treatment of spine fractures. Recently released results from KAST (Kiva System as a Vertebral Augmentation Treatment – A Safety and Effectiveness Trial) demonstrated the Kiva System met or exceeded the performance of the Medtronic balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) […]
“This is an unnecessary evil. It’s not required for function and may be associated with implant failure, ” says David Blaha. Fares Haddad notes, “There are still indications for modularity, but we need to get the design right and simplify the technique. And it has to be generalizable.”
MicroPort Orthopedics, Inc. (MPO), recently established through MicroPort Scientific’s acquisition of Wright Medical’s OrthoRecon business, has added more star power to its management team. The new leader at the helm of the MPO management team is Ted Davis, CEO, who has led the OrthoRecon business for Wright Medical Technology, Inc. since 2012. Davis is leveraging […]
Millstone Medical Outsourcing is pleased to announce the promotion of three team members. These individuals have excelled in serving Millstone customers and have led the consistent growth of the organization for the past several years. Millstone’s Brad Schwarz, who has 23 years of experience in medical device roles, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer […]
Massive national consortium of hospitals studying best practices in total joint replacement. Sports medicine icon “Jimmy” Andrews, M.D. on stem cell rage. Does the dual mobility hip have “zero” dislocation risk?
“The anterior approach has a faster recovery and optimizes outcomes when compared with a direct lateral approach, ” says Keith Berend. Hold on, says Tom Sculco. “The posterolateral approach is a common approach that can easily be extended, involves less blood loss, and is expeditious.”
Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc. has announced that Dr. Scott Rodeo of Hospital for Special Surgery has (HSS) presented his research findings in a scientific poster titled, “Use of Human Placental-Derived Adherent Stromal Cells Improves Tendon Healing in a Preclinical Model of Tendon Injury.” Dr. Rodeo’s work has concluded that: a) placental-expanded cell therapy appeared to have […]
DJO Global, Inc. has released an independent, estimated financial impact on Medicare patients who suffer from chronic low back pain (CLBP). The financial impact calculation estimates that using current standard of care procedures to treat approximately 1.5 million Medicare beneficiaries who have CLBP and seek medical intervention now costs approximately $1.3 billion annually. The company […]
LDR Holding has announced that the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel accepted the addition of Category I code 22858X for two-level cervical arthroplasty procedures. The coding change will be effective on January 1, 2015; the Category III code 0092T will be eliminated. The North American Spine Society supported the application as part of its […]
Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) is announcing that Tad Gerlinger, M.D. has come on board. Dr. Gerlinger is a board-certified joint replacement surgeon who served for many years in the U.S. Army Medical Corps.
Could Virtual Reality come to Grand Rounds? A new program is laying the groundwork for just such a future. HSS’s new study finds that RA patients do as well as OA patients with same same-day bilateral knee replacement. A major new Cleveland Clinic study finds that off-label THA and TKA is on the rise.
Acumed is venturing into a new market—orthopedic implants and instrumentation for the surgical repair of fractures and joint disruptions of the pelvis. Their new Pelvic Plating System includes plates, screws and instrumentation designed to provide fixation for fractures, fusions, and osteotomies of the acetabulum, sacrum, ilium, and pelvic ring as well as treatment of sacroiliac […]
A team of researchers has found that statins, when used in conjunction with conventional blood clot prevention therapies, significantly reduced the risk for venous thromboembolic (VTE) events following total joint replacement (TJR) surgery. The research was led by Katharine T. Criner, M.D. while she was a resident at Temple University in Philadelphia. Dr. Criner is […]
CONMED Corporation is hailing the rollout of its Hall 50 Powered Instruments System. The company’s newest system upgrade is built upon 50 years of engineering expertise. CONMED says that it “hangs its hat” on the quality of its product, offering its customers dependable power. Some of the features of the Hall 50 are: When used […]
Long-term outcomes of revision arthroscopic rotator cuff (RC) repair surgery are not as successful as in a first-time surgery, according to researchers from the Orthopaedic Research Institute in Sydney, Australia. “According to our results, patients with revision arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery had gained short-term (six months post operatively) functional and clinical improvements. However, these gains […]
Mary B. Goldring, Ph.D., senior scientist at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City, has been named president of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS).
NuVasive, Inc., a company focusing on minimally disruptive products and procedures, is announcing major executive leadership changes. Quentin Blackford has been promoted to the Executive Leadership Committee as Executive Vice President of Finance and Investor Relations. Blackford joined NuVasive in 2009, and with nearly 15 years of financial experience within medical device organizations, his effort […]
“Resurfacing is more invasive, has worse outcomes, and produces metal ions and pseudotumors, ” says Michael Dunbar. Edwin Su differs in opinion, saying, “Surface replacement is better because you get better bone preservation, greater stability, and a higher activity level.”
The orthopedics world lost a sports medicine pioneer. Frank Jobe, M.D., co-founder of the famed Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.
Geoffrey H. Westrich, M.D. from HSS discusses the exploding number of hip revisions and how to handle them well. Gloria Beim, M.D. talks about her incredible experience serving as chief medical officer for Team USA/Sochi. Freddie Fu, M.D. is honored with the Elizabeth Winston Lanier Award.
Researchers from Sweden have determined that young people who have an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction may be at increased risk for arthritis in that knee later in life. The study included 32 people who had ACL reconstruction when they were aged 12 to 16 and were assessed 10 to 20 years after their surgery. […]
Researchers from Arizona have released results indicating that oral glucosamine supplementation is not associated with a lessening of knee cartilage deterioration among individuals with chronic knee pain. Findings published in Arthritis & Rheumatology, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) journal, indicate that glucosamine does not decrease pain or improve knee bone marrow […]
Millstone Medical Outsourcing, LLC is excited to announce that the company has successfully launched and gone live with version 12.1.3 of Oracle’s E-Business Suite application. As of Monday, February 24, Millstone has taken numerous clients aboard its new ERP (enterprise resource planning) system consisting of inventory and distribution modules as well as a customized portal […]
An Indiana University (IU) study found that elite college athletes aren’t in the greatest shape as they grow older. The team of researchers found that these previously vibrant athletes often face limitations to their day-to-day activities in middle age that could be a result of injuries during their athletic career. Lead investigator Janet Simon, a […]
Benvenue Medical, Inc. has announced results of an independent, prospective, randomized study which found that the company’s KivaVCF Treatment System was as effective as balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) in reducing pain associated with osteolytic vertebral body metastases. The Kiva System also resulted in no extravasation (cement leakage) while BKP, the current standard of care, showed a […]
LDR is celebrating its latest milestone with the announcement that it has reached over 50, 000 implantations of its spinal cages utilizing VerteBRIDGE Plating Technology. Since its introduction in France in 2007 and in the United States in 2008, VerteBRIDGE—a novel system for integrated cage fixation—has grown to a comprehensive platform of products with integrated […]
The Director of Editorial Development for JBJS shares his thought on putting together a major new disaster planning document. A new study by Frank Phillips, M.D. has found that using the XLIF to treat degenerative scoliosis (DS) leads to good outcomes.
Intralign, a specialty healthcare services provider, has announced it will partner with one of the world’s most respected orthopedic care providers, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), to develop a first-of-its-kind training curriculum for surgical first assistants (SFAs)—a clinical specialty comprised of surgeons, medical doctors, physician’s assistants and registered nurse first assists, that is in high […]
A team of researchers from Washington University in St. Louis has received a five-year, $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health so that they might discover a better way to improve the outcome of surgical repairs by studying the natural attachment of tendon to bone. An interdisciplinary and multi-institutional group of researchers are […]
“We shouldn’t be afraid of the all polyethylene construct. There’s been good evidence since 1984 that it’s a safe construct, ” says Michael Dunbar. Tom Thornhill counters, “Cost is increasingly going to be an issue…and this is going to be a zero sum game. In my practice I use a modular tibial component that is cemented.”
EOS imaging, the company specializing in 2D/3D orthopedic medical imaging, has announced two new installations of the EOS system in AP-HP public hospitals in Paris, at the Lariboisière and Trousseau hospitals. The Lariboisière hospital acquired an EOS system within the framework of a healthcare cooperation consortium between the hospital and the Bachaumont private radiology center. […]
BioStructures, LLC has announced that the FDA has granted 510(k) clearance for Bioactive Bone Graft Putty (Signafuse). Signafuse is indicated for the posterolateral spine, extremities and pelvis as well as a bone graft extender in the posterolateral spine. Signafuse represents a new class of synthetic biomaterials designed for optimization of cell growth and bone formation. […]
Renovis Surgical Technologies, Inc. has completed its Tesera Trabecular Titainum (T3) pilot animal study demonstrating the efficacy of this novel orthopedic implant. The study involved the implantation of the porous titanium device into a sheep model with successful primary fixation and secondary ingrowth. The study, which involved 12 sheep, was designed to quantify and establish […]
MedShape, Inc. now has a new material platform known as PEEK Scoria, which involves a new process to grow a controlled porous layer on the surface of PEEK. While porous metals have found their way into clinically used devices, MedShape is the first company to develop and clear through the FDA devices manufactured with porous […]
An innovative program from UPMC and Harvard generating new ways to look at large joint costs. Jeff Wang, M.D. uses oxysterols to achieve solid bone formation. And James Bradley, M.D. has found that based on an MRI alone, surgeons can predict when an NFL player will return to play.
Research out of the UK is pointing toward a new direction in the quest to treat osteoarthritis. A team from the Arthritis Research UK Pain Centre at the University of Nottingham has discovered a new way to potentially block the chronic pain affecting osteoarthritis sufferers. In this study, published by the journal Annals of the […]
“My message is that the short tapered titanium porous plasma sprayed femoral component is efficacious, with less than 1% stem revisions if we look at revisions related to the stem, ” says Adolph Lombardi. Leo Whiteside counters, “Despite the literature we must be careful here. I know a lot of good guys who have tried and failed with fractures, migration, and loosening. Let’s avoid the learning curve.”
Smith & Nephew has announced the U.S. launch of its POLARSTEM cementless stem for total hip replacement (THA). The POLARSTEM, which has been available outside the U.S. since 2002, offers several design features that assist with muscle sparing approaches for surgeons who use the direct anterior approach for THA. For example, the proximal portion of […]
The George Washington University Hospital, along with Benvenue Medical, Inc., has announced that it is the first in the U.S. to treat vertebral compression fracture (VCF) patients with the Kiva VCF Treatment System following its clearance by the FDA in January. The minimally invasive Kiva System, which demonstrated important patient benefits in a large, international, […]
New Study out of Rush University finds 95% meniscal allograft survivorship. If you think ACDF fusion is a given, think again, says Dan Riew, M.D. And researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center say that little balls packed with antibiotics could be the wave of the future for infection prevention.
“Cementless fixation is an easy surgery with excellent intermediate to long term clinical performance, ” says Louis Kwong. Richard Scott counters, “Cemented TKA is state of the art and has a reoperation rate of 0.5% for the first 15 years. Cementless hasn’t yet been proven to be as reliable as cemented fixation.”
Dr. Spindler has joined Cleveland Clinic as the Vice Chairman of Research in the Orthopaedic & Rheumatologic Institute, the Director of Orthopaedic Clinical Outcomes, and the Academic Director of Cleveland Clinic Sports Health.
MedShape, Inc. has announced that it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its ExoShape Femoral Soft Tissue Fastener for use in soft tissue graft fixation on the femoral side of the knee joint during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgery. It is the only femoral fixation device fabricated completely out of PEEK Altera polymer and […]
Mayo Clinic and the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx have announced a partnership which extends the Mayo Model of Care for patients in sports medicine to the Twin Cities. The collaboration includes: 1) the opening of a Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center at 600 Hennepin, 2) designating Mayo as the preferred medical provider for the teams, […]
Globus Medical, Inc. has announced preliminary sales results for 2013. The company anticipates fourth quarter 2013 sales of $115.2 million, a 14.6% increase over fourth quarter 2012. Full year 2013 estimated sales increased 12.6% over the prior year to $434.5 million, exceeding the company’s previous guidance of $432 million. The company expects 2014 sales to […]
“Cemented stems are versatile, surgeon-friendly, and mechanically sound.” says Arun Mullaji. Kelly Vince prefers uncemented saying, “There are times when cement is best, but for the vast majority of cases I find that uncemented, long diaphsyeal engaging stems are preferable.”
Four hundred participants from 52 countries came together and hashed out the first comprehensive infection protocols. This landmark accomplishment will affect every surgeon, every hospital. Concussions and the NFL. Big issue. Solution? The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. And Robert G. Marx, M.D. from HSS has written THE book on failed ACL reconstructions.
New England Baptist Hospital (NEBH) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have announced the formation of a strategic relationship to create a premiere system of orthopedic and musculoskeletal care, education and clinical research. The strategic relationship led and managed by New England Baptist Hospital, will capitalize on the complementary strengths of the hospitals and […]
Wright Medical Group, Inc. has announced the acquisition of both Solana Surgical, LLC and OrthoPro, LLC. Robert Palmisano, president and chief executive officer of Wright, commented in the January 30, 2014 news release, “The acquisitions of Solana and OrthoPro are excellent fits for our Extremities business, enabling us to add a base of fast-growing extremity […]
“Surface replacement provides several advantages over THR, including bone preservation, greater stability, and a higher activity level, ” says Edwin Su. Michael Dunbar disagrees, saying, “Resurfacing is more invasive, has worse outcomes, produces metal ions and pseudotumors, is hard to revise, and does not provide better function.”
The 2D/3D pioneers at EOS imaging have announced the appointment of Fabienne Hirigoyenberry-Lanson, Ph.D., as the company’s first Chief Medical Officer.
Researchers at Rothman Institute have received $1 million from DOD to develop an antibody to help wounded warriors. New research indicates that 30 year knee survivorship is doable. Famed researcher Mohit Bhandari, M.D. has received the Order of Ontario for his research and years of dedication.
Scientists from The University of Manchester and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have identified the cause of a rare condition called Leri’s pleonosteosis (LP). LP is an inherited condition in which children are born with contractures of multiple joints and then develop difficulty of joint movements that progress in severity with age. The […]
“Keep it simple, ” says Tom Sculco. Posterolateral is easy, well known, and is relatively atraumatic if done well.” Wolfram Mittelmeier, M.D. notes, “But how exactly do you perform a posterior approach? MIS? It’s important to note that high volume surgeons have better results with this.”
gSource, LLC is pleased to announce a third donation of their surgical instruments to the Foundation of Orthopedics and Complex Spine (FOCOS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The donated instruments, valued at $9, 063, will be provided to the FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital in Accra, Ghana for use in orthopedic procedures to help alleviate musculoskeletal problems including […]
A recent article (“Smart Hydrogels, ” Karen B. Roberts, January 14, 2014) from the University of Delaware (UD) sheds light on a new, “smart” hydrogel that can deliver medicine on demand, in response to mechanical force. The work, funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and the state of Delaware, was published […]
Expanding its reach, LDR Holding Corporation is announcing changes to its website, cervicaldisc.com, in order to provide balanced educational content to patients interested in learning more about cervical disc replacement. Asked about the timing of the updates, Christophe Lavigne, president and CEO of LDR, told OTW, “Since the approval of Mobi-C for both one- and […]
“Ceramic bearings are stable and popular worldwide…Australia (26%), France (43%), ” states Bill Walter. Bill Maloney counters, “There is interest in CoC because it’s a very low wear bearing surface. But is that relevant today with the other, lower cost bearing options we have? Probably not.”
Titan Spine is celebrating the awarding of five new patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. These patents relate to the unique design of the company’s Endoskeleton line of interbody devices as well as various aspects of composite devices featuring a combination of metal and polymer materials, such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Titan Spine now […]
MicroPort Scientific Corporation has recently announced that it has acquired OrthoRecon business from Wright Medical Group, Inc. The transaction establishes MicroPort Orthopedics as the sixth largest multinational hip and knee reconstruction company, with global headquarters in Arlington, Tennessee. As a result of the acquisition, MicroPort now holds U.S. manufacturing, global infrastructure, logistics and operations in […]
Dr. Todd Albert discusses answers of SPORT data and the questions it raises. Dr. Jon Warner warns colleagues to be on the lookout for suprascapular neuropathy. HSS makes major changes to residency, finds improvements.
A new Mayo Clinic study has found that despite surgical challenges with some rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, shoulder replacement surgery improves range of motion and reduces pain in nearly all cases, especially for those with intact rotator cuffs. Researchers used the Mayo Clinic Total Joint Registry to study 303 patients with rheumatoid arthritis who had […]
“Dual mobility is an option for revision THA for instability, but not for primary THA, ” states Steve MacDonald. Not exactly, says David Stulberg, “There is evidence showing that for revisions and primary the dislocation rate was significantly lower than rates for non dual mobility liners.”
Steve H. Yoon, M.D. has joined the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles as a shareholder.
Edward C. Yang, M.D., has been named Chief of Orthopaedics at Mount Sinai Queens. Dr. Yang is also a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
A recent study at Mayo Clinic indicates that certain types of fractures may have implications for a child’s long-term bone health. The study, published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, found evidence that children and adolescents whose forearm fractures occurred due to mild trauma had lower bone strength compared to other children. Lower […]
Brian Cole, M.D. says that the conclusion of the NEJM partial meniscectomy study is incorrect and may cause problems with insurers and policy makers. Alexander Vaccaro, M.D. discusses validating AO Spine’s global spinal trauma classification survey. And new research shows that blood clotting rates are lower than we thought.
Amgen and UCB have announced results from a Phase 2 trial evaluating romosozumab, an investigational medicine, in postmenopausal women with low bone mineral density (BMD). Published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the trial demonstrated that, compared with placebo, romosozumab treatment for 12 months significantly increased BMD at the lumbar spine, total hip […]
Pinnacle Spine Group, LLC is announcing that an independent study has found that its InFill Graft Delivery System performed better than traditional prepacking methods. The study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of a novel graft filling technique for maximizing interbody space and implant filling and optimizing endplate surface contact with the graft. The study, […]
MedShape, Inc. is reporting on the first wave of clinical outcomes in patients who have received the DynaNail TTC Fusion System. To date during its targeted soft launch period, DynaNail has been successfully implanted in over 100 tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) fusion procedures. Because the internal nickel titanium (NiTiNOL) element maintains the target fusion bones in close […]
SpineGuard is announcing that Pierre Guyot has been appointed to its Board of Directors. Guyot has served as chief executive officer and Board Director of Mölnlycke Healthcare since 2007, leading the development of this Swedish corporation both in terms of growth and profitability.
“With 110 degrees of range of motion we can do most of what we do during the normal day, ” states Lowry Barnes. “There are major cultural differences that demand a knee that accommodates high flexion, ” avers Giles Scuderi.
E. Michael Lucero, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of clinical experience, has joined The CORE Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.
SI-BONE, Inc. is announcing that it has reached the 10, 000 procedure mark with its iFuse Implant System, incorporating over 29, 000 iFuse implants. The system is available in the U.S. and over a dozen European countries and is now being used by over 700 surgeons worldwide. As indicated by the company, iFuse has a […]
Claims of selection bias, other issues create uproar over NEJM partial meniscectomy study. Leslie J. Bisson, M.D. is the new June A. and Eugene R. Mindell, M.D. Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Buffalo. 10, 000 Neutrophil Count – The Number to Remember for TKA Infection.
