FDA Clears a Smarter Knee: Which Knows How You Like to Operate
FDA clears an enhanced version of Zimmer’s ROSA robotics line
Feb 2, 2026
KD
Kim DelMonico
108 articles
Articles by Kim DelMonico
Tecomet and Orchid Orthopedic Solutions Join Forces
Combined, Tecomet and Orchid represent 24 orthopedic implant contract manufacturing facilities all around the world.
Jan 22, 2026
Updated Labeling for ACL Implant
FDA updates and improves key wording for Miach Orthopedic’s BEAR implant for ACL repair.
Jan 22, 2026
Companion Spine’s Power Play: Reassembling the Band and Rewriting the Spine Market
Companion Spine slams the door on a major acquisition and announcing, with a straight face, “Yes, we’re doing this again.”
Dec 10, 2025
Silicon Nitride Gets a Wingman: Supercharging Patient-Specific Implants
SINTX Technologies officially teams up with Evonik to bring a commercial-scale silicon nitride-PEEK composite to real-world orthopedic practice.
Dec 5, 2025
Amber Implants Names Vincent Gardès CEO
Amber Implants has named 30-year MedTech leader Vincent Gardès as its CEO.
Nov 20, 2025
FDA Clears Expanded Bone Graft Options for Kids
For years, orthopedic surgeons treating pediatric fractures and benign bone lesions have faced a familiar challenge…
Nov 13, 2025
FDA Clears Novel Antibacterial Tech for Limb Salvage System
Sometimes, the best way to fight infection…is to stop it before it starts.
Nov 12, 2025
Licensing Deal Signals Progress for Novel RA Treatment
RA may be an autoimmune disease, but its collateral lands squarely in orthopedic territory.
Nov 6, 2025
1st Cleared Porous Pedicle Screw System Is “Therapeutic Hardware”
FDA has granted 510(k) clearance to Allumin8, Inc.’s A8 INTEGR8™ Porous Pedicle Screw System.
Nov 6, 2025
FDA Greenlights a New Material for Foot and Ankle Reconstruction
Foot and ankle surgeons, there’s a new tool on the horizon — and it’s made of something a little different than what’s sitting in your implant trays.
Nov 6, 2025
When Peloton Meets HSS: A New Model for Digital Sports Rehab
Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has just dropped something worth your clinical curiosity — a collaboration with Peloton Interactive, Inc.
Nov 5, 2025
The Golden GOAT: Dr. Bert Mandelbaum’s Legendary Career
Bert R. Mandelbaum, M.D. was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Golden GOAT Award, OSET’s highest recognition for his indelible mark on the specialty.
Oct 27, 2025
FDA Approves 2-Level Indications for TWO prodisc® C Devices
The cervical disc replacement landscape just got a major upgrade.
Oct 24, 2025
Aetna Settles Lumbar Disc Replacement Class Action
After nearly six years in court, spine surgeons and their patients may finally see a long-overdue shift in payer attitudes toward lumbar artificial disc replacement (L-ADR).
Oct 21, 2025
A Win for Cartilage Repair: CPT Code for CARTIHEAL™ AGILI-C™
The AMA CPT Editorial Panel has approved a new Category 1 CPT code for the CARTIHEAL™ AGILI-C™ Cartilage Repair Implant.
Oct 20, 2025
Stryker Scores IP Win – Tightens Grip on Foot & Ankle Market
Stryker Corporation has emerged victorious in its latest legal bout with OsteoMed LLC.
Oct 17, 2025
Amber Implants’ VCFix® Steps Into the Spotlight
The VCFix® Spinal System from Netherlands-based Amber Implants, now officially FDA 510(k)-cleared.
Oct 1, 2025
Say ‘Hello’ to The Next Great Ortho and Spine Innovators
Memphis has been one of the most unheralded but successful medical technology incubating regions in the United States since World War II.
Sep 29, 2025
FDA Green Lights Ruthlessly Practical ‘Smart’ Device
Spine surgeons know the drill: precision is everything when it comes to pedicle screw placement.
Sep 27, 2025
Exactech’s Next Act: From Bankruptcy Court to Bold Reboot
Exactech, Inc. is getting a second life.
Sep 27, 2025
Demetra Adds to Its Infection Blasting Arsenal
Orthopedic surgeons know that managing infection can make or break a patient’s outcome — and sometimes a career.
Sep 27, 2025
Highridge Medical Bets Big on AI Navigation With PathKeeper Deal
If you thought the “expandable cage wars” were heating up, Highridge Medical just opened a second front — this time in surgical navigation.
Sep 25, 2025
Ortho Surgeons Sue Cedars-Sinai