New research from the University of Pittsburgh has found that mortality rates are two times higher in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies. These higher mortality rates persisted after adjusting for age, positive rheumatoid factor, positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) use. For the present […]
“Posterior is NOT a four letter word!” says Brad Penenberg. “Why choose an option that’s almost guaranteed to result in a life-altering complication?” John Keggi retorts, “The DA (Direct Anterior approach) is here to stay; it is safe and easy, and has been around for 130 years.”
The Department of Radiology & Imaging at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has announced that Hollis G. Potter, M.D. as its new Chairman.
Christiana Care Health System’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery announced that it recently provided new shoes, socks and foot exams for free to nearly 120 people—many of them homeless—at the Sunday Breakfast Mission, a homeless shelter in Wilmington, Delaware. The event is part of a campaign by a national organization known as Our Hearts to Your […]
Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that the first patient was dosed in its Phase 2b study of collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH) for the treatment of adult patients with adhesive capsulitis, commonly known as frozen shoulder syndrome (FSS). CCH is a biologic approved in the U.S., EU, Canada and Australia under the trade name XIAFLEX for […]
“In my experience CoC bearings are incredibly reliable in young patients, ” states Steve Murphy. “It’s expensive, ” avers Bill Maloney. “And use is based on the theoretical long term benefits in young patients.”
Flower Orthopedics, innovator of the FlowerCube and Ready-for-Surgery bone fixation concept, is pleased to announce the addition of the Cannulated Screw and Foot Plate FlowerCubes to their product portfolio. Flower offers now a comprehensive forefoot and midfoot plating portfolio. Incorporating 2.7mm and 3.0mm screw diameters, the low-profile plates supply anatomy-based solutions for the myriad of […]
Professor Dr. Jack Taunton from the University of British Columbia (UBC) has been named the 2014 B.C. Sports Hall of Fame and Museum inductee for his outstanding contributions as an athlete, community builder and sports medicine physician
A team from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in Florida has synthesized and developed an experimental compound that may significantly reduce joint inflammation in animal models of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study was published recently online ahead of print by Arthritis & Rheumatism. The study showed that the compound, known as SR2211, blocked development of […]
Osteoporosis groups are banding together to learn more about why the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) model of post-fracture care has not been more widely implemented in the U.S. Led by the National Bone Health Alliance (NBHA), National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and CECity.com, Inc. (CECity), the Bone Health Collaborative has announced the launch of a cloud-based […]
A new review article finds that when it comes to postsurgical load bearing surgeons may be overly conservative. Brigham and Women’s researchers find that popping, clicking sounds may be OK. Do revision osteochondral allograft transplantations work? Yes, but…says a new study.
The CORE Institute announced that Victor E. Nwosu, DPM joined its provider team on December 2, 2013. He will primarily be practicing in their Southfield clinic location.
The minimally invasive team at VEXIM has just announced the launch of Interface, an innovative new biomaterial for bone fixation. Interface, meant to be used with SpineJack, is a biological alternative to existing orthopedic cements for treating traumatic vertebral fractures in patients with good bone quality. As indicated by the company, Interface preserves the existing […]
On Tuesday, December 10, 2013, South Lake Hospital in Clermont, Florida hosted a groundbreaking for its new Skilled Nursing Unit, a 30-bed, inpatient rehabilitation facility. The unit, which is scheduled to open summer 2014, will meet the needs of orthopedic patients in need of additional rehabilitation. South Lake Hospital has partnered with Southern Growth Partners […]
“I used to extoll the virtues of the modular neck, ” says David Blaha. “I’ve changed my mind because the risks have increased. The problem is corrosion.” John Keggi retorts, “Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. Modular stems do allow you to reconstruct femurs that you might not be able to reconstruct with a standard stem…and deformities that you definitely cannot reconstruct with a standard stem.”
Now, Western New York’s runners have access to a unique program specifically designed to maintain their health and help them achieve their goals as they participate in a sport that can place intense physical demands on them. STRIDES (“Striving To Reduce Injuries During Endurance Sports”) has been developed by the physicians, therapists, athletic trainers and […]
Scott Carroll, M.D., a 53-year old hand surgeon from North Platte, Nebraska, was killed in an automobile accident in Colorado. He was widely loved, and was known as a ‘rock star’ by his pediatric patients.
In the first randomized, controlled study to compare the efficacy of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) with and without simultaneous irrigation, researchers found that NPWT with or without irrigation reduced the wound size at a far greater rate than the control therapy. In addition, results showed NPWT with simultaneous irrigation further reduced the amount of […]
Chicago researchers have found that when comparing denosumab and zoledronic acid for efficacy and tolerability, denosumab had a significantly greater effect on increasing spine bone mineral density…and zoledronic acid caused more flulike symptoms. The researchers performed a retrospective chart review and survey of 107 patients to compare the efficacy, patient satisfaction, cost and known adverse […]
The Director of Spine Research at the Mount Sinai is finding new therapeutics for discogenic back pain. Northwestern University researchers have concluded that there are three distinct diseases that could benefit from PRP. And a new study has found that snowboarders earned nearly three times the number of medals after ACL surgery.
VEXIM, a medical device company specializing in the minimally-invasive treatment of vertebral fractures, has announced that the results of a new comparative biomechanical study carried out by Marburg University’s Traumatology Department have been published in The Spine Journal. As in the first biomechanical study published (results disclosed on September 12, 2013), the aim of this […]
OrthoCarolina has announced the addition of Orthopaedic Specialists of the Carolinas, with providers in Winston-Salem, Clemmons, Kernersville and King, North Carolina. The offices will be the first in the Triad area for OrthoCarolina. “Patient needs are at the heart of every strategic business decision we make because we recognize that it’s important to have top-quality […]
“If I can do an osteointegrated total knee and I can choose the one I want and I do the operation myself then I will guarantee it for a lifetime, ’ says Leo Whiteside. John Callaghan: “Lifetime guarantees are dangerous in ALL aspects of life. Look at Vegas…marriage capital of the world…50% of those don’t work out. Death and taxes are the only guarantees.”
Elizabeth G. Matzkin, M.D., a sports medicine specialist in the Department of Orthopedics at BWH, will serve as the team physician, with supporting coverage from other orthopedic experts from BWH through its Health Care Center.
Drinking more milk as a teenager apparently does not lower the risk of hip fracture as an older adult and instead appears to increase that risk for men. Diane Feskanich, Sc.D., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University, Boston, and colleagues have just published this work in JAMA Pediatrics. Dr. Feskanich and colleagues examined […]
UMC Utrecht in the Netherlands has accomplished the near impossible—a single step autologous chondrocyte repair. Are the days of the two-procedure Carticel coming to an end? The head orthopedic surgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers, James Bradley, M.D., shares his trick for getting pro-throwing athletes back to pre-injury levels.
“Many things have been discredited in our field (bone loss around failed total joints is due to ‘cement disease’), ” says David Lewallen. As a result “blind acceptance of modular metal-backed tibia must be reconsidered.” Mike Berend retorts, “We’ve had excellent survivorship with non-modular implants (98% survivorship at 20 years). The 10-year survivorship of the same implant in an all-poly nonmodular system was catastrophic (68%).”
Orthozon Technologies is announcing upgrades to its newly patented device, the Lumiere Retractor System. Lumiere uses a powerful built-in fiber optic lighting, translucent retractor blades and full medial access to give surgeons an expandable field of view and greater comfort and flexibility when performing micro endoscopic surgery. “The new year will bring continued advancements to […]
RMH Medical Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia has recently broken ground on its health campus for a state-of the-art facility dedicated to better serving the needs of advanced imaging, orthopedics and sports medicine patients. The free-standing, two-story, 52, 000 square-foot facility is planned to open in September 2015. “We are pleased to have an extremely talented […]
Invibio has launched its new corporate identity, with a focus on materials, manufacturing and knowledge. In conjunction with the new identity, Invibio has launched a new website, which is now live at invibio.com. Their tagline is: “Materials. Manufacturing. Knowledge.” This demonstrates: Materials: provision of the PEEK-OPTIMA family of implantable polymers and innovative new product grades […]
A new study has found that after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), day of surgery discharge for appropriate patients can be both safe, efficient and even increase patient satisfaction. Ryan Nunley, M.D. has found that 20% of hip replacement patients have severe postoperative thigh pain and lateral hip pain. UVA researchers are focusing on obtaining the correct location of graft placement and tunnel location in ACL reconstruction.
A study of almost 400 former elite male athletes shows that former status as an elite athlete reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in later life by 28%. The research appears in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), and is by Dr. Merja Laine, University of […]
Researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute have announced the results of a pilot study demonstrating that use of a virtual therapeutic sailing simulator is an important part of rehabilitation following a spinal cord injury (SCI). While this study involved only people with SCI, the authors indicate the possibility that this approach may be used with […]
“End the tyranny of the tibia!” exclaims Mark Pagnano. “The data show that for 80% of knee replacements mechanical axis alignment works very well, and it’s been a durable, reliable way to do knee replacement.” Counters Tom Thornhill, “We’re going to look back years from now and see that the stuff we’re putting in now is completely obsolete. I’m interested to see if the satisfaction improves if we improve the kinematics.
Frank J. Boutin Sr., a surgeon known by many as the “father of orthopedics” in Sacramento, has passed away at the age of 93. He leaves behind a cadre of family, friends, colleagues and patients whose lives were touched by the “gentleman surgeon.”
The speed of surgery after a hip fracture may have a significant impact on outcomes for older patients, and faster may be better, say researchers at McMaster University. Their study, which involved 60 people aged 45 or older, was just published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). Of the participants, who hailed from Canada […]
Mitek Sports Medicine, part of the DePuy Synthes Companies of Johnson & Johnson, has announced the addition of the RIGIDFIX Curve Cross Pin System, the first of its kind, designed specifically for use with the anteromedial (AM) portal approach to enable a more anatomic ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction. The company also announced the launch […]
Stanford University’s 7, 000 patient study found that an astonishingly simple, 60-second change can lower back pain 40% in obese patients. Mayo Clinic applied a new, more sophisticated test to discover worrisome new information about abnormalities and fracture risk in diabetes patients.
Illinois Bone & Joint Institute (IBJI) has just cut the ribbon on a new location in Chicago’s Logan Square/Avondale neighborhood. The facility boasts18, 000 sq. ft. and offers a full range of orthopedic specialty care for children and adults, as well as rehabilitation services, physical and occupational therapy, and work conditioning for injured workers. Additionally, […]
“The literature shows that total shoulder replacements way outperform hemiarthroplasties, ” states Louis Bigliani. And, furthermore…“that’s what this 68-year-old glenoid patient needs.” Au contraire counters Tony Romeo, “I believe this is best treated by removing the glenoid and bone graft.”
Orchid Orthopedic Solutions has announced that it is welcoming a new division Lean leader, Tim Lemmen, Ph.D. Dr. Lemmen has a wide variety of experience at GE, NCR, Morton Thiokol and Electrolux in technical, operational and customer facing roles.
A new paper published by an International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) Committee of Scientific Advisors Working Group reviews the epidemiology and pathophysiology of cancer-associated bone disease and provides information about fracture prevention in cancer patients. The review summarizes the pertinent recommendations of leading societies, providing guidance for clinical decision making and information on evidence-based pathways to […]
James C. Wittig, M.D., orthopedic oncologist and sarcoma surgeon, has been appointed Vice Chairman of Orthopedic Surgery and Education & Research at Hackensack University Medical Center (UMC).
DJO Global, Inc. has just announced the first surgical uses of its Match Point System patient-specific shoulder instrumentation in Reverse Shoulder System cases in Sydney, Australia, and in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Match Point System is CE Marked and has also received FDA 510k clearance. In collaboration with Materialise, a company focused on patient-specific instrumentation […]
A massive study has found surgical care for spine fractures using cement works better than nonoperative care. Researchers from Mayo Clinic have found that RA patients are twice as likely to develop heart disease!
Intralign has announced that Cardinal Health, Inc. has made an investment to contribute to the expansion of intra-operative management solutions for hospitals. A portfolio company of Altaris Capital Partners, LLC and Heritage Group, Intralign offers surgical assistance in combination with analytics and process design services to help providers optimize quality and cost of major joint […]
“A reverse is an excellent option for elderly patients, those with poor bone, and patients with compromised rehab, ” states Evan Flatow. Leesa Galatz argues, “Hemiarthroplasty still has a role: the outcomes are equivalent and complications are much lower, among other things.”
Three orthopedic societies have recently announced a unique initiative, the Orthopaedic Resident Training Initiative (ORTI), which will develop, organize and fund three courses in hip and knee arthroplasty for medical residents. The participating societies include American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS), The Hip Society, and The Knee Society. In addition to the founding […]
Orchid Orthopedic Solutions is proud to announce the promotions of two key individuals. Joe Zuzula has been named Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Bill Ditty is being elevated to the position of Vice President of Quality and Regulatory Compliance.
A team from Hong Kong teased out some truly remarkable data regarding diagnosing early stage back pain. It was NASS’ best paper. Dan Riew, M.D. and his team make a strong case that most cervical fusions are at risk of mis-diagnosis. Find out why. Thank you Spinal Elements for your magnificent support of children.
According to a new report just published by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), women may expect to live longer but their quality of life will be seriously jeopardized if action to protect their bone health is not taken. IOF President Professor John A. Kanis urged in the October 10, 2013 news release, “The time to […]
“In an older person with good glenoid bone a reverse is the best option for cuff tear arthropathy, ” states Lynn Crosby. Ed McFarland counters, “No. These patients need to suck it up and try nonoperative treatment first.”
New research at the University of Chicago is laying the groundwork for touch-sensitive prosthetic limbs that one day could convey real-time sensory information to amputees via a direct interface with the brain. “To restore sensory motor function of an arm, you not only have to replace the motor signals that the brain sends to the […]
A new study has found that we may be wasting money by relying on patient satisfaction for quality measurement. Researchers at Pennsylvania Hospital are beginning to look at what makes certain hips wear out—using gene expression.
A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has identified key signaling proteins in the inflammation process that contribute to the development of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. “We hope our approach will lead to the development of drugs that augment current anti-inflammatory strategies, ” said TSRI Assistant Professor Young Jun […]
One of the key papers presented at NASS’s annual meeting found that there was NO measurable, intentional bias detected in past Medtronic funded BMP Studies. Of course, there is more to the story than just that headline, but still…given Medtronic’s decision to devote their entire NASS booth to a discussion of the science, this is a highly relevant finding!
Last week, Invuity, Inc. introduced its Breiten Illuminated Retractor System at the North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Breiten combines highly engineered retraction devices with innovative Eigr Illumination Technology that projects thermally cool, brilliant, white light uniformly throughout the surgical cavity. Breiten is designed for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), […]
Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced results from Year 4 of the Collagenase Optimal Reduction of Dupuytren’s – Long-term Evaluation of Success Study (“CORDLESS”). These data indicated that the overall recurrence rate at Year 4 was 42.1% for patients previously treated successfully with XIAFLEX for Dupuytren’s contracture. The study assessed 623 joints in adult Dupuytren’s patients […]
Inebriated mice are leading the way toward information on drunkenness and fracture healing. A team of researchers from Loyola University Medical Center has found new information on how alcohol slows healing on the cellular and molecular levels. The findings could lead to treatments to improve bone healing in alcohol abusers, and possibly non-drinkers as well. […]
Intralign has announced it has been awarded a supplier contract with Novation, the industry’s largest health care supply chain expertise, analytics and contracting company for the more than 65, 000 members of VHA Inc., UHC, Children’s Hospital Association and Provista, LLC. Intralign will offer intra-operative clinical support services with the aim of enabling the members […]
Kenneth Haire has been named as a new director at Millstone Medical Outsourcing, LLC. Haire, who will lead the team as Director of Quality Systems in Olive Branch, Mississippi.
“There is a role for hinges, but not for these current designs. There are no non-rotating fixed axis hinges!” states Hugh Cameron. Thorsten Gehrke counters, “There are clear indications for a hinge knee, such as with extreme valgus deformities. Other primary indications include bone loss with major instability and extra-articular deformity.”
Massachusetts is welcoming a new orthopedic facility bordering Dedham and Westwood, operated in partnership between New England Baptist Hospital, its physicians and Shields Health Care Group. The 66, 000 square foot facility is known as “The New England Baptist Outpatient Care Center in Partnership with Shields Health Care Group.” “As a musculoskeletal specialty care organization, […]
Repeating bone mineral density (BMD) tests after four years provides little clinical benefit when assessing bone fracture risk in seniors age 75 and older, according to a recent study led by researchers at the Harvard Medical School-affiliated Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife. The study appears in the September 25 online issue of JAMA. […]
Eighteen months of hitting the gym and watching what’s on your plate can make a difference if you have osteoarthritis (OA). Researchers from North Carolina have found that among overweight and obese adults with knee OA, combining intensive diet and exercise led to less knee pain and better function after 18 months than diet-alone and […]
Rothman Institute orthopedic surgeon finds his infection test in synovial fluid gets near-perfect results. Craig Della Valle, M.D. finds that obese patients are protein malnourished…and that there is a six-fold increase in infection risk among malnourished patients.
Aesculap Implant Systems, LLC has announced its sponsorship of a clinical study focused on furthering the science of navigated total knee arthroscopy (TKA) as a proven method for improved alignment accuracy and reproducibility of the surgical technique. Aesculap Implant Systems OrthoPilot Navigation System and the Columbus Knee System were featured in the study that showed […]
James Krieg, M.D has joined the Rothman Institute (RI) at Jefferson as chief of Orthopedic Trauma and Fracture Care, and professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Jefferson Medical College.
The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and Berlin-based Charité have joined forced in order to help speed up the clinical translation of new materials and tissue engineering technologies for orthopedics and connective tissue regeneration. The Wyss Institute will gain access to Charité’s large animal models, patient populations for clinical trials, and […]
VertebralTechnologies, Inc. (VTI) has announced that the InterFuse Lateral (InterFuse L), a modular lateral lumbar interbody fusion device, has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA. The InterFuse L uses VTI’s patented modular insertion technique to provide a large lateral footprint through a significantly smaller lateral access channel. The InterFuse L alpha launch is scheduled for […]
Largest study of its kind shows arthroscopic repair of shoulder instability yields better results than an open procedures. Scoliosis Society awards the remarkable George Thompson the Lifetime Achievement Award and more.
“No tourniquet! Get the bleeders as they come up, ” argues Aaron Rosenberg. Jay Parvizi counters, “With a tourniquet you get a bloodless field and better visualization. You can try to cauterize the vessels as they come up, but I don’t think you can cauterize bleeding from bone.”
St George’s, University of London research has found that a drug normally given to osteoporosis sufferers could provide effective pain relief to patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA). The researchers used existing studies to assess the effectiveness of a variety of bisphosphonates in patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the hand, knee, spine and hips. […]
VEXIM, an enterprise specializing in the minimally invasive treatment of vertebral fractures, has announced that the results of a comparative biomechanical study carried out by Marburg University’s Traumatology department (Germany) were published in the August issue of the CLINICAL BIOMECHANICS international journal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anatomic restoration of 36 […]
President of the LLRS talks arthrodiastasis. Jonathan Braman, M.D discusses a novel arthroscopy skills trainer. Daniel Cooper, M.D. talks about his new single portal arthroscopy technique. Sports medicine specialist goes off record to call for aggressive treatment of shoulder instability.
The Institute for Global Orthopaedics and Traumatology (IGOT) has just completed its fifth annual Summit that brings together surgeons from developing countries to learn limb salvage techniques. This year’s three day event, held at San Francisco’s General Hospital, attracted 50 surgeons from 17 developing countries. Amber Caldwell, director of development for IGOT, commented in an […]
“Tensioners optimize stability and alignment…and stability controls alignment, ” argues Kelly Vince. “Look, we share the same goals, ” says Jan Victor. “I think the issue is basically how to achieve these goals.”
Warsaw-based OrthoWorx, Inc. has entered into an agreement with Grace College to launch a new Quality in Medical Devices Management Program. The program is a continuation of OrthoWorx’s work in the area of education and workforce development and represents another step in its efforts to better link the resources of Indiana’s higher education community to […]
New study documents MIS correction of spinal deformities EQUAL to open procedures. Cedars-Sinai researchers find ultrasound a breakthrough tool for using stem cells in segmental bone defects. Finally, Craig Westin, M.D. shares new bone health insights from the Olympic training camp.
“The reasons to do a polyethylene insert exchange might include isolated liner wear, knee instability, or specific circumstances surrounding knee stiffness, ” argues Mark Pagnano. “Hold up, ” says Jerry Engh. “IF the original implant was a defective poly, and IF good poly is available for the exchange, then it is a reasonable option.”
KFx Medical Corporation has announced that it has entered into a license agreement with Smith & Nephew relating to its patents used in knotless double row rotator cuff repair. According to the agreement, Smith & Nephew will have the right to promote the use of products and techniques for knotless double row rotator cuff repair. […]
Greens to the rescue…A laboratory study from the U.K. has found that sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli, could be key to preventing or slowing osteoarthritis (OA). The research is being led by a team at the University of East Anglia (UEA) and is the first major study looking into the effects of sulforaphane on […]
Kevin Klingele, M.D. has just been appointed chief of Orthopedics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He will continue to serve as the surgical director of Sports Medicine at Nationwide Children’s.
New Rothman Survey finds that surgeon’s don’t use disclosures to interpret study results. Joint Registry: 180 hospitals and 35, 000 arthroplasties. Has the move away from Ilizarov opened up new problems?
A team of Canadian researchers has found that taking a calcium supplement of up to 1, 000 mg per day can help women live longer. The work was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). The lead author was Lisa Langsetmo, a Ph.D. research associate at McGill University, and the senior author […]
AOA has announced that Kevin P. Black, M.D. has been elected to the position of Second President-Elect. He will become First President-Elect at the 2014 Combined Meeting of The American Orthopaedic Association and the Canadian Orthopaedic Association in Montreal, Canada, June 17-21, 2014, and will assume the role of AOA President in June 2015.
Researchers from the UK have conducted a meta-analysis showing that wedge insoles may not go far in reducing knee pain. This work, published in the August 21, 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that among trials comparing wedge insoles with neutral insoles, there was no significant or clinically important association […]
Researchers from the University of Michigan have delved into the question of why people—especially older individuals—fall. They now believe that the critical window of time between when the brain senses a fall and the muscles respond may help explain these falls. The researchers, from the U-M School of Kinesiology, developed a novel way of looking […]
“You can get excellent clinical results with a cementless device…and cementless is equal to cemented.” Or so argues Aaron Hofmann. “Hold on, ” counters Thomas Thornhill. “There are advantages of cementless total knees, however, we will be doing cemented knees consistently at some point in the future.”
Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc., a developer of placenta-based cell therapies, announced August 14 the results of a pre-clinical trial using the company’s PLacental eXpanded (PLX) cells in tendon injury. Scott Rodeo, M.D. and his orthopedic research team at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) studied the effects of PLX cells on rat patellar tendons that […]
Vanderbilt orthopedic researcher tells why you should care about patient satisfaction. Peter Millett says we need a flight simulator for orthopedic training, and the president of the SRS talks about the new checklist for spine surgery. The president of the AOFAS says it’s time for foot and ankle specialists to learn marketing.
Lew Bennett, one of the most beloved veterans of the orthopedic industry, passed away on August 15, 2013. In his wake he leaves a long trail of patients, co-workers and friends made better by his having passed through their lives.
Soft Tissue Regeneration, Inc. (STR) has announced that it was issued a U.S. patent related to the L-C Ligament, a device for soft tissue regeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee. The device was invented by Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., and is a bioresorbable scaffold that is designed to regenerate knee […]
It’s official…Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City is on the list. HSS has been designated the first National Medical Center of the United States Olympic Committee’s (USOC) National Medical Network. In this capacity, HSS will be an official hospital for elite U.S. athletes. “I’m thrilled that Hospital for Special Surgery will now […]
Manish Sethi, M.D., assistant professor of orthopedics and rehabilitation at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, is enlightening his colleagues about the injuries that can occur in the OR. He and his team set out to determine the prevalence and types of injuries that orthopedic surgeons sustained in the workplace. Dr. Sethi and his co-authors developed and […]
Leo Whiteside says, “Neutral mechanical alignment is the way to go.” Dunbar counters, “But in the future, a patient specific approach to knee implantation strategy is the future of TKA.”
Steven L. Haddad, M.D., senior attending physician with Illinois Bone & Joint Institute (IBJI) in Glenview, Illinois, is the new president of the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS).
Researchers from several universities in Taiwan have just published work showing that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) significantly increases the risk of potentially fatal blood clots in the legs and lungs. The study, which was done throughout Taiwan, was published online in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. The team tracked the health of most of the […]
NIH money has been awarded to Marshall University for rotator cuff repair. Brown University researchers demonstrate the benefits of a mandatory 6th year of training.
A recent presentation at the 2013 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Expo in Chicago focused on the health benefits of short-chain fructooliogosaccharides (scFOS), which are low-calorie, non-digestible carbohydrates that just might help improve bone health and the growth and balance of important bacteria in the digestive track. Fructooliogosaccharides are naturally found in […]
David Murray says, “With revisions for pseudotumors we have poor scores with high complication rates because of soft tissue damage.” Edwin Su counters, “There may be no ‘easy out, ’ but I would rather convert a failed resurfacing because I think it’s an easier operation.”
Safewire LLC is growing, with a recent major infusion of funds. Stanmore Medical Investments (“SMI”) has closed a transaction in which Medvest Fund One invested $1.1 million for newly issued common membership units from Safewire. The deal is the first transaction closed by SMI on behalf of the current Medvest Fund. Safewire LLC, which is […]
Soft Tissue Regeneration, Inc. has enrolled the first patient in a clinical trial of the company’s L-C Ligament, a bioresorbable scaffold for soft tissue regeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee. The patient was implanted at Isala Klinieken in Zwolle, The Netherlands, by a team led by Dr. Kees van Egmond and […]
DJO Global, Inc. has announced that the first TaperFill Total Hip Replacement (THR) was implanted. TaperFill was developed to accommodate a minimally invasive procedure. TaperFill is the first DJO product fabricated with the new, proprietary P2 porous coating. According to the company, its pore size variability is similar to lava rock, which has been demonstrated in […]
Doug Padgett says, “Constrained liners are problematic. We looked at 70 liners and found a mean length of implantation of only 26 months. We noted a tremendous amount of wear on both the outer and inner rims.” “But some do need a constraint, ” argues John Callaghan. “And when we looked at the tripolar design out to ten years there was a 93% success rate.”
Get back to the field 10 days sooner with corticosteroid injections! New research shows that this approach may speed-up the return time for National Football League (NFL) players suffering high ankle sprains. “After examining players with stable high ankle sprains over an eight-year period, we discovered those treated with corticosteroid injections returned to play within […]
Researchers from the University of Manchester have determined for the first time that cartilage cells have a body clock that switches on and off genes controlling tissue function. The rhythm of the cartilage clock perhaps goes some way to explain why osteoarthritis (OA) sufferers find the symptoms of the disease worse at certain times of […]
Fascinating new study by Harvard’s Jon J.P. Warner, M.D. and Michael Porter argues that we should guarantee surgical outcomes. Wow! Antonio Castellvi, M.D. gets better results with indirect decompression. Massive 2, 000 patient study by Kenneth L. Cameron, Ph.D. shows how to reduce stress fracture risk.
Jo A. Hannafin, M.D., Ph.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), has been named the first female president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM).
SMC Biotechnology, Inc., a California-based regenerative medicine company, has announced that data published in the online journal, Biomaterials, suggests that its proprietary sugar compound, SMC-103 greatly enhances bone repair. Researchers found that affinity-selected heparan sulfate (HS) improved bone repair by increasing the bioavailability, bioactivity and half-life of the pro-healing compound, bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). SMC-103 […]
A group of Boston researchers have found that obese people with higher levels of fat in their liver, muscle tissue and blood also have higher amounts of fat in their bone marrow, putting them at risk for osteoporosis and possibly, a fracture. “Obesity was once thought to be protective against bone loss, ” said study […]
DJO Global, Inc. has announced the launch of the Empi Phoenix, an electrical stimulator designed to help simplify treatment of muscle atrophy before and after surgery for total knee replacement or ACL (anterior cruciate ligment) repair. The product, which has FDA 510(k) clearance, combats disuse atrophy, increases range of motion, and helps manage pain and […]
Mark Pagnano says, “Anterior THA results in no difference at two hours, two days, two weeks, two months, or two years…compared to other ways of doing THA.” Jay Parvizi counters, “Future data will show that direct anterior leads to a lower bleeding rate, less postop pain, etc. Direct anterior is here to stay.”
Scientists in the UK have found a naturally occurring molecule in the body which may have important consequences for treating osteoarthritis (OA). Researchers from The University of Manchester and the University of Westminster have found that a molecule known as Urocortin protects cells in the joints from being destroyed. The study has been published in […]
Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have provided the first evidence that the shape of a person’s knee could be a factor in the decision of whether a patient should undergo anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction after an ACL tear. “This is the first study to show that after your ACL is ruptured, the […]
Ted Miclau, M.D talks insurance changes in San Francisco. John Kwon, M.D. discusses the challenges and rewards from treating the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing. Gregg Nicandri, M.D. has found a better way to assess arthroscopy skills. Joe Abboud, M.D. discusses reverse shoulder arthroplasty.
Millstone Medical Outsourcing has announced that the company has welcomed a variety of advanced equipment to its mechanical inspection cells in both Fall River, Massachusetts and Olive Branch, Mississippi facilities. Millstone has added another high speed, high accuracy coordinate measuring machine, the Zeiss Contura G2, and a CCP CC-14 digital optical comparator to its fleet […]
Some spine wizards in Stamford, Connecticut have been working late…Orthozon Technologies is announcing the introduction of the Lumiere Retractor System, a patented retractor designed for microendoscopic discectomy surgeries. “More access and more visibility, ” says the company of the benefits for surgeons. Patients, says Orthozon, will have shorter and less painful recovery periods. The product […]
Researchers at the University of Southampton have completed a project that will enable surgeons to fit joint replacements with longer, optimized lifespans. The MXL project uses computational modeling to define the mechanics of an artificial joint to ensure successful surgery and longer lifespans of the prosthetic joints. In the July 8, 2013 news release Professor […]
Michael Dunbar contends, “Modular necks are not justified in routine primary hip arthroplasty. They increase the risk of fracture and fretting, among other things. Stephen Murphy counters, “Modular necks are associated with a very low dislocation rate, fracture is rare, and you have much better options at the time of surgery and any revision.”
Why, a team of researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center wanted to know, can an amputated fingertip regenerate in as little as two months? In a paper published in the journal Nature, these scientists have used genetically engineered mice to document for the first time the biochemical chain of events that unfolds in the wake […]
Jeffrey Abrams, M.D discusses taking another look at open shoulder surgery. What is the role of meniscal injury in the development of knee OA? James Slover, M.D., Ph.D. discusses the challenges of orthopedic research. HSS’ historian discusses the history of that venerable institution as it turns 150.
SpineGuard, S.A., has announced that it has obtained regulatory clearance from COFEPRIS (the Mexican healthcare regulatory authority) to sell its Cannulated PediGuard device in Mexico. SpineGuard has previously received clearance for its Classic PediGuard device, and over 50 Mexican spine surgeons have been trained on the technology. “PediGuard’s guidance allows us to place pedicle screws […]
Michael Berend contends, “For select patients and certain indications dual mobility poly liners are a good alternative. “We’re just not ‘there’ yet with this implant, ” counters Steve MacDonald. “In 2012 I think it’s a good option for revision total hip for instability, but not for primary total hip.”
On July 8, San Francisco will host the first ever Bay Area Global Health Film Festival (BAGHFF). BAGHFF has brought together a collection of inspiring, educational and entertaining films from around the world that demonstrate how access to simple surgical procedures can have life-changing effects on individuals in remote areas of the developing world. Benefits […]
Researchers from Vanderbilt University are tackling osteomyelitis and the reason for it, namely, Staphylococcus aureus (“staph”). Microbiologist Eric Skaar, Ph.D., MPH, and colleagues have identified a staph-killing compound that may be an effective treatment for osteomyelitis, and they have developed a new mouse model that will be useful for testing this compound and for generating […]
Mo Bhandari discusses his groundbreaking work on domestic violence in orthopedics…Javad Parvizi talks about altering the genetic expression of an adult cell…There were some surprises in AAOS’s new Clinical Practice Guidelines.
A new study has found that overweight and obese patients are less likely to achieve successful remission in early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) compared to those of normal weight. Obese and overweight ERA subjects required 2.4 times more anti-TNF therapy throughout the study than normal weight participants without achieving similar remission outcomes. A total of 346 […]
Take calcium and vitamin D after menopause? Yes, it just might help, says a new study. An analysis from the major Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trial seems to indicate that—for women taking hormones after menopause—calcium and vitamin D are beneficial. The analysis was just published online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause […]
Put a cork in it! Researchers from Leiden University in the Netherlands have found that patients who have early arthritis consume less alcohol than controls, regardless of the type of arthritis. The research, published online in the journal Rheumatology, involved 992 patients and 5, 868 controls. To date, the only environmental risk factor demonstrated to […]
A June 5, 2013 scientific article by Satoshi Terada, M.D., et al. recently appeared in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS). The study, “Use of an Antifibrotic Agent Improves the Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma [PRP] on Muscle Healing After Injury, ” was sufficiently interesting to provoke an invited commentary. Christopher H. Evans, Ph.D., […]
A research team from Mayo Clinic has designed and tested a novel knotting technique that could decrease stress in the OR. The innovation, a two-strand-overhand locking (TSOL) knot, was designed and mechanically evaluated with use of different suture materials and knot configurations and in actual tendon repairs. The researchers compared the knot holding strength of […]
A team of researchers from Stanford University has found that a full 50% of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients discontinue their medication within the first two years. This work, led by Vibeke Strand, M.D., Clinical Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, was recently presented at EULAR 2013, the Annual Congress of the European League Against […]
Researchers at McGill University have just published a study in the Journal of Neuroscience that confirms prior research indicating that the nervous system and nerve-growth factor (NGF) play a major role in arthritis. The findings also support the idea that reducing elevated levels of NGF—a protein that promotes the growth and survival of nerves, but […]
Robert Barrack says, “Our work has found significant differences favoring surface replacement.” But, in Keith Berend’s view: “This is not a viable option for most patients or surgeons.”
Tracy Watson, M.D. induces cells to travel to injury site….New research from Craig Della Valle, M.D. allays concerns about preop antibiotics… COL James Ficke, M.D. discusses how military and civilian orthopedic surgeons are collaborating on disaster response.
Researchers from Henry Ford Health System have found that a higher number of lumbar epidural steroid injections (LESI) is associated with an increased risk of vertebral fractures. The authors indicate that LESIs may lead to increased bone fragility over time, and while injection therapy is useful in some cases, it should be approached cautiously for […]
Spinal Elements, Inc. has announced that they have licensed a portfolio of patents essential for accessing the lumbar spine from a lateral approach and placing implants from that approach. The lateral approach to the spine provides the potential for less disruptive, minimally invasive surgical (MIS) access techniques to address numerous spinal pathologies. Spinal Elements plans […]
Small persons with large back pain, take heart. K2M, Inc. is coming to the rescue. The company has announced the launch of the MESA Small Stature Spinal System in the Australian, New Zealand, and European spine markets. This is the company’s first posterior spinal fixation product available for small stature patients. It boasts a 4.5 […]
David Lewallen says, “All polyethylene tibias are an underappreciated workhorse for total knee arthroplasty.” “Hold up, ” says Tom Thornhill. “Backside wear is the issue here. And the existing all-poly tibia results are generally [implanted] in low demand patients.”
HSS Prepares for 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics in Brazil…Take a Pill for Disc Health?…Total Ankle Replacement the Next TKA?
Bill Walter says, “There are many studies showing good results with different cementless designs.” Fares Haddad counters, “Not so fast. As of now, cemented total knee replacement is the one with established clinical results.”
Growing, growing, moved! Spinal Elements is announcing the relocation of its corporate headquarters in Carlsbad, California. The move stems from the company’s continued and projected growth and has expanded the corporate office space from approximately 8, 500 square feet to over 40, 000 square feet.
KFx Medical Corporation has announced the receipt of Notice of Allowance of claims in two additional patent applications broadly covering its AppianFx anchors and anchors for use in knotless double row rotator cuff repair. The new AppianFx line of implants from KFx reattach tissue to bone in shoulder, knee, foot and ankle procedures. This will […]
Scientists at Johns Hopkins have dug down below cartilage for answers to osteoarthritis (OA). They now have evidence that the bone underneath the cartilage is also a key player and exacerbates the damage. In a proof-of-concept experiment, they found that blocking the action of a critical bone regulation protein in mice halts progression of the […]
Paradigm Spine, LLC has launched its new coflexSolution patient-centric website to help provide patients with information related to the symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis and both non-surgical and surgical treatment options for the disease.
Spine gurus K2M, Inc. have announced the promotion of Gianluca Iasci, formerly K2M’s Senior Vice President for International Sales, to the position of Executive Vice President, Global Sales.
Health policy expert says orthopedic surgeons will have more say in patient care. HSS surgeon discusses how you can dramatically decrease complications and mortality…and more.
OrthoView, a company providing digital pre-operative planning software, is announcing the launch of OrthoView PSL (private user license), a subscription-based OrthoView templating solution meant to ease the pre-operative planning process. According to the company, there are over 5, 000 orthopedic surgeons in the U.S. now using OrthoView, and the software is installed worldwide in over […]
“Is the anterior approach good for the everyday orthopedic surgeon who is doing 25-30 hip replacements a year, ” says Tom Sculco. Bill Hozack counters, “With anterior you preserve the posterior capsule, eliminate the need for postop restrictions, and speed recovery.”
The Combat Ready Clamp, a vise-like tourniquet, has just received new critical indications from the FDA making it the first device of its kind approved to treat unmanageable amputations and pelvic wounds not addressable with standard limb tourniquets. The Combat Ready Clamp is a now approved for use on all five anatomical junctions where life-threatening […]
Big news from Japan…Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences have identified the first gene to be associated with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) across Asian and Caucasian populations. The gene is involved in the growth and development of the spine during childhood. Dr. Ikuyo Kou and Dr. Shiro Ikegawa have just published their […]
A disconnect between the number of medical school graduates and residency slots means the government could force orthopedic surgeons into primary care. Medtronic Spine installs its 500th O-Arm using GPS-like mapping. Javad Parvizi, M.D. saysEureka!, finds THE gene for hip dysplasia…and more.
University of Colorado scientists have discovered that fat cells in the knee secrete a protein linked to arthritis, offering hope to millions worldwide.
MedShape, Inc. has announced the receipt of FDA 510(k) clearance for its Eclipse Soft Tissue Anchor, a new shape memory fixation device designed to attach a tendon, ligament or soft tissue to bone. The product is made of MedShape’s proprietary PEEK (polyether ether ketone) Altera material, and offers a non-rotational insertion method that allows for improved fixation strength.
Stuart Weinstein, M.D., says not being involved in politics hurts the field. A Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeons tells how they reduced LOS by nearly a day and a half. The latest on fellowship accreditation…and more.
That’s odd. The foul smelling substance known as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) could actually be what some people need. A team of researchers from the University of Exeter Medical School have discovered that a drug molecule, which slowly generates H2S, reduces swelling and inflammation in arthritic joints.
A certain stamp of approval…NLT SPINE has announced that it was recently selected as a Red Herring Top 100 award winner. The list of winners represents Europe’s leading private companies and startups, with innovative technologies across their respective industries.
Millstone Medical Outsourcing. LLC has announced that the company will offer customers an expanded medical device distribution service, which includes the ability to distribute directly to patients and to provide wholesale distribution to distributors, hospitals, and sales representatives. Millstone Medical has been securing medical device distribution licensing in all states that require the licensing. In […]
“I believe high flexion designs have no appreciable difference. I used to be excited about these designs, mainly because we like new things, ” says Mathias Bostrom. “Not only do I believe in high flexion designs, I have designed one, ” counters Chitranjan Ranawat.
Chief of Hip & Knee at Mass General discusses change at his facility, James Lubowitz, M.D. talks health exchange anxiety, and a seasoned trauma surgeon says that new trauma centers are straining the system, and more.
Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR) has announced the opening of its state of the art facility dedicated to minimally invasive procedures and innovative microsurgery techniques of the hand, wrist and elbow.
NovaSterilis Inc., which specializes in developing commercial applications for supercritical carbon dioxide, has achieved a milestone for the company’s allograft tissue sterilization technology. During 2012 almost 24, 000 units of allograft tissue, including tendons and bone were terminally sterilized using their patented process.
TissueGen, Inc. has announced the availability of its ELUTE biodegradable drug-loaded fiber products, including pharmaceutical-loaded fibers and growth factor-loaded fibers. TissueGen’s core technology includes patented processes for extrusion of biodegradable drug-loaded fibers at room temperature. TissueGen’s innovative process preserves the biological activity of incorporated drugs and therapeutic agents, thereby enabling drug delivery and sustained therapeutic […]
The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), the largest musculoskeletal orthopedic hospital in the United Kingdom, and U.S.-based SpineMark Corporation, have announced a joint agreement to develop a spine research unit within RNOH called Spinal Research Stanmore (SRS). RNOH will provide administrative support and clinicians to meet the demands of industry and internal study goals including […]
Smith & Nephew, plc recently put its best knee forward, taking the opportunity to showcase its JOURNEY II Bi-Cruciate Stabilized (BCS) knee replacement at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) meeting in Chicago. The company’s new PHYSIOLOGICAL MATCHING Technology takes advantage of its LifeMOD human simulation software. Smith & Nephew engineers were able to […]
IlluminOss Medical, Inc. has announced that Dirk Kuyper has joined the company as president and CEO.
Only three surgeons in the Tampa Bay area of Florida are performing robotic spine surgery…and they’re all at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute (FOI). The surgeons are using technology from Mazor Robotics Ltd, and are seeing lower radiation exposure and higher accuracy among implant cases. Asked what led to the decision to move toward this surgery, […]
“Hip replacement involves inevitable wear and osteolysis, ” says Edwin Su. “We need another option. “The data is on my side, ” counters Adolph Lombardi. “I’m finding no added advantage of resurfacing.”
gSource, LLC is announcing a recent donation of its surgical instruments to the Foundation of Orthopedics and Complex Spine (FOCOS), an organization founded by Oheneba Boachie-Adjei, M.D., Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Chief Scoliosis Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery. The donated instruments, valued at $4, 380, will be provided to the FOCOS Orthopedic Hospital […]
Risk adjusting patients may be dangerous – to patients and with respect to their quality of care. Is the FDA hurting physician’s ability to treat juveniles? Unfortunately, the news is not good. Finally! A “go-to” resource on smoking and non-unions.
Florida Orthopaedic Institute has announced the first ever total shoulder arthroplasty with the use of e+, a vitamin E infused polyethylene component. Mark Frankle, M.D., director of the shoulder and elbow fellowship at Florida Orthopaedic Institute, performed the surgery at Tampa General Hospital. The patient is a 71-year-old retired postal worker and retired U.S. Navy […]
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) researchers have revealed the results of their new study showing that the cause of unexplained pain among metal-on-metal hip implant patients is more likely to be tissue damage than wear of the implant. The study was performed by Dr. Danyal Nawabi, an orthopedic surgery fellow, along with research collaborators from […]
New study finds sexual function improves after TKA. Thomas P. Schaer, VMD, director of Translational Research in Orthopaedic Surgery at the Penn Veterinary Medicine outfits trauma products with a highly effective antimicrobial coating. Obesity increases costs in TKA, and more…
Researchers from Chicago have found that specializing in one sport at an early age isn’t going to make your child an elite athlete. What might work? Diversifying participation in a multitude of sports and not playing year-round. This is in line with what is promoted by the STOP Sports Injuries Campaign. Recent research published in […]
BioSpecifics Technologies Corporation has announced positive, statistically significant top-line data from the Phase IIa study of XIAFLEX for the potential treatment of adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder).
“Ceramic-ceramic is probably the best solution in terms of safety, ” says Aldo Toni. “Too many problems with ceramic-ceramic, ” counters Stuart Goodman. “Point loading, the shell-liner interface, the femoral head-trunion interface, etc.”
Sean Kane has been named Vice President of Sales for SafeWire. Kane will use his more than 17 years of sales, clinical and executive management experience in the medical device industry to lead the sales of SafeWire’s worldwide Minimally Invasive Spinal Solutions Sales Division.
MedShape has announced a 10mm version of its DynaNail Ankle Arthrodesis Nail. This smaller DynaNail expands the use of the intramedullary (IM) nail to patients with narrow bone anatomies that require smaller fusion devices. MedShape is showing samples of its 10mm and 12mm DynaNail devices at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting, […]
DJO Global, Inc. is putting a series of new DJO Surgical products on the red carpet at this year’s American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) meeting in Chicago on March 20-22.
Join the country club? Keep breastfeeding? “What type of people are more at risk for rheumatoid arthritis [RA], ” asked a team of researchers at The University of Manchester in the UK. The team, led by Professor Ian Bruce, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator and Professor of Rheumatology at The University of […]
New study by Thomas Vail, M.D. at UCSF looking at cellular responses and interactions in osteonecrotic patients. Is it the single row or double row for rotator cuff? Peter Millett, M.D. reviews the debate. Finally, cartilage transplants may well be the way to go for younger shoulder patients, says Reuben Gobezie, M.D.
NLT SPINE, a company that has developed “non-linear” technology platform enabling implantation of large spinal implants and instruments through small incisions, has opened a subsidiary in the U.S.—in the Boston area in January 2013—to support the commercialization of its advanced technology platform. With the “non-linear” technology platform, implant and instrument size is not limited by […]
“Why the robot? It’s all about headache management, ” says Doug Padgett. “Hold up, ” says Mike Berend. “There are a number of unanswered questions here. Does it solve real problems in total hips? Can all surgeons use it?”
Symmetry Medical Inc. has announced that its subsidiary, Symmetry Surgical, has launched its FlashPak Evolution valve at the 60th Congress of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) in San Diego. The Evolution valve is the latest enhancement to Symmetry’s immediate-use (flash) sterilization product, FlashPak. The new valve’s stainless steel construction is designed for ease […]
“There is no data to support the use of anything else but chemprophylaxis, ” argues Jay Lieberman. “In balancing the risk between chemoprophylaxis and compression, clearly things are in favor of mechanical compression with or without aspirin, ” counters Doug Padgett.
About two times as likely to develop joint pain…that is what a UK study has discovered about adolescents who are double-jointed (have “hypermobility”). As they age, these individuals are especially likely to develop musculoskeletal pain in the shoulders, knees, ankles and feet. This prospective study was published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the […]
Brian Cole, M.D. is injecting stem cells + HA to augment microfracture in knees. Interesting! Andrew Hecht, M.D. muses on BMP cancer risk. And too many spine surgeons relying on outdated data to evaluate for fusions.
Vexim, a French company focused on the minimally invasive treatment of vertebral fractures, has announced the acquisition of an innovative technological system in the injection of orthopedic cement for its development in vertebroplasty. The system was developed by Altavance, a Swiss company. Thanks to the acquisition of a brand new system for mixing and injecting […]
Ascendx Spine, Inc. has received the ‘Spotlight’ award from SEMDA (Southeast Medical Device Association) as the best presentation at the Seventh Annual SEMDA Conference last week. As a result, Ascendx was asked to be a featured presenting company at AdvaMed 2013: The MedTech Conference, which will be held September 23-25, 2013, in Washington, D.C. In […]
Ken Egol, M.D. discusses his new study showing that matching the right implant to the right patient can both save money and obtain excellent outcomes. Rumor is Zimmer and DePuy each spent $1 billion on new knee designs making them the two biggest knee launches in history.
Two veterans of the medical device industry have returned to give it their all. Mary Burton, along with her son Ed Burton, is back in business after a three year absence from the industry. They have a new facility dedicated to the production of orthopedic and spinal implants…and, they have just achieved ISO 13485 Certification […]
“I’m no fan of modularity, but dislocation is the number one cause of revisions. So that’s the only reason I’m using it, ” states Wayne Paprosky. Mike Berend says, “One piece implants are appropriate for the vast majority of stem revisions. It’s quicker and easier, and is proven out into the second decade.”
The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) is wondering about the new recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) that address the use of the combination of vitamin D and calcium supplements to prevent bone fractures. The USPSTF statement suggests that there is not enough evidence, one way or the other, […]
Men…you’re in luck. Male mice in the lab at Michigan State University (MSU) have shown a significant increase in bone density after four weeks of treatment with a natural probiotic supplement. Female mice weren’t so lucky, say the researchers, who have published their work in the Journal of Cellular Physiology. “We know that inflammation in […]
Workers Comp Patients ARE Different…So Are Children. Why Pediatric Patients Are Not Adult Patients. The $$ Is There for Meaningful Use, Is Security? Konrad I. Gruson, M.D. discusses the stigma of workers compensation patients. Joseph Abboud, M.D. discusses why pyrocarbon may have better wear characteristics, and Herb Alexander, M.D. talks meaningful use.
“Anterior THA is an efficient surgery, and it’s easy on the surgeon and patient, ” states Sonny Bal. “But, ” says Tom Sculco, “You need a special OR table, intraoperative fluoroscopy, there is a difficult femoral exposure, increased OR time, and the possibility of higher complications.”
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have discovered that a protein called Jagged-1 stimulates human stem cells to differentiate into bone-producing cells. This protein could help both human and animal patients heal from bone fractures faster and may form the basis of treatments for a rare metabolic condition called Alagille syndrome. […]
You might want to eye that fast food container a little closer. A new study has linked exposure to two common perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) with osteoarthritis (OA). PFCs are used in numerous products, including certain stain- and water-resistant fabrics, grease-proof paper food containers, personal care products, and other items. The study, published in Environmental Health […]
Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that IAP antagonists (inhibitor of apoptosis protein), used for treating cancer, may increase the risk of tumors spreading to bone. Using a mouse model, the investigators found that targeting the same protein that makes tumors vulnerable to death also overactivates osteoclasts. The […]
The director of spine research at Mt. Sinai: use glue to repair the annulus fibrosus. A Mayo Clinic fellow talks unplanned ICU admissions following THA. Research doyen Mohit Bhandari, M.D. describes how he is making life easier for orthopedic surgeons.
TissueGen Inc., makers of absorbable polymer technology for implantable drug delivery, has announced that its patented extrusion technology now enables absorbable fibers to be loaded with more drugs and biologically based entities than ever before. They are working with Biomedical Structures LLC (BMS) to develop a finished textile platform for drug-eluting medical device applications using […]
Mix bone stem cells and a new plastic and voila…we have a novel artificial bone. The degradable rigid plastic is combined with the stem cells, inserted into broken bones where it then encourages real bone to re-grow. This new discovery is the result of a seven-year partnership between the University of Southampton and the University […]
Elizabeth V. Arkema, M.D., of Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, along with colleagues, is shedding light on the role of sunlight in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Her study found that regular exposure to sunlight—specifically ultraviolet B (UV-B)—may reduce the risk of developing the disease. The researchers used data from […]
“Like taking candy from a baby, ” says Bill Maloney. “There is very little/zero indication for metal-metal articulations.” “But the benefits of metal-metal are well known: high stability because of the large diameter, low wear potential, and they are unbreakable, ” states Tom Schmalzried.
Aching hip? Try milk or yogurt. (But that won’t help your spine.) New findings from the Institute for Aging Research (IFAR) at Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, show that dairy—specifically milk and yogurt—is associated with higher bone mineral density (BMD) in the hip, but not the spine. Their “cousin, ” cream, may […]
Rockford Orthopedic Associates and Crystal Lake Orthopedics, two specialty health care organizations in northern Illinois, have announced their intent to merge and have entered into a due diligence process. The merger is slated to be completed in the fall of 2013, after which time the organizations will utilize their combined resources to expand their subspecialty […]
A team of researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara has developed a new, noninvasive, and low-cost method for the early detection and monitoring of osteoarthritis. The scientists, who are from the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Department of Materials, found a different type of friction that is more likely to cause wear […]
Stem Cells for Tendonitis Study at HSS…To Avoid Overly Aggressive Anticoagulation Ignore Small Clots?…Disaster Certification: Where Are We? Paul Tornetta, III, M.D., a former president of the OTA, says size matters when it comes to pulmonary emboli. Scott Rodeo, M.D. updates his very important stem cell tendon study at HSS. Chris Born, M.D. updates us on the AAOS, OTA, and SOMOS project to credential orthopedic surgeons for disaster situations.
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) researchers have identified a potential new target for drugs to treat patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a protein known as IRHOM2.
“It’s 2011 and we have no proven benefit of computer assisted total knee surgery. And we’re well into the second decade of use, ” states Robert Trousdale. “Wait, ” says Arun Mullaji, “There are pros to this. It helps alignment; it also helps balance the knee.”
A team of researchers from the University of Michigan sheds new light on why certain people are more likely to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The new research in mice identifies how a specific group of genes works behind the scenes to activate the cells that cause severe rheumatoid arthritis. “We believe this could be […]
Researchers from the Netherlands have determined—in a 24-month Phase 3 clinical trial—that tofacitinib improves disease activity and inhibits progression of joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who did not respond to methotrexate (MTX). Results of the 12-month interim analysis of the efficacy of tofacitinib appear in Arthritis & Rheumatism. “Tofacitinib inhibits Janus kinase (JAK) […]
Researchers from the Cancer Institute of New Jersey have done a landmark study. This work, which involved the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database, details the impact on men with a high risk of bone fracture who are receiving long-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer. Yes, their research indicates that this […]
Six new doctors are settling into the Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedics in New York City. The physicians, including surgeons and physiatrists, come to Mount Sinai from Beth Israel Medical Center.
Dr. Peter Sharkey, M.D. of The Rothman Institute talks about their new technique for one aspect of knee osteoarthritis—Subchondroplasty®. Dr. Lisa Cannada describes the major uptick in periprosthetic fractures, and Dr. Todd Albert talks about using external stimulation to address degeneration and regeneration of discs.
Millstone Medical Outsourcing, LLC has officially settled into its new, bigger digs. The company is announcing that the it has successfully completed the move of its Memphis operations to a new facility located in Olive Branch, Mississippi, a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee. As of January 7, Millstone Medical was fully operational in the new facility […]
“It’s clearly not necessary to resurface the patella, ” states Michael Dunbar. “Actually, ” counters Steve MacDonald, “the data is pro-resurfacing. When the patella is resurfaced, patients have improved satisfaction, lower revision rates, less or equal anterior knee pain.”
Chicago’s Roosevelt University Athletic Program has announced the selection of Shane Nho, M.D., sports medicine specialist with Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, as their new medical provider.
Benjamin A. Alman, M.D., A.J. Latner Professor and Chair of Orthopaedics at the University of Toronto, is set to become the new chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine.
Using advanced composite materials and technology, researchers are moving ahead to a next generation of prosthetic limbs for military-veteran amputee patients. Florida State University’s High Performance Materials Institute (HPMI) is leading a major partnership that involves a two-year, $4.4 million contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA Innovation Initiative (VAi2) project […]
Spine research…funding woes are getting to researchers, says a veteran spine surgeon. Residency programs continue to be overhauled and Roy Sanders, one of the smartest people we know, says it’s time for surgeons to talk directly with insurers.
A team of researchers from several institutions has developed a new rat model that simulates traumatic or surgical muscle tissue loss in humans. This work pushed forward the work underway to develop tissue engineering solutions to repair and replace damaged and lost muscle. The research is described in an article in BioResearch Open Access, a […]
BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc. has announced it has initiated enrollment in a Phase II clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of Augment Chronic Tendinopathy (ACT) as a treatment for lateral epicondylitis, aka tennis elbow. The randomized, controlled trial is expected to enroll up to 100 patients at seven clinical sites in the U.S. and […]
Biomedical Structures LLC (BMS) has announced the expansion of its facilities for medical textile development and manufacturing. The expansion includes a 10, 000 sq.-foot addition, which will support the engineering center for new product development, and a significant increase in total cleanrooms for biomedical textile development. BMS has complemented this expanded capacity with the appointment […]
A team of Yale researchers has published a review article indicating that female athletes are three times more likely than their male counterparts to suffer from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures. The article, which appears in the January 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS), discusses recent research focusing […]
Researchers from Spain are shining new light on the connection between the neurologic damage caused by spinal cord injuries (SCI), spontaneous motor function recovery, and long-term motor deficits. Their work, “Dynamic Motor Compensations with Permanent, Focal Loss of Forelimb Force after Cervical Spinal Cord Injury, ” is available free on the Journal of Neurotrauma website […]
MIS Taken Too Lightly?…Medical Students Shine on Musculoskeletal Exams (PAs…not so much)…Building Future Policy Experts and More…
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center, in collaboration with researchers at Northwestern University, have identified a molecular mechanism central to the development of osteoarthritis (OA) pain. An article describing the research was published in the December 11 print version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “Clinically, scientists have focused on trying to […]
“Mechanical axis restoration represents the target for a successful and durable total knee, ” states Adolph Lombardi. “Well, ” says Mark Pagnano, “At the end of this we’ll all continue to shoot for the same target, but I want you to do that recognizing that our knowledge of ideal TKA alignment is surprisingly weak in 2011.”
It’s not a ‘say ah’ moment, but an ‘aha’ moment…The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), and the American Dental Association (ADA) have found that there is insufficient evidence to recommend the routine use of antibiotics for patients with orthopedic implants to prevent infections prior to having dental procedures because there is no direct evidence […]
A team from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has found—for the first time—how the protein osteocalcin plays a significant role in the strength of our bones. The findings could lead to new strategies and therapeutics for fighting osteoporosis and lowering the risk of bone fracture. This work, led by Deepak Vashishth, Ph.D., head of the Department of […]
Ciao, Italia! K2M, Inc. has announced the launch of the company’s MESA Spinal Systems and SERENGETI Minimally Invasive Retractor Systems in Italy. The top-loading MESA Spinal Systems feature Zero-Torque Technology, applying zero torsional loads, or twisting forces, to the spine when locking the screw. The systems offer a variety of screw types, and, says the […]
Socio-economics Trump Design in TKA Outcomes Ryan Nunley, M.D. is assistant professor of orthopedics at Washington University in St. Louis. He has recently done research on the impact of socio-economic factors on results of total knee arthroplasty. Dr. Nunley tells OTW, “All implant companies have different designs and different types, whether fixed bearing or mobile, […]
Early intervention for OA…Moximed, Inc. has announced that its KineSpring System, an implantable medical spring that works by unloading the weight on the diseased knee joint, has been successfully implanted in the first patient enrolled in its U.S. clinical study, SOAR. The objectives of the study are to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the […]
“Radiographically we couldn’t prove a benefit, ” says Robert Barrack. “We were slightly better with standard instruments than with the patient specific instrumentation (PSI)”. David Stulberg says, “PSI deserves a careful look because there is a clinical advantage.”
SI-BONE, Inc. has announced the publication of the first peer-reviewed journal article on the iFuse Implant System for the treatment of sacroiliac joint disruptions or degenerative sacroiliitis. The article is a retrospective study of the first 50 consecutive patients treated by a single surgeon in a single center. Patients were evaluated for pain and functional […]
Researchers at Western University in Canada have made a discovery that could lead to a better understanding of what the Arthritis Society indicates is the second most common form of arthritis—“diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis” or DISH.
45% of Doctors Suffer From Burnout!…Changing Referral Patterns Hurt Trauma Centers?…and More…
“This operation works well and I strongly recommend it, ” says Leo Whiteside. “Besides, we have major new developments in the area of osteointegration.” “What about the tibia?” says Thomas Thornhill. “There’s a really variable substrate…and don’t forget the cost and issues of revision.”
Make room for a new spine organization…the Society for Advanced Spinal Intervention (SASI) is here. SASI is being spearheaded by Solomon Kamson, M.D., Ph.D., an interventional pain physician.
Around the country doctors and non-doctors are lacing up for the 2nd annual Operation Walk USA…more than 109 orthopedic surgeons, at 49 hospitals in 29 states, will provide free joint replacements to 200 individuals on December 7, 2012. Operation Walk USA 2012 provides all aspects of treatment – surgery, hospitalization, and pre- and post-operative care – at no cost to participating patients.
Around the country doctors and non-doctors are lacing up for the 2nd annual Operation Walk USA…more than 109 orthopedic surgeons, at 49 hospitals in 29 states, will provide free joint replacements to 200 individuals on December 7, 2012. Operation Walk USA 2012 provides all aspects of treatment – surgery, hospitalization, and pre- and post-operative care – at no cost to participating patients.
NLT SPINE has announced that Peter Wehrly has joined the company’s Board of Directors. Wehrly brings over 25 years of experience and expertise in the medical device field, and formerly served as President of Medtronic's $3 billion Spinal, Biologics and Navigation Division.
Researchers from the UK are providing further evidence that clinicians should speak up and ask about a patient’s history of falls. Such information, says the team from the University of Southampton, is valuable in determining someone’s future risk of fracture.
BMP Issue Not Going Away…Registries on the Rise…Poorer Patient, Better Outcomes? and More…
“Regardless of the incision or the surgical approach, it’s the same biologic response, same bone removal, etc., ” says Michael Berend. “Alright, ” says brother Keith Berend, “MIS is a misnomer. It has to do with other factors like patient expectations and perioperative anesthetic.”
This danger is hidden deep in the belly. New research says that for men, visceral (deep belly) fat is a risk factor for bone loss and decreased bone strength.
Symmetry Medical Inc. has announced that its subsidiary Symmetry Surgical, Inc. has completed an exclusive distribution agreement in Italy with Biocommerciale Srl.
Dramatic Rise in Shoulder Arthroplasty…Dissecting Causes of Surgical Errors…No Pay for Reverse Shoulders? and More…
MedShape, Inc. has announced the introduction and first surgical use of the DynaNail Ankle Arthrodesis Nail, an intramedullary (IM) nail that contains an innovative internal nickel titanium (NiTiNOL) element.
“The benefits of modularity, both for surgeons and for manufacturers, are overwhelming, ” says Chitranjan Ranawat. “Not so fast, ” says Richard Jones, “All-poly tibias are for select patients…it’s just a matter of whether you want your patients to not have the very best every time.”
Corporate titans in Tennessee are joining forces…Wright Medical Group, Inc. and BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc. have entered into an agreement for a business combination of Wright and BioMimetic.
Scientists at The University of Nottingham are going down an interesting, and perhaps promising, research pathway…a parasitic one. Caterpillar fungi—known as Cordyceps—are rare parasites found on hibernating caterpillars in the mountains of Tibet. Cordycepin, one of the drugs found in these mushrooms, just may hold promise for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other maladies.
European researchers, using data from The Netherlands, France and Sweden, have published a study which analyzes the health economics of increased dairy foods and related reduction in risk of osteoporotic fractures in individuals over age 50.
A team of researchers from the University of Utah (U of U) have found a way of treating inflammation that just may minimize the risk for infection, something that is a side effect of current medications.
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered the first selective inhibitors of an important set of enzymes. The new inhibitors, and chemical probes based on them, now can be used to study the functions of enzymes known as diacylglycerol lipases (DAGL), their products, and the pathways they regulate.
ConforMIS has announced it has appointed 30-year business and financial management veteran Peter Traynor as the company’s Chief Financial Officer.
Outcome Based Liability Ready or Not!…Ideal Treatment or Best Value?…Epidural Steroid Injections on Hold? and More…
“There are many disadvantages of a tourniquet, ” says Richard Jones. “Let it bleed!” “Wait, ” says Steve MacDonald, “There can be no argument that a tourniquet reduces intra-operative blood loss. You use a tourniquet if you’re good looking and highly intelligent.”
The FDA has announced the approval of twice daily Xeljanz (tofacitinib) for adults suffering with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to, or who are intolerant of, methotrexate. Xeljanz works by blocking molecules called “Janus kinases, ” which are important in the joint inflammation of RA.
Symmetry Medical Inc. has announced that its subsidiary, Symmetry Surgical, has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with MTG Medical Technologies (MTG), subsidiary of Neuro-Competence, in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.
ConforMIS, Inc. has relocated its headquarters to 28 Crosby Drive in Bedford, Massachusetts, bringing the company’s total existing property to more than 120, 000 square feet. The new space, combined with the manufacturing facility in Burlington, quadruples the total square footage of the company’s existing property.
Too Much Knee Surgery? Dirty Details of Medicare Review, and More…
Joseph Moskal: “A day doesn’t go by that I don’t hear from a staff member or patient that it’s night and day between a total hip through an anterior approach and the posterior approach.” Tom Sculco: “I can’t see any advantage of the anterior approach.”
A retrospective study from Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan has found that patients treated with an epidural steroid injection for back pain relief are at increased risk of bone fractures in the spine. The study involved 6, 000 patients.
First in this, first in that! Paradigm Spine LLC has announced that the FDA has granted a Premarket Approval (PMA) Order for coflex, a minimally invasive, motion preserving interlaminar stabilization device for the treatment of moderate to severe stenosis with or without back pain.
Medicare Clawing Back Reimbursements!…Key to Happiness for Orthopedists?…Hospital Success Drives Shoulder Surgery Value…Roy Sanders, M.D. Named Health Care Hero…
“Balance, ” argues Vincent Pellegrini. “I accept less effective prevention of venographic disease to avoid bleeding complications, but I still want effective prevention of clinical events.” “The biggest issue now is safety, ” says Doug Padgett. “And there are better and safer alternatives to chemoprophylaxis.”
Orchid Design is announcing the launch of its new website, a move designed to achieve additional gains in capabilities awareness and market recognition. Orchid Design states that it is leveraging the industry recognition of parent organization, Orchid Orthopedic Solutions.
There is a new publications sheriff in town…and he will be ensuring that orthopedists worldwide have the information they need to be their best. AAOS has announced that Hans Koelsch, Ph.D. will be the organization’s new director of publications.
Mission Pharmacal Company has announced that BINOSTO (alendronate sodium) Effervescent Tablet is now available by prescription in the U.S. The FDA has approved BINOSTO—now in a once weekly, buffered solution—to treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis.
“These implants have served patients well, and we have good clinical data to support that, ” argues Stephen Murphy. “No!” counters Michael Dunbar. “Modular necks in primary routine arthroplasty isn’t justified. There’s no proof of superiority; there are increased risks, and increased cost.”
Surprise! No Surgery Required for Epidural Abscesses…All You Need Is Aspirin!? Really?…Traumatologists Tests Generics and Report Huge Savings….and More…
Computer Assisted Surgery Not More Precise? 5.45% Injured Soldiers Have Spine Injuries. Expanded Approval for Magnetic Prosthesis…Non Coverage for Smokers Not Justified. Computer-Assisted Surgery Not More Accurate? Duncan Meuffels M.D., Ph.D. is an orthopedic surgeon at the University Medical Centre Rotterdam in The Netherlands. Even he was surprised by the findings of his recent study, […]
“X” That X-Ray Sonia Chaudry, M.D. is a pediatric orthopedics fellow at Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She has recently published an article on the minimization of radiation exposure in orthopedics. Dr. Chaudry tells OTW, “Doctors are often quick to order studies such as CT scans and X-rays of limbs. There is often a […]
ConforMIS, Inc. has announced the commercial availability of its iTotal G2 Knee Replacement System, the only patient-specific total knee replacement (TKR) available on the market today. The iTotal G2 incorporates improvements, based on a year’s worth of surgeon feedback, to the implants, instrumentation and patient specific planning guides.
Scientists affiliated with VIB and UGent in Belgium have discovered a mechanism used by the protein A20 to combat inflammation. This news is timely for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis…Friday, October 12 is World Arthritis Day.
A team of researchers at Penn State has found that coating a bone graft with an inorganic compound found in bones and teeth may significantly increase the likelihood of a successful implant. The scientists have developed a way to create a rough surface on bone grafts that is similar in texture to the surface of an untreated bone. This similarity promotes healing in the bone.
Aging Stem Cells Affect Rotator Cuff Healing? Cole’s New Cartilage, “X” That X-Ray! and More…
Scientists at the Medical College of Wisconsin, led by Carol Everson, Ph.D., professor of neurology, cell biology, neurobiology and anatomy, have discovered abnormalities in bone and bone marrow in rats undergoing chronic lack of sleep.
Bilateral simultaneous TKA may be more cost effective for the hospital, and it’s within the standard of care, but it’s riskier, asserts Leo Whiteside. But this is a good operation in the fit, bilaterally affected patient, counters Tom Sculco.
Product release with a purpose…Spinal Elements has announced its intention to improve the image of tissue donation when it launches its Hero Allograft human tissue product at the upcoming meeting of the North American Spine Society (NASS) later this month.
Due to the inherent risks, doctors in recent years have been selecting younger and healthier patients for bilateral total knee replacements. Now researchers from Hospital for Special Surgery have found that although patients are younger and healthier than those undergoing only one-sided surgery, they are becoming sicker and some complication rates have risen.
France-based Vexim, a company specializing in minimally invasive treatment of vertebral fractures, has announced its consolidated first-half results to June 30, 2012. In the first half of 2012, sales increased by 93% compared to the first half of 2011, reaching €1.1 million.
NLT SPINE is celebrating the announcement that its eSPIN powered discectomy system has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA. eSPIN is intended for use in cutting and grinding intervertebral disc material during discectomy for fusion procedures in L2-S1 spinal segments in skeletally mature patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD).
Alert…men can have fragile bones too! To help out, Amgen has pushed forward, and is announcing the FDA approval of a new indication for their drug Prolia (denosumab). It can now be used as a treatment to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture.
The science of “taking the waters”…A team of researchers has found further evidence that hypertonic solution, which is a solution with an elevated concentration of salt, is an effective treatment for reducing inflammation.
Computer Assisted Surgery Not More Precise?…5.45% Injured Soldiers Have Spine Injuries….Expanded Approval for Magnetic Prosthesis…Non Coverage for Smokers Not Justified.
“Cementless fixation can work, but it must be equal to or better than cement. I think it’s equal to, ” asserts Aaron Hofmann. “Non-cemented fixation in the knee will prevail when it becomes reproducible and cost effective, ” counters Chitranjan Ranawat.
OSIMPLANT has announced that it will use MOTIS polymer (from Invibio Biomaterial Solutions) for its CE marked ARAMIS cervical disc prosthesis. This device is the first to incorporate an inlay made from carbon fiber-reinforced MOTIS polymer.
Postop slimmer you? Perhaps not, say researchers. The team, led by Maria Inacio, M.S., a doctoral candidate from the San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, conducted a review of the current literature to find out.
As of now, surgeons in the U.S. and Canada can take advantage of the newly launched LEGION HK Hinge Knee implant from Smith & Nephew—a product that has over 15 years of clinical history.
As of now, surgeons in the U.S. and Canada can take advantage of the newly launched LEGION HK Hinge Knee implant from Smith & Nephew—a product that has over 15 years of clinical history.
Paradigm Spine, LLC has announced that leading spine surgeon Hallett Mathews, M.D., M.B.A. has joined the company as its Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer.
No Soccer for Women? … Surgeon Preferences Driving High Costs…Explosion of Payment Models Coming…QOL Measures in Osteoarthritis and RA and more…
Researchers in Denmark have found that individuals with raised levels of an antibody known as rheumatoid factor in their blood have up to a 26-fold greater long term risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Rhode Island Hospital’s Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) in Skeletal Health and Repair has been awarded a $10.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The grant will fund studies of cartilage and joint health. This is the second phase of the study–COBRE was awarded an $11 million NIH grant for Phase I in 2007.
“MIS is not for all patients. MIS risk factors for failure are multifactorial (infection, fracture, poly resin, etc.), asserts Michael Berend. “Michael, I agree with most things you said. It’s not that traditional technique doesn’t work…car brakes worked but ABS is better. Maps work, GPS is better, ” says Aaron Rosenberg.
Anthony Ramos, a firefighter in Rockledge, Florida, was performing routine physical training with his squad and took his turn practicing with the hoseline. While handling with the firehose—and with water blasting at approximately 150 pounds per square inch—he heard a loud ripping sound.
A team from Mayo Clinic has delved into the topic of rheumatoid arthritis, the related higher risk of death, and the infections that are often behind the problem. The researchers have found that a risk score can be developed to predict a patient’s chances of having serious infections.
STOP Courting Disaster With Kids and Football … Holy Cow! CME Credit on the Fast Track? … Boden Laments Innovation Slowdown … Powerfully Sensitive New Tool Measures Meniscal Trim vs. Repair
With extended trochanteric osteotomy you get unparalleled exposure. What’s not to like?” asserts Wayne Paprosky. “There is a place for the slot…100% union rate, no problem with ingrowth and the intraoperative fracture is less, ” counters Richard Kyle.
A research team from the Georgia Institute of Technology Stem has found that stem cells isolated from fat may be a good treatment option for tissue damage and diseases because of their accessibility and lack of rejection.
Symmetry Medical Inc. has announced that it received FDA 510(k) clearance for its FLASH PAK Evolution valve. The Evolution valve is the next generation valve for Symmetry’s market leading, immediate use sterilization product, FLASH PAK, and is distributed exclusively through Symmetry Surgical.
Millstone Medical Outsourcing, LLC has announced that the company will expand its Memphis, Tennessee, operations to a new facility in order to broaden services and capacity.
Azellon, Cell Therapeutics, a company that develops stem cell therapies for tissue repair, has just announced the beginning of recruitment for the phase I/IIa trial of its Cell Bandage for knee meniscus repair.
No, they’re not dirty dancing in space…but they are lifting weights and watching their diets. New research from NASA indicates that eating the right diet and exercising hard in space helps protect International Space Station astronauts’ bones.
100% Sensitive Test for Fracture Risk…Better Football Helmets: Refining Designs for the Littlest Players…New Competition for Level One Trauma Centers Emerging…New Awards Announced…and more.
“We have little indication for metal-metal articulations in total hip arthroplasty, ” says Bill Maloney. “You can’t consider all metal-metal as one, ” counters Fares Haddad. “You must break it down into large head metal-metal, standard head sizes, and hip resurfacing.”
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University have homed in on some very interesting nanoparticles…ones that could save the lives of trauma patients every day. The team has found that the platelet-like nanoparticles rapidly create healthy clots and nearly double the survival rate in that critical first hour after injury.
A new study from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York suggests that a polyclonal antibody that blocks follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in mice without ovaries might offer a more effective way to prevent or arrest osteoporosis than currently available treatments.
Too Many Shoulder Replacements?!!…Massachusetts’s Healthcare Reform Flawed…Scope of Practice Controversies Heating Up…Paul Wakim, M.D. Wins Ellis Island Medal of Honor…and more.
Computers in TKA remain cumbersome, time consuming and expensive, ” says Robert Trousdale. “You want accuracy?” counters Arun Mullaji. “Navigation eliminates trial and error, provides perfect balance, total deformity correction, and more.”
Researchers may have found a promising stem cell therapy for preventing osteoarthritis after a joint injury. The team used mesenchymal stem cells in mice with fractures that typically would lead to them developing arthritis. Their findings could lead to a therapy that would be used after joint injury and before signs of significant osteoarthritis.
No spring and a lot of pain in your tendon? James Andrews, M.D. may have the solution. The Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine is offering a new advanced treatment that quickly and safely removes the source of tendon pain.
Researchers from Sweden have found no significant difference in the rates of death among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were exposed to one of several TNF inhibitors used to treat RA—adalimumab (Humira), etanercept (Enbrel), and infliximab (Remicade).
Researchers from the UK have put some special mice to work…and found nine new genes that had never before been implicated in skeletal disorders. The team undertook a collaborative study of the mineral content, strength and flexibility of bones.
“Patient specific guides aren’t ready for primetime, ” says Robert Barrack, “And being within three degrees…that probably doesn’t make a difference. “Wait, ” counters Mark Pagnano, “In a select subgroup of surgeons these guides are ready for primetime.”
Screw Misplacement in 70% of Cases?!…NASS Going on the Offensive Re: Coverage…BS and Stalling From Insurers…Sumit Dewanjee, M.D. Honored With 4th Consecutive Patient’s Choice Award…and more.
A study just published has found that obese patients who undergo bariatric surgery are not at an increased risk of broken bones in the first few years after the operation. However, the international research team did find a possibility of an increase in fracture risk after three to five years.
A study has found that high blood sugar is a concern during the post-traumatic and post-operative period. The authors of the study found that it may help to preoperatively identify those patients with musculoskeletal injuries who are at significant risk for infectious complications.
Benvenue Medical, Inc., a company developing minimally invasive solutions for spine repair, has met the pre-determined stopping rules for enrollment completion in the KAST (Kiva System as a Vertebral Augmentation Treatment – A Safety and Effectiveness Trial) clinical trial.
“SBTKA has higher complications and mortality and should be reserved for a select group of patients, ” says Javad Parvizi. “But, ” counters Tom Sculco, “patients prefer it, there is less recovery time, only one operative procedure, symmetrical recovery, and it’s less costly.”
It only makes sense…if you can see better, then you see that thing you’re about trip over. Researchers from UCLA and Brown University have found that Medicare patients 65 years and older who underwent cataract surgery had a lower odds of hip fracture 1 year after the procedure when compared with patients with cataract who did not have cataract surgery.
A task force convened by the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research is sounding the alarm with regard to preventing second fractures. They are calling on health care providers to be proactive in identifying and providing care for patients who have suffered their first osteoporosis-related fracture, in order to prevent subsequent fractures.
Attention: put down the salt shaker. Medical researchers at the University of Alberta have made progress in determining why people who eat high-salt diets are prone to developing medical problems such as kidney stones and osteoporosis.
Dr. Stanley James has joined the elite ranks of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) Hall of Fame.
K2M, Inc. has announced the debut of its new Rail 4D Technology at the 19th International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST) in Istanbul, Turkey. This 4D Technology will first be featured in the form of the MESA Rail Deformity Spinal System to address the most complex spinal curves.
Three Biomarkers Predict ACL Injury!…Too MUCH Patient Pressure to Use Biologics?…Genetic Breakthrough for Osteoarthritis…PRP—Sure It Works but What’s the Dosage?…HSS Does It Again: Garners #1 Spot in Orthopedics…Stanley L. James, M.D. Inducted into AOSSM Hall of Fame…and more.
Newfound protein holds hope for those with inflammation…Researchers at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in New York have discovered that inflammation could be treated by targeting a molecule called the double-stranded RNA dependent protein kinase (PKR).
Dr. Nicholas A. Sgaglione, chair of orthopedics at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and LIJ Medical Center in New Hyde Park, was recently elected president of the Arthroscopy Association of North America.
Things are a bit murky with RA research, say scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK. A team of researchers has discovered a “constant cloud” of potent inflammatory molecules surrounding the cells responsible for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and thickening of the arteries.
What!? Congress Driving Physician Accreditation?…Made a Bone: What Did You Do Today?…OREF Awards $200, 000 in Grants…Three Best Papers From AOFAS…77% of Patients Deficient in Vitamin D…and more.
Dr. Lew Schon, director of Foot and Ankle Services and director of the Foot and Ankle Fellowship at Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, is the new president of the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society.
Dr. Christopher Harner, Medical Director for the University of Pittsburgh Medicine Center Center for Sports Medicine, has been named the 41st president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM).
A team of researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is simplifying things in the world of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They have found that a simple blood test may help physicians track the progression of RA disease activity.
Bringing high tech from the basketball court to the water cooler…DJO Global, Inc. has announced the launch of OA Nano, calling it the world’s lightest off-loading knee brace—14.2 ounces—for patients with mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis.
Bringing high tech from the basketball court to the water cooler…DJO Global, Inc. has announced the launch of OA Nano, calling it the world’s lightest off-loading knee brace—14.2 ounces—for patients with mild-to-moderate osteoarthritis.
“The dream of cementless TKA does not meet the reality, ” says Michael Dunbar. “Cement/non-cement…they both work, ” counters Hugh Cameron. “But cement adds 20 minutes. Over a lifetime this means you’ll be standing around for a year waiting for the cement to harden.”
Dr. Patrick F. O’Leary, an associate attending spine surgeon and former chief of the Spine Service at Hospital for Special Surgery, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the hospital’s 29th Annual Tribute Dinner.
Ascendx Spine has announced the expansion of its distribution networks into Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and France. The company is slated to begin commercial shipments to these markets imminently.
Early Warning Signs of Modular Hip Failures?…EHR Spoiling Orthopedists Workday?…Good Spine Surgeries Getting Bad Name?…Sgaglione New President of AANA…Schon New President of AOFAS…and more.
“You get much better range of motion with the reverse, ” says Reuben Gobezie. “Nope, ” argues Bill Seitz, “The reverse has been tried repeatedly over the last 30+ years and it has failed.” You be the decider.
“Good studies show that LTO is the best method of treating subscapularis insufficiency at the time of total shoulder, ” says Buz Burkhead. “Osteotomy is complex, ” counters John Sperling, “and there is a lack of strong evidence of superiority.”
Tony Viscogliosi Touts PMA Over 510(k)…It’s Official! Double-Bundle Superior…Infuse Critics Guilty of Loose Talk…4 New Japanese/U.S. Fellows Announced…Amazing Clinical Success with Bone Marrow Concentrate…Interdisciplinary Team Wins Team Science Award…and more.
Benvenue Medical, Inc. is welcoming Thomas M. Prescott and Thomas C. Wilder to its Board of Directors. Prescott is president and CEO of Align Technology, Inc., and Thomas C. Wilder is president and CEO of Sequent Medical, Inc.
Data Tower of Babel Hurting Ortho Research?…Medical Cowboy vs. Playing it Safe…Controversy in Kyphoplasty/Vertebroplasty…Steven Barna, M.D. Joins Florida Orthopaedic Institute and more.
Dr. Steven Barna, an interventional pain physician, is bringing his expertise to the Florida Orthopaedic Institute, and will treat patients in the areas of conservative and non-surgical minimally invasive spine care.
“Open repair provides better outcomes…not just pain relief, but tendon quality and tendon healing, ” says John Brems. “But watch out, ” says Leesa Galatz, “The complications of an open repair can be quite devastating.”
Remove the sterile operating room with a team you know and a stepwise process…step into a 100 degree tent…add a flood of traumatized patients…general chaos. It’s a Haiti, a Katrina. Now, thanks to AAOS, OTA, and SOMOS, orthopedists can be certified to work in such austere environments.
“The advantages of modularity? None, ” says Michael Dunbar. “Come on, ” says Hugh Cameron “…a modular neck is like a modular head: this is love at first sight.” So begins this week’s Orthopaedic Crossfire® debate. Who’s right? You be the judge.
“My motto: better living through chemistry, ” says Vincent Pellegrini. Not so, says Dr. Michael Mont, “Most times we can throw out the drugs. Except if you have a patient who is noncompliant with non-pharmacological prophylaxis.”
Three Award Winners Announced…Diluting the Value of the M.D.…Buying Doctors’ Practices Inevitable?…Urgent Plea to ORIENT Revision Hip Retrievals…Backward Healthcare Rationing on the Rise…and more.
Extra-articular deformity? Go intra-articular for the correction, says Kelly Vince. David Hungerford: There are many kinds and sources of deformity: congenital, metabolic, etc. And what is the magnitude of the deformity, and the location from the knee, etc.?
New Certification Requirements…Breakthrough Approach to Stimulate Bone Formation and Repair…Preventing Joint Replacement Surgery…First-of-Its-Kind Global Trauma Database Effort Launched…and more.
She flew through the air and was pinned under a taxicab. Then there were OR lights and mutterings of amputation. Some said that Dominique Gambale would never walk again. But more than 12 months after being struck by a car, this wife and mother of two kept her leg and has approached her recovery with gusto.
Mark Pagnano: “There are few issues with regards to malalignment in TKA because, frankly, it’s irrelevant to long term outcomes. Michael Berend: “We know that there are many factors regarding long term survivability. Alignment is the most important.”
RSA Prevents Certain Revision Surgeries…Best Orthopedic Workplace? Gallup Makes Award…BONESUPPORT Wins Top European Technology Award…Practicing Medicine Where it Really Matters….and more.
Robert Barrack: “Rarely do we see revision knees from the community that failed in 12-15 months…it’s the norm for MIS knees.” Adolph Lombardi: “If your community has many surgeons attempting MIS, you’ll see more failures.”
Dr. Paprosky: “MIS…Maybe It’s Safe. Maybe It’s a Scam. Mainly Insane Surgeons.” Dr. Mears: “Bottom Line: There will not be enough healthcare dollars to support this proliferation of total hips and knees with the techniques we’re currently using.”
Joints Failing Due to Oral Bacteria…Nonoperative Care Trumps Operative Care?…Now Where Did That Needle Go?…“Unprecedented” OA Pain Marker Initiative at Duke…MRSA Vaccine Coming?…and more.
There is someone new watching the numbers at SI-BONE…Michael Mydra is now Vice President, Health Outcomes & Reimbursement at the California-based company, an entity focusing on minimally invasive surgical (MIS) devices to treat the sacroiliac (SI) joint.
Throw Away Instruments…Not Enough Clinical Evidence for Reverse Shoulder?…Gunnar Andersson Wins Alfred R. Shands Award…Doctor-Owned Hospitals Fighting for Place in the Sun…No Surgery on Obese Patients?…and more.
“Short stems work, ” says David Stulberg, “and they are associated with very good bone remodeling.” Robert Bourne: “We don’t even have studies where they have varied the stem length to see if the outcomes are similar.”
Giles R. Scuderi, M.D., vice president of orthopedic services for the North Shore-LIJ Health System, has been appointed president of The Knee Society. Dr. Scuderi has served on the Society’s Executive Board in numerous leadership positions.
Stunning Surgical Technique Salvages Limbs…HSS Moves to Brazil?…Prestigious and Lucrative Delmas Prize Awarded!…Accreditation Game Change in the Works…Put Trauma BACK into OR Education!…Allan E. Inglis, M.D. joins HSS…and more.
John Cuckler: “We are still experimenting with surface replacement.” Tom Schmalzried: “There is actually higher survivorship [with surface replacement] than total hip in the at-risk patients.” You decide.
$44K CMS Bounty and How to Get It…Bundling to Increase Income?… Most Commonly Injured Joint Diagnosis Being Standardized…the “Bible” of Orthopedic Oncology Surgery Released …Previous NIH Grant Winner Does it Again!…and more.
“In the mid-term, at least, ” says Henrik Malchau, “HCLP is doing well. “Wait, ” counters C. Anderson Engh. “Even your own data emphasizes that the outcome is not clear, even after a nine year experience.”
Eric W. Gilbert, formerly of Stryker Corporation, is now Vice President of Sales & Marketing for U.S. operations at Ascendx Spine. Gilbert, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration Western Michigan University, was Director of Corporate Business Development at Stryker.
Peyton Manning—Wrong Surgery?…Mount Sinai Chief Breaks Down Tiger Woods’s Foot Problems…SPORT Study’s Surprising Results Reconsidered…Strange Bedfellows Make Progress at HSS Osteoarthritis Summit…and more….
“Keith has been stung by metal-on-metal, ” says Fares Haddad. “Hold up, ” counters Keith Berend. “There are many unknowns…and with the lay media putting out ‘alerts’ all the time it’s hard to accurately assess metal on metal.”
“There is a shit storm ahead of arthritis in young people, ” states Dr. Burkhead. “True, ” says Dr. Seitz, “And frankly, I’ve drunk your Kool-Aid.” This week’s Orthopaedic Crossfire® debate: “Ream and Run: Best Management Option for the Young Arthritic.”
Seven Modes of Metal-on-Metal Hip Failure…These College Students 5x More Likely to Have Shoulder Instability…Another Look at Outpatient Joint Replacement…New Leadership at SBi and SI Bone…Two Reasons Patients Have Higher Rates of Medial Meniscus Injury and more….
Daniel Cher, M.D. and W. Carton Reckling, M.D. are now bringing their talents to California-based SI-Bone.
They are extremely pleased at the extremities company called SBi…Michael P. Simpson, a former division President at Orthofix, is the new president and CEO of Small Bone Innovations, Inc.
Surprising Infection Study Conclusion…Cervical Disc Replacement Cheaper Than Fusion?…What Younger Patients CAN’T Know, But Ask Anyway says Dr. Elton Strauss…Your Reimbursement Hangs in the Balance says NYU’s Joseph Bosco as he discusses QA…and more….
“Dead shoulders don’t tell us much, ” states Dr. Flatow. “My argument stands, ” says Dr. Sperling. “Tenotomy for repair of the subscapularis is simple, reproducible, and time efficient.” You be the judge…
“Go for it, says Dr. Louis Bigliani. “Wait, ” says Dr. Leesa Galatz. “Reverse shoulder arthroplasty for a fracture has a high complication rate.” This week’s Orthopaedic Crossfire® debate: “Reverse Arthroplasty: Best Option for 4-Part Fx’s in the Geriatric Patient.”
The philosophical ortho-musings of Dr. Gunnar Andersson…Shafique P. Pirani, M.D., wins AAOS Humanitarian Award…what a co-management model means for your future…Dr. Henry Mankin on the declining interest in science…and more…
“Dual mobility poly is more stable and has long-term data to back it up, ” argues Dr. David Stulberg. “This construct doesn’t make sense, ” counters Dr. Steve MacDonald. “I could find no published wear data in the literature.”
Dear OTW Reader: “Will orthopedic training programs close?…Infectious complications and timing of anti TNF Meds…what’s going on with manual skills training for residents?…St. Vincent Team Wins Stinchfield Award…and more.
“Lubricate the joint!” says Mark Pagnano, advocating for ceramic-ceramic…Jay Parvizi says that at the midterm, ceramic-ceramic and HCLP are essentially equivalent. This week’s Orthopaedic Crossfire® debate is “The Squeaking Hip: Much Ado About Nothing.”
All around the world, orthopedists give their time for free. One of these surgeons is Dr. Vincent Arlet, Chief of Orthopaedic Spine Services at the University of Pennsylvania, who travels to Trinidad several times a year to help Dr. David Toby, the only spinal deformity surgeon on the island. Together they handle massive spinal curves of 90 degrees or more. Read their story.
“70% of Stiff Shoulders Have Sugar Issue” says Dr. John Kelly….Shortage of Orthopedic Surgeons? New studies say YES…Are surgeons being punished for innovation –but rewarded for efficiency? … Mike Zafirovski, John Murphy Join DJO…and more.
Rumors about the effects of resurfacing are “a load of crap” says Dr. Edwin Su. Dr. John Cuckler disagrees and asserts that surgeons should “rethink resurfacing.” This week’s Orthopaedic Crossfire® debate is titled “Metal-Metal Surface Replacement: A Triumph of Hope Over Reason.”
“Go for surface replacement, ” said Dr. Bill Seitz. “You don’t want to burn any bridges.” “Au contraire!” countered Dr. Leesa Galatz. Go low and “go for the glenoid.” You hold the gavel in this Current Concepts in Joint Replacement™ debate.
Has Dr. Javad Parvizi found THE solution for infection detection?…Applicant boom at HSS (and elsewhere)…James Lightman New VP at Wright…Are there surprises in store for young orthopedists flocking to hospital employment?…and more.
“Who will see Medicare patients?” wonders an anonymous total joint surgeon…Jim Andrews, M.D. joins IntelliCell board…Do balloon tamps trump open reduction?…“Mac” Evarts, M.D. to lead OMeGA Medical Grants Board…and more.
What do patients know? “Patients think that arthroscopy is best, but they are getting their data from Oprah, ” argues Dr. John J. Brems. “They don’t have all the facts.” Patients may not have all of the facts, but we do! “We do have the data on arthroscopy and it shows that this technique is better, ” counters Dr. Reuben Gobezie. You hold the gavel in this Current Concepts in Joint Replacement™ debate.
An anonymous spine surgeon muses, “Are the side effects of Infuse over or under stated?”…Mike Franz discusses the International Spine and Orthopedic Institute …Dr. Scott Levin, the Chair at Penn, reports on the region’s first bilateral arm and hand transplant…and more.
Jerry Engh says Highly Crosslinked Polyethylene isn’t ready for prime time. Aaron A. Hofmann says, “We have the data…HCLP is no longer ‘wine before its time.’ You be the judge in this, a Current Concepts in Joint Replacement™ debate.
Synthes CEO to Get $54 Million+…Research from HSS on adverse effects of early postoperative mechanical loading…Deferred prosecution agreement for Exactech…Dr. Izzy Lieberman’s take on the status of adult spinal deformity work…and more….
“What’s all the noise about squeaking? Is it really that bad?” says Robert T. Trousdale, M.D. of the Mayo Clinic. “But what about malpositioning and other important issues?” asks Steven J. MacDonald, M.D., FRCS(C) from the University of Western Ontario. Who is right? You hold the gavel.
Synthes punishments unfair and unwise says ortho insider…Tom Sculco, M.D. leads an international consortium…award for James Heckman, M.D.…new research on how hospital employment could affect communities…Dr. Peter Millett’s take on shoulder issues…and more….
David W. Murray, M.D., argues that there is nothing “pseudo” about these lesions while Thomas P. Schmalzried, M.D. disagrees. Is it just a matter of patient selection and technique? You be the judge.
Washington Generals vs. the Harlem Globetrotters? All we know is when Buzz Burkhead and Bill Seitz debate the audience gets an entertaining education. Did Dr. Seitz cement a victory or did Dr. Burkhead press fit his advantage? You be the judge.
Chris Bono, M.D. finds alarming differences between abstracts and manuscripts…Air Force Major Erik Nott, M.D is awarded the Purple Heart…new funding program…news on impingement…and more…
Spine surgeons getting flack from hospitals? Spine surgeons guessing at diagnoses? Dr. Javad Parvizi homes in on periprosthetic joint infection, Drs. Russell Warren and Gunnar Andersson receive awards, and more…
A Current Concepts in Joint Replacement™ debate between Louis U. Bigliani, M.D. and Evan L. Flatow, M.D. Hear what each party has to say about four part fractures.
A Current Concepts in Joint Replacement™ debate between Robert H. Bell, M.D. and John J. Brems, M.D. Hear what each party has to say about arthroscopic cuff repair.
NASS and The Spine Journal…could perception management have been better? Johns Hopkins awards musculoskeletal research grants…international trauma care and research event a roaring success…those wanting to dump industry funding living in a fantasy world?
A Current Concepts in Joint Replacement™ debate between Joshua J. Jacobs, M.D. and Thomas P. Schmalzried, M.D. Hear what each party has to say about metal on metal.
“Committee of 12” with a bull’s-eye on healthcare? New hires at K2M…out of the way, FDA…What Peter Indelicato, president of AOSSM, is excited about, and oh, …hear what happens when some Viscogliosis go hunting. (Hint: no one was shot in a small bone.)
A Current Concepts in Joint Replacement™ debate between Steven J. MacDonald, M.D., F.R.C.S.(C) and Stephen B. Murphy, M.D. Hear what each party has to say about hip squeaking.
Brian Parsley, M.D. touts joys of returning to private practice…NASS to recognize Kiyoshi Kaneda, M.D., Gunnar Andersson, M.D., and Joel Press, M.D., AAOS and the OTA team up with SOMOS to organize disaster response…read on…
Industry reshaping itself into three big players? East Coast not gotten the message about metal on metal? MedPAC doing a “divide and conquer” of doctors? Oh, and what execs are going where…read on…
A Current Concepts in Joint Replacement™ debate between Henrik Malchau, M.D., Ph.D. and Michael D. Ries, M.D. Hear what each party has to say about Cross-Linked Polyethylene.
Dr. Stephen Hochschuler’s take on why orthopedists are the weakest link; new life for old stem cells; and, are we soon going to need bake sales for residency funding?
The iconic Dr. Gunnar Andersson, Chair in Spinal Deformities at Rush University Medical Center, has driven much of the science behind spine care. And he has influenced the daily back health of drivers worldwide—he designed the seat in Volvo automobiles.
Dr. Clarence Shields, also known as “Mr. Sports Medicine, ” was once President of the AOSSM. He has treated the famous and the indigent…and he has treated them just alike. His pride and joy? TEAM Heal…his foundation that helps impoverished young athletes.
Concerns over mega companies, spine surgeons who can’t make a living, a magic cost containment wand, and, on one of several positive notes, famed Dr. Izzy Lieberman’s jungle trek to deliver a Torah.
Getting assistance from an expert in computer-assisted surgery…ConforMIS has announced that Professor Mahmoud Hafez, Ph.D., a professor of orthopaedics and the head of the Orthopaedic Department at University in Cairo, Egypt, has joined the ConforMIS Scientific Advisory Board.
Dr. Kaye Wilkins, winner of the 2008 Humanitarian Award from AAOS, has brought healthcare where there was none, presided over POSNA, and now devotes much of his time to laying the groundwork for the orthopedic field in Haiti.
Well-slept, yet undertrained residents, LCDs making it hard to get paid, and private practices on life support…oh, and on a happy note, Zimmer, an OrthoCarolina surgeon, and GEANCO collaborate to help Nigerians.
Big theme this week…U.S. losing innovation and talent to other countries. Also, socialized medicine in spine and why the ‘Big Five’ hip and knee manufacturers are worried.
Former president of AAOS, Dr. Doug Jackson was the driving force behind the AAOS Diversity Award…he is also a recipient of that honor. Learn about his time at the U.S. Military Academy, and how he helped change the field of orthopedics.
Job offers being withdrawn, ACOs headed to an orthopedic practice near you…see what’s going on in orthopedics…on and off the record.
Job offers being withdrawn, ACOs headed to an orthopedic practice near you…see what’s going on in orthopedics…on and off the record.
The problem resident sitting in your office did well on orthopedic rotations and was named a member of Alpha Omega…why is he having issues? A team at NYU decided to get to the bottom of things.
He has led AAOS, POSNA, and the SRS…he knows the benefits of leading by consensus. And Dr. Vern Tolo, has established the AAOS leadership fellows program, an effort to help ensure that members stay engaged and out front on the issues.
Michael T. Harris, M.D., an interventional pain medicine physician, has joined the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. Dr. Harris is a fellowship-trained physician with clinical interests in acute and chronic pain management, headache and neuropathic facial pain, sports medicine, and non-operative orthopedic care.
Dr. James Herndon, a former president of AAOS, has chaired the department of orthopedics at Harvard, Brown, and “Pitt.” And his system-wide approach to patient safety continues to make a difference.
It’s a longstanding issue…insufficient musculoskeletal medicine in medical school. But Dr. Charles Day has ‘gotten the job done’ at Harvard, and is marching forward to help others get a musculoskeletal curriculum into their medical schools.
Sandy Gordon, director of PR for AAOS, has for years used her creativity to serve those in need. She has taken WWII orthopedists to Normandy and Pearl Harbor, created the monumental success, Seventy-five Years of Orthopaedic Surgery, and other stellar programs.
PTSD is “alive and well” in civilian orthopedics, says our expert…with some studies showing that PTSD in this population is around 50%. Learn what to look for and when to get help for your patients.
Dr. James Herndon, a former president of AAOS, has published research indicating that patient safety amongst orthopedic surgery residencies has declined. Perhaps most alarming? Study respondents were unwilling to report unsafe situations because they were afraid of retribution.
Sandy Gordon, Director of Public Relations for AAOS, has garnered more than 200 awards for the Academy. Why? Think, “Legacy of Heroes, ” “Wounded in Action, ” to name a few. And in her life, she has had particularly difficult challenges.
Zachary D. Post, M.D. has packed up his rural life in out West and is bringing his joint surgery knowledge to the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia.
Thanks to Dr. Claudia Thomas and her partners, a number of young African American boys now have exciting life options. The boys have been inspired by orthopedists and others, have done mock surgery on the Zimmer bus, and will soon fly to Fort Wayne.
All he could think was, “I’m going to die in a Turkish prison and I could have been a doctor.” Dr. Robert Schultz, author of Street Smarts for the Practicing Physician and Surgeon, has led a colorful life indeed.
Dr. Dennis Devito, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, is getting unusually good results with scoliosis patients…and he’s doing it with robotic assisted surgery. He is also bringing change and hope to the lives of children and surgeons in El Salvador.
A recently published study in JBJS highlights how, in order to effect concrete changes in the clinical realm, surgeons need high level studies such as randomized clinical trials. Dr. James Wright discusses the barriers to this high level research.
Peter A. Indelicato, M.D., Wayne Huizenga Professor and Chief of Sports Medicine for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at the University of Florida has been installed as the 40th president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.
A focus on sales and safety…Small Bone Innovations, Inc. (SBi) has announced that Jack ‘Jay’ Farris, a 20-year veteran of medical device and health care product sales, service and marketing, has joined the company as National Sales Director, North America.
Dr. Ted Miclau, the next president of the ORS, is altering the future of orthopedics here and abroad. He is holding courses in Latin America that teach orthopedists how to design different clinical research methodologies and protocols.
Via the Airlift Research Foundation, orthopedic researchers have new opportunities to improve the care of wounded warriors. This public charity, founded by the Aircast Foundation, funds proof of concept work that will have very real results for soldiers and civilians alike.
Dr. Ted Miclau, the next president of the ORS, knows adversity…and he knows how to surmount it. Learn about how Dr. Miclau’s unusual background gave him a rare level of empathy and taught him the value of persistence.
Champagne was probably popped…Joseph M. Lane, M.D., chief of the Metabolic Bone Disease Service and medical director of the Osteoporosis Prevention Center at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) was recently feted at a grand gala where he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from HSS.
Dr. Vincent Arlet, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Neurosurgery at UVA, is the inventor of Scolisoft, an online database containing hundreds of scoliosis cases. As Chair of Spinal Deformity Research at King Saud University, Dr. Arlet assists budding Saudi surgeon-researchers.
Those at the Institute for Global Orthopaedics and Traumatology aren’t changing the world via individual surgeries…they are doing it via capacity building with heavy doses of research and training.
What are the benefits of having a dedicated orthopedic trauma room? An end to a parade of bumped cases, surgeons and nurses who are accustomed to trauma cases, and much more surgical flexibility.
Whatever you do, don’t give the first toast at a Chinese dinner if you’re not the host. Peter Slate, CEO of Bonovo Orthopedics, discusses why these things matter and how to operate in the Chinese business environment.
There is another new team member at Rothman…this time, it’s a sports medicine specialist. Fotios P. Tjoumakaris, M.D., previously an Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has just joined the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia.
Peter Slate, CEO of Bonovo Orthopedics, has built an unusual company…one that has strong R&D capabilities “on the ground” in China, an impressive distribution network, and, a “special sauce.”
To a great extent, because of the MSTS, a diagnosis of bone cancer does not mean that a patient will die or lose his limb. Dr. Richard Lackman, President of the MSTS, discusses the organization and the specialty.
What does the latest evidence-based literature say regarding the surgical timing of injured extremities? Are there guidelines for acute versus staged care? What if there are pulmonary problems or a chest injury…read on.
Dr. Taylor Smith, winner of the 2011 Humanitarian Award from AAOS, has worked with Chinese refugees in Hong Kong, contributed first hand to musculoskeletal care in Fiji, and has made a number of trips to Haiti since the earthquake.
Thanks to the AAHKS Health Policy Fellowship, talented young orthopedists meet with legislators, attend important meetings, and conduct a research project. They also learn the language of health policy and gain insight into the workings of Capitol Hill.
The pioneer of the modern stainless steel cage, Dr. George Bagby invented what came to be known as the Seattle Slew Implant. Now 88, Dr. Bagby has recently introduced an inexpensive implant for fracture fixation that could help multitudes.
Feet and ankles in distress have a new go-to guy at the Rothman Institute. The Philadelphia practice is announcing that David I. Pedowitz, M.S., M.D. is its newest foot and ankle surgeon.
Dr. George Bagby, inventor of the Self Compression Bone Plate, was declared legally blind at the age of 15. Now 88, he continues to invent, travel to help others around the globe, and work with his prosthetics foundation.
How many soldiers are at risk for injury? Lieutenant Colonel Philip Belmont, Jr., M.D. and his colleagues undertook the first prospective, longitudinal analysis of a large combat-deployed unit in which musculoskeletal combat casualty care incidence rates could be accurately calculated.
Every serious scientific entity needs an expert named “Klaus”…Now, ConforMIS, Inc. has said expert. Professor Klaus Radermacher, heralded for his contributions to image guided surgery, surgical navigation, and medical robotics, has now joined the ConforMIS Scientific Advisory Board.
More vehicular accidents and inconsistent trauma care means that those in developing countries have a long way to go as far as musculoskeletal health. The good news is that things are improving and those leading the charge are experienced.
He’s helped build AAOS and he’s helped build playgrounds. Dr. Stuart Hirsch, winner of the 2007 AAOS Tipton Award for Outstanding Leadership, helped create the AAOS playground build, and significantly advanced communication skills for orthopedists everywhere.
Increasing vehicular accidents, families paying cash for treatment…these and more are realities for trauma patients in the developing world. Read about the latest international initiatives to improve resources and care for these patients.
Dr. Victor Goldberg, a professor and former chair of orthopedics at Case Western Reserve has garnered much acclaim and risen to the pinnacle of his field. And he did so with a history of significant personal challenges.
If something is not up to snuff, the Rothman Institute’s newest hire will get right on it. James F. Pelegano, M.D., MS has joined the Philadelphia orthopedic landmark as the new Quality Director. Dr. Pelegano will be responsible for overseeing all of the quality initiatives at the Rothman Institute.
The recession, declines in reimbursement, retiring surgeons, and less interest in adult reconstructive surgery…all mean that patients will likely have to wait longer and longer to see a total joint specialist. Learn about the AAHKS survey…
Dr. Charles Epps, the first African American president of the AOA, has counseled families through the process of understanding and accepting a child with limb deformities, and helped establish the National Rehabilitation Hospital. His is a legacy of advancement.
Philadelphia-area knees in need now have another skilled set of hands on hand…Jess H. Lonner M.D., renown for his expertise in minimally invasive techniques for partial and total knee replacement surgery, has joined the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
HVO’s Orthopaedics Overseas program in Ghana, West Africa, was born of extensive coordination among a number of organizations. The staff and volunteers deal with an inordinate volume of patients…and perform heroic lifesaving and limb salvage every day.
Dr. Charles Epps, winner of the 2000 AAOS Humanitarian Award, has trained more than 4, 000 African American and minority medical students. The first African-American president of the AOA, Dr. Epps drove a taxi to finance his education.
Ernest L. Sink, M.D., former director of the Hip Preservation Program Children’s Hospital in Denver, is joining Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) as co-director of the Center for Hip Pain and Preservation. Dr. Sink, who is widely known for his work in treating complex hip conditions in infants through teens and young adults, will also be a member of the HSS Pediatric Orthopedics Service.
Dr. Randy Rosier built an orthopedic program at the University of Rochester that for years received the most NIH funding. He has also been honored with the Alfred R. Shands Jr, MD Award, as well as the Kappa Delta Award.
From ugly duckling to center stage…orthopedic trauma is no longer in critical condition. Find out what our experts say about how traumatology has grown, how cases have changed, and where the subspecialty is headed.
Dr. Claudia Thomas, the first black female orthopedic surgeon in the United States, has survived rigorous medical training, racism, and even cancer. Still standing, she mentors young surgeons with practical advice and tough love.
Your bones are up to much more than you think, say our experts. Learn the latest in bone modeling and remodeling, and the connection with energy metabolism. Find out why they say that bone is an important tissue for whole body glucose homeostasis.
As an undergraduate at Vassar, Dr. Claudia Thomas, the first black female orthopedic surgeon in the United States, took over the college’s main building—and made civil rights history. Dr. Thomas is quite a force of nature.
There is no knee subspecialty, and thus, say our experts, most orthopedists don’t know how to thoroughly exam a knee. Learn some details of the knee exam…and how relying on technology can cause you to go astray.
Dr. Richard Haynes, former Director of the ABOS, has led a Shriners Hospital and won a Tipton Leadership Award from AAOS. And years ago he fell in love with orthopedics because of the American servicemen who served in Vietnam.
Georgia, one of your native sons has come home…Hughston Clinic, with locations in Georgia and Alabama, has announced that Benjamin J. Schwartz, M.D., an expert in knee and adult reconstructive surgery, has joined their team. Dr. Schwartz is now practicing at Hughston Clinic’s Columbus, Auburn and Dothan locations.
You’ve received a call from the patient’s lawyer, your blood pressure is up, and you don’t want to tell anyone what is going on. Big mistake. Two veteran orthopedists and a psychologist who works with physicians shed light on handling lawsuits. Major tip: talk!
He has won the AAOS Diversity Award, Chaired the AAOS Patient Education Committee, and treated thousands of paratroopers from the 101st Airbone. And, Dr. Ramon Jiménez stands out as someone who sees things from the patient’s perspective.
Bringing—and keeping things—in alignment…Millstone Medical Outsourcing has announced that the company has added a new service, called Supplier Quality System Auditing, and has hired a full-time professional to manage the process. Meghan Barry is the firm’s new External Auditor/Internal Trainer.
Beyond board scores, awards, and letters of recommendation, say our experts, there are other, less tangible things to consider when selecting residents…things that are equally as important. Can the person handle the stress, are they truly honest, can they communicate well?
He won the AAOS William Tipton Leadership Award, became a sheriff, and treated thousands with disabled/injured hands. And Dr. Blair Filler, an attending surgeon with Los Angeles UCLA Orthopaedic Hospital, is a strong advocate of orthopedists leading a full life.
“Orthopedist, know thyself.” Dr. Charles Hamlin, a retired hand surgeon and winner of the 2001 AAOS Humanitarian Award is exquisitely aware himself. He has also been a beacon for those in the Navajo Nation.
Having a talented, experienced research team can make the difference between smooth sailing and sleepless nights. Three veteran researchers share their wisdom about how to hire the right talent for your project.
Voluntarily taking a back—but important—seat. DJO Incorporated has announced the planned retirement of Leslie H. Cross, President and CEO. Cross will transition to non-executive Chairman of the DJO Board of Directors between now and June 30, 2011.
Are you a program director who is feeling overwhelmed because you don’t know how to deal with a problem resident or match issue? Now you have the Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors…available 24 hours a day.
“Joint venture” to benefit joints…Dr. Gregory K. Deirmengian, a joint replacement surgeon, along with his brother, Dr. Carl A. Deirmengian, a hip and knee specialist, have recently joined the Philadelphia-based Rothman Institute.
Because of Dr. John Tongue, Second VP of AAOS, there are countless Oregonians alive today. Winner of the AAOS Humanitarian Award and the National Highway Traffic Safety Association Public Service Award, Dr. Tongue builds and preserves community every day.
Two surgeons from Women Orthopaedist Global Outreach discuss their unusual and fulfilling experiences working in Nepal. They performed 44 total knee replacements in three and a half days, and held an educational seminar on primary total knee replacement.
Dr. John Cardea, Chair Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University, is a founding member of the AAHKS and former president of the OTA. His journey from Appalachia to the wider world has brought many lessons and gifts.
He wasn’t counting on an award…Professor John Kanis’ calculations were focused on developing a state-of-the-art fracture risk assessment tool.
Navigation, object manipulation and the like are skills not traditionally assessed as part of an orthopedics curriculum—at least not thoroughly assessed. That is changing, however, and things such as simulators will make things all the more interesting.
Dr. Thomas Fehring, Co-Director of the Hip and Knee Center at OrthoCarolina and VP of the Knee Society, is focused…focused on doing his utmost to ensure that older patients will always able to be able to get the surgery they need.
The Surgical Implant Generation Network, founded by Dr. Lewis Zirkle, Jr., has 200 programs, 27 staff members, and is responsible for approximately 60, 000 surgeries since 1999. Their implants and educational initiatives save limbs and lives in impoverished countries every day.
Dr. Joseph Iannotti, who is known for his fortitude during difficult times, is Chair of the Orthopaedic and Rheumatologic Institute at Cleveland Clinic and Past President of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons. He is also a superb mentor.
Do you know or are you surmising? Dr. Donald Shelbourne has performed more than 6, 000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions…and he has data on every single one of them. He is a strong advocate of orthopedists being precise.
The Chief of the Pediatric Orthopedic service at Children’s Hospital of New York, Dr. David Roye was awarded the 2009 Humanitarian Award from AAOS for his heroic efforts to provide orthopedic care to special needs Chinese orphans.
What are the state of the art techniques of intraoperative electrophysiological monitoring and how might they be improved? A study from the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, as well as our experts, shed light on the issues.
The head team physician for the University of Florida Gators, Dr. Peter Indelicato is the only orthopedist with five national championship rings. Dr. Indelicato also wrote a landmark article on isolated tears of medial collateral ligament of the knee.
Deep vein thrombosis has long been a thorn in the sides of orthopedic surgeons. Now, thanks to novel research into both anticoagulants and an innovative portable device, there is hope for patients and surgeons alike.
Dr. Larry Hull, winner of the 2010 AAOS Humanitarian Award, has crafted a life out of the beauty of giving. Dr. Hull has affected multitudes, employing hundreds of people, establishing a local clinic, and building a school.
Before the ACGME arrives at your doorstep you will want to know the following: Are you in line with the ACGME six core competencies? Do you know what your graduates are up to? Are you being objective in assessing your program? Read on….
She could have worked for Ford or IBM. But Clare Rimnac, Ph.D., President of the ORS, was interested in human problems. She is now known for her implant retrieval studies and her work on the degradation of plastics.
Dr. Joel Press, a former NASS president and physical medicine specialist, knows the value of nonoperative spine care. An advocate of staying in touch with patients, Dr. Press often says, “Nothing ruins a good outcome like follow-up.”
Frank Wilson, M.D., a former president of the ABOS, has worked for 40 years to improve musculoskeletal medicine at UNC. In this course, medical students learn the basic science underlying clinical problems. He has published their experiences in JBJS.
Affinergy has announced that veteran orthopedic expert Terry Schlotterback has joined its Board of Directors. For 20 years, Schlotterback lent his guidance to Zimmer, most recently in two key leadership roles as President of Zimmer Trauma Division and President of Zimmer Spine Division.
He knows what it takes to clear the FDA and beyond…ProChon Biotech, Ltd., a tissue regeneration company that develops technologies to relieve pain and restore the mobility and quality-of-life for sufferers of articular cartilage injuries, has announced that Jack Farr, M.D. has joined the company’s Scientific Advisory Board.
They already knew they had a winner. Now, RepRegen has more confirmation…the company has announced that its Chief Science Officer, Molly Stevens, Ph.D., has been named one of the top-10 most important scientists under the age of 40 in Britain by The Times’ Eureka 100.
More medical students, more patients, but no additional residency slots…what is to be done? Our experts chime in on the looming crisis in orthopedic education.
An orthopedist at the Rothman Institute, Dr. Matthew Ramsey is redesigning the most widely used elbow implant in the world. He also advances research in his role as Assistant Editor of the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery.
Multidisciplinary limb salvage and reconstruction centers are the wave of the future. Join us as we learn about the The Penn Extremity Reconstructive Center and the work of Dr. Randy Sherman (a plastic surgeon) at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
A full Professor of Orthopaedics at Rush University Medical Center, and a team physician for the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago White Sox, Dr. Anthony Romeo may be best known for his innovative approach to tears of the labrum.
Twenty years ago the future was in specialization. Given the numerous upcoming changes, however, perhaps, say our experts, the future lies to a certain extent in the past…in general orthopedics.
Renowned for his work on ProDisc, Dr. Jeffrey Goldstein, Director of the Spine Service at New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases is now developing a unique surface structure for implants…and one that is very precise.
Building better doctors through traditional methods…Our experts detail the importance of structure and function of an injury, as well as listening for patient misunderstandings. And then there is the Yale program that heightens medical students’ observational skills via art.
Dr. Augustus White, a Harvard professor and winner of the Bronze Star, credits his “don’t fear failure” attitude for his success. And to his fellow orthopedists he says, “Let us look deeply at our unconscious biases.”
A former PGA player, Dr. William Mallon is a sought-after shoulder specialist and Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. His intense focus and positive attitude have made all the difference in his career.
With the cacophony of orthopedic resources now available, how does one sort through it all? What results in bias? How do you evaluate the structure of a study? Our experts opine on this and more.
An executives’ executive…The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ Chief Executive Officer, Karen L. Hackett, CAE has assumed the role of Chairman of the American Society for Association Executives.
Marc Viscogliosi, a Principal at Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC and the founder of more than 20 companies, has built his life around family and community. Now, Viscogliosi has been named a winner in the 40 UNDER 40 M&A Advisor Recognition Awards.
DePuy Spine and Dr. William Horton are bringing appropriate technologies and training to China…then, it’s on to the rest of the world. Learn here about their novel, bold approach.
State-of-the-art only begins to describe the NASS Spine Education and Research Center. A 3, 800 sq. ft. bio-skills lab with 12 fully equipped work stations, and the ability to stream content worldwide, means a superb learning environment.
Dr. Jeffrey Katz, Director of the Orthopaedics and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is a prolific researcher who says that patients are good teachers…and that doctors must be good students.
Dr. Tom Faciszewski, an orthopedist at the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin and a former President of NASS, learned early that one’s life work is bigger that we are. Hear his thoughts on scorecards, Medicare, and more.
There are some patients who are not mentally healthy enough to undergo spine surgery, say our experts. And a particular screening tool—psychological testing—is not widely used. How might such tools aid orthopedists in surgical decision making?
With orthopedic wait times longer than in other specialties, and the fact that a dissatisfied patient is less likely to refer you, it is important that the issue of wait times be addressed creatively.
A tumultuous early life in the melee of war led Dr. Kristaps Keggi, Director of the Yale New Haven and Waterbury Hospital Joint Replacement Centers, to learn the value of life…and of giving back.
Character, critical thinking, and devotion to serving others…all have led Dr. William Martin, III to his new position as Medical Director of AAOS. Dr. Martin was also Chair of the Arizona Medical Board and a “serial” entrepreneur.
Drs. Charles Fisher and Christopher Bono discuss the orthopedic researcher’s “Plan B”—systematic reviews of the literature. What is the purpose? The process? What obstacles do researchers encounter? Hint: the study question is key.
Don’t leave the podium…you’re not done yet! Hughston Clinic orthopedic surgeon, Champ L. Baker, Jr., M.D., FACS, has received the Robert E. Leach, M.D, “Mr. Sports Medicine” Award from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM). The organization also honored him with the George D. Rovere, M.D., Award for his contributions to sports medicine education.
Rear Admiral David Lichtman, M.D., past President of ASSH, was the CO at Bethesda Naval Hospital. He is now Chair of Orthopaedics at the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center and John Peter Smith Hospital.
A patently smart move…Symmetry Medical, Inc. is announcing the appointment of Jose Fernandez, who has either been granted or awarded ten patents throughout his career, to the newly created position of Senior Vice President of New Product Development.
It takes a diplomat to run any organization…now, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) has one. Robert A. Stanton, M.D., the Chairman and Managing Partner of Orthopaedic Specialty Group, P.C. in Fairfield, Connecticut, has been installed as the 39th president of the AOSSM.
Dr. Jonathan Barnwell, a recipient of a 2009 grant from the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation, is researching nerve regeneration under the mentorship of Zhongyu Li, M.D., Ph.D. Drs. Barnwell and Li comment on their work as their year together winds up.
The future is here…and it is physician assistants. Roderick Hooker, Ph.D., PA, along with Charles Cornell, M.D., delineate the roles and skills of PAs and how the field is changing.
Whether helping someone walk for the first time in years, or participating in an NFL Foot and Ankle Subcommittee meeting, Dr. Robert Anderson, an orthopedist with OrthoCarolina, leads the pack.
Dr. Charles Branch, the Chair of Neurosurgery at Wake Forest University and the former President of NASS, is called the “PLIF guy.” He has also been instrumental in sorting out the industry/surgeon relationship issue.
The AAOS Committee on Professionalism works hard to ensure that Academy members understand the fundamentals of professional behavior. Whether the issue is expert witness testimony, research and academic responsibilities, or another matter, the COP is on the case.
Dr. Terry Light, the Dr. William M. Scholl Professor and Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at Loyola University Health System, encourages young orthopedists to find deeper meaning in their work with patients and families.
Drs. Donald Shelbourne and Stephen Howell opine on the issues with traditional postoperative rehabilitation, the value of preoperative communication, and how you can give the power to the patient.
Dr. Michael Schafer, Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Northwestern University, first learned of orthopedics when he contracted polio as a child. He has since trained nearly 300 residents, and greatly affected the field.
Drs. Michael Freehill and Tom Grogan detail important aspects of running a practice, including staff issues, governance, and the wide array of time- and money-saving technologies now available to physicians.
The results of a residency directors peer forum are out. Some of the issues? What exactly needs to be learned in residency? How many cases of any given type a trainee should perform?
He has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, worked with the Baltimore Ravens, and knows knees. This is Dr. Claude Moorman, III, Professor of Orthopaedics at Duke University School of Medicine.
Older citizenry, older inmates. Two seasoned orthopedists discuss their work with incarcerated individuals, including some of the special considerations that must be observed when treating this population.
An American born in Switzerland, Dr. James Gladstone, Co-Chief of Sports Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, is known for rotator cuff research, as well as his work on cellular repair.
Let’s raise the index of suspicion for bone and soft tissue sarcomas, say Drs. James Wittig and Martin Malawer. These are nuanced cancers, and if not handled properly, could go undetected for months.
He has worked in South Africa and knows how to set up a study so that you have answers to something meaningful. This is Dr. Jeffrey Anglen, Chairman of Orthopaedics at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
He was accepted into medical school as a senior in high school and has developed a talent for meta analyses. Learn more about Dr. Christopher Bono, Chief of the Orthopedic Spine Service at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
The postoperative phase of surgery is vital to the procedure’s success…and begins preoperatively. So say our experts, Dr. Carl Lauryssen, Dr. Stephen Hochschuler, and physical therapist Jason Brewton, who also detail what to tell patients.
Lose the lecture and cue the cases, says Dr. Jesse Jupiter, a hand surgeon and educator at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learning in small group formats is the wave of the future…and is proving quite effective.
Armed with a high level knee testing machine and simulator, Dr. William Mihalko, Chief Science Officer at the InMotion Orthopaedic Research Center, brings forth new knowledge about kinematic patterns, soft tissue balancing, and the like.
His children grew up in the training rooms of the Philadelphia Flyers and the Eagles. Dr. Arthur Bartolozzi, an orthopedist with Booth Bartolozzi Balderston Orthopaedics in Philadelphia, shines in the world of sports medicine.
Elizabeth Hofheinz follows up on the status of orthopedics in New Orleans. In dire straits after Katrina hit, New Orleans and its orthopedic community are “back”…and in some ways are stronger than ever.
Checking in with orthopedists in training, Drs. Scott Tucker and Matt Popa, we learn about their first two years, what they would like to see more of, and what they think of the healthcare environment.
Dr. Leesa Galatz, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, is known for many things, including her original and widely used rotator cuff repair rat model of injury and repair.
He was there when spine was young…and those at Custom Spine will now benefit from what David Brumfield has seen over his 31 years in the field. Brumfield has joined the Custom Spine team as Senior Vice President of Research and Development.
What is going on in those rat rotator cuffs? Louis J. Soslowsky, Ph.D., knows. Dr. Soslowsky was recently named the 2010 winner of the Ann Doner Vaughan Kappa Delta Award by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Dr. Robert Stanton, the next President of the AOSSM, is a surgeon with Orthopedic Specialty Group Specialists of Connecticut. Dr. Stanton shares his thoughts on the future of private practice and working with athletic teams.
The Orthopaedic In-Training Examination is given to residents around the globe. It includes 275 questions and aims to help residents integrate knowledge in a useful manner. So how does it come to fruition…and what are the controversies?
In fall 2009 the FDA held the Pediatric Clinical Trial Workshop, where attendees discussed the most efficient ways to advance clinical trials for pediatric devices. Our interviewees discuss how the traditional ways of thinking about clinical trials are shifting.
Years ago he found a way to combine sports and orthopedics. Dr. Kenneth DeHaven, an orthopedist with the University of Rochester Medical Center, is a pioneer in arthroscopy, and prefers repairing menisci, as opposed to removing them.
The only thing that goes missing on his watch is inefficiency…Millstone Medical Outsourcing has recently announced that John F. Ferris is its news Director of Manufacturing Engineering.
Dr. Robert C. Bray of the University of Calgary has been selected as the winner of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) $250, 000 Ligament and Tendon Repair and Regeneration Grant for his project, “Biological Augmentation of Ligament and Tendon Healing: Role of Neuropeptides.”
Most people can’t say they’re giving hope to 50 million people…but Christopher Evans, Ph.D., can. Dr. Evans was presented with the 2010 Arthur Steindler Award.
Drs. Ray Baker and Rick Guyer detail how NASS and its partners are moving forward with a spine registry. They describe the pilot test, participation issues, and the importance of collecting the right data.
He worked alongside Linus Pauling, an expert on DVT, and sits on the AAOS Committee on Professionalism. And Dr. Richard Strain, M.D., President of Orthopaedic Associates of South Broward, has some definite opinions.
He is the head team doctor for the Cleveland Cavaliers…he also is an ACL expert. Dr. Richard Parker, Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, studies the variables involved in ACL injury, as well as recovery after reconstruction.
Drs. John Bergfeld and Tim Hosea give details on approaching patients when the news is difficult to deliver and difficult to hear. How? Be prepared to outline a treatment program, have current data, and be positive.
With a bow towards biology, the Orthopaedic Research Society and the American Orthopaedic Association have just presented Adele L. Boskey, Ph.D., the Starr Chair in Mineralized Tissue Research at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York, with the Alfred R. Shands, M.D. Jr. Award. Dr. Boskey, Director of the Mineralized Tissue Laboratory at HSS, is known for her work in biomineralization and osteoporosis.
The Chief of Orthopaedic Trauma at the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, Dr. Matthew Jimenez helped build a PA residency, started a foundation for the elderly, and founded the Chicago Trauma Symposium.
Here’s a radical idea, say our experts…examine the patient. Drs. Neel Anand and David Helfet opine on why a patient’s history and examination are still the most important aspects of the evaluation.
All hail the newest go-getter on the IMDS board…Innovative Medical Device Solutions (IMDS) announced the addition of Ron Lawson, a veteran of the orthopedic industry, to its Board of Directors.
Dr. Mininder Kocher, Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School, is a pediatric sports medicine specialist with credentials in both disciplines. And his knowledge of epidemiology means that he performs top notch studies.
Dr. Christopher Born went to Haiti on a government mission (protected by the 82nd Airborne). Dr. David Helfet organized his own team. Their vastly different experiences illuminate the need to streamline and organize disaster preparedness.
Dr. Ray Baker, the new President of NASS—and an anesthesiologist—wants people to focus on pain. And he aims to eliminate the turf wars that have cropped up and that distract from patient care.
Dr. Frank Kelly, Chair of the AAOS Communications Cabinet, along with Dr. William P. Cooney, Chair of the OREF Board of Trustees, discuss how to chair a committee…and how to know if you are ready.
Is the baby happier on mom’s lap? Does it help if the toddler holds the stethoscope? How can you engage a teenager? Dr. John Purvis, associate professor of orthopedics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, gives details.
He researches the healing of bone to metal implants and provides ample time for residents. Dr. Mathias Bostrom, a hip and knee specialist at HSS, also makes time for the big picture issues in orthopedics.
There are about 20 pediatric orthopedists in America who are sports medicine experts. Dr. Paul Saluan of Cleveland Clinic is one of them. Learn about him and his research on the pediatric and adolescent athlete.
Funny lingo, serious consequences. Attorney Steve Harris reviews the ins and outs of the two types of professional liability insurance, claims made and occurrence…and what you can do about the risks involved.
He chairs the AAOS research development committee, has had 22 years of NIH funding, and knows the world of bone cancer. This is Dr. Denis, Clohisy, Chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Minnesota.
Dr. James Wittig, Chief of Orthopedic Oncology and Sarcoma Surgery at Mount Sinai in New York, knows that most patients with bone and soft tissue sarcomas don’t require amputation. Chemotherapy and surgical advances have made the difference.
We follow Dr. Jonathan Barnwell, an orthopedic resident at Wake Forest University, as he works with a research mentor. Dr. Barnwell is the recipient of a 2009 Resident Clinician Scientist Training Grant from OREF.
A “country doctor” who provides approximately 15% of his care at no cost, Dr. Thomas Grogan, a pediatric orthopedist in Santa Monica and a member of the clinical faculty at UCLA, is also a practice management expert.
A management powerhouse has come on board at Innovative Medical Device Solutions (IMDS). The company has announced that Brady R. Shirley, former Senior VP of Stryker Endoscopy and President of Stryker Communications, will be its new President and Chief Executive Officer.
We have all heard the orthopedic drumbeats of “quality” and “cost” of late. Dr. Kevin Bozic of UCSF discusses the benefits and limitations of administrative claim data to study costs, trends in utilization, and outcomes.
He owns a cattle farm, is a preacher, and serves in the military. Dr. John McGraw, a partner at the Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic, has crafted a life of service and variety.
The definition of determination, Dr. Neel Anand, Director of Orthopaedic Spine Surgery at the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center in Los Angeles, applied to over 100 residencies. Now a respected spine innovator, Dr. Anand looks only to the future.
Drs. Frederick Matsen, Vivek Mohan, and Joseph Zuckerman discuss the benefits of examining failures, as well as the issues involved—patient expectations, joint registries, and the importance of doing the operation right the first time.
What does it mean to have long-term follow up with patients, how do you present yourself in a way that gives people a sense of safety and belonging? How do you remove a patient from your practice?
He graduated from MIT, studied spine with Henry Bohlman, and has furthered our understanding of the cost effectiveness of surgery. Meet Dr. Alan Hilibrand, a spine specialist at The Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
Elvis may have left the building…but two new stars are in town. Millstone Medical Outsourcing, has announced that it has recently appointed two experienced professionals to its leadership lineup in Memphis, Tennessee.
John Brown, former head of Stryker, had heavy responsibilities from the time he could hold a garden hoe. From rural Tennessee to the “big city, ” Brown became an icon, and led Stryker to consistent 20% earnings.
John Brown, former head of Stryker, had heavy responsibilities from the time he could hold a garden hoe. From rural Tennessee to the “big city, ” Brown became an icon, and led Stryker to consistent 20% earnings.
Get on the stand, raise your hand, and tell the truth. Sounds simple. But don’t count on it. Our experts give details on what to expect, how to prepare, and when not to get involved.
He started out as an orthopedic cast technician and is now Chief of Orthopedic Trauma at Brown University. And Dr. Christopher Born is who “they” call when there is a mass casualty event.
Drs. Ken Yamaguchi, Louis Bigliani, and Evan Flatow weigh in on the latest happenings in the world of shoulder. Percutaneous pinning, new options for rotator cuff tears, and shoulder replacement are all in the mix.
Dr. Jo Hannafin, Director of Orthopedic Research at HSS, began studying sharks and now has moved on to creatures of a higher order. She has been honored with numerous awards, including those from the ORS, as well as the NIH.
Dr. L. Scott Levin, founder of the orthoplastic movement, details the history of his work, and lays out a future where someone can have a new, “living” arm or a completely new knee.
Dr. Robert O’Toole, Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, along with Renan Castillo, Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, weigh in on patient satisfaction after lower extremity injury.
He performed the first surgery in the U.S. to use Axial LIF. And, Dr. Elad Levy, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Buffalo, envisions a future neurosurgery and orthopedics come closer together.
Unlike the rather stationary sacroiliac joint, the newest member of the SI-BONE team is on the move. The company has announced that Steven R. Garfin, Professor and Chairman of Orthopedics Department at University of California, San Diego, has been named Chair of the SI-BONE Medical Advisory Board.
Three pediatric orthopedists weigh in on some of the most serious childhood conditions that might show up at an ER. Being able to proprerly assess these situations can save a limb or a life.
A cervical spine specialist, Dr. Darrel Brodke, Director of the Spine Service at the University of Utah, developed a combined orthopedics/neurosurgery fellowship, created a custom spine simulator, and did some unusual research on surgeons’ instincts.
Dr. William Grana, former head of orthopedics at the University of Arizona, could have stood in front of a congregation. Instead, chose to lead residents and fellows…and out in front in the sports medicine arena.
All doctors don’t sign the same contract, and many are hesitant about rocking the boat. Steve Harris, an attorney with McDonald Hopkins LLC, explains why it’s good have a thorough contract review…and to tilt the boat a little.
Dr. John Bergfeld, an orthopedist at Cleveland Clinic, had a rocky start in life. Yet he grew up to be team doctor for the Cleveland Browns and helped grow the sports medicine field.
In one corner is a controlled, randomized study…in the other, Dr. X’s opinion. Guess who loses. Evidence based medicine, says AAOS, is the appropriate, ethical path toward treating patients…and it is the future.
Whether you are leading an orthopedic society, want to grow your practice, or are otherwise called upon to deliver a media message, knowing what to say and what to avoid is an art form that can be perfected.
The former Chair of the AAOS Committee on Biomedical Engineering, Dr. Bernard Stulberg had the first medical practice in the U.S. that embraced the tenets of customer-focused and transparent health care, and became certified to ISO9001.
Don’t delegate important patient communication, know how to say “I’m sorry, ” and make sure you treat patient records as legal documents. So says attorney Jayme Matchinski, who conducted the risk management presentation at the 2009 AAOS conference.
An ethics major in college, Dr. William Horton, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Emory Spine Center, knows that by working on the body, by default, he is also working on the soul and mind.
Definitely not loaners…they want them to stay. Millstone Medical Outsourcing has announced that Timothy J. Early, a packaging specialist, has come aboard as Vice President of Technical Services, and Tim Lucenti, a veteran operations manager, will serve as Program Manager for the Memphis, Tennessee processing and distribution center.
He has done what most couldn’t. Dr. Jim Youssef, founder of SpineColorado, has built a career in a rural area that includes research, teaching, and a nonprofit organization to drive innovation and support medical education.
Many orthopedists are not sufficiently focused on radiation exposure, a vital issue for patients and doctors. According to one experts, 95% of physicians grossly underestimate how much radiation exposure both they and their patients are getting.
Team doctor for the U.S. Olympic Rowing Team, Dr. Timothy Hosea, an orthopedist at St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, knows pathophysiology and knows how to focus patients’ decision making.
The elbow is exploding, say our experts. With more research, mentors, and opportunities than ever, the elbow is gaining ground in the world of orthopedics.
Planes, helicopters, and ambulances…all may be required to treat the orthopedic patient in rural areas. Three surgeons discuss how they juggle resources, search for beds, and grapple with snowstorms…and why their urban colleagues should care.
Cherie Friedman of Friedman Search Group sheds light on the nuances of candidate selection, offer negotiation, and why existing rep-surgeon relationships aren’t necessarily a good thing. Learn the importance of realistic expectations and how to keep candidates engaged throughout the process.
Carpal tunnel syndrome remains an area of which there is much to be learned. As director of the Hand Research Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Zong-Ming Li, Ph.D., focuses on hand sensorimotor function and carpal tunnel mechanics. The details will amaze you.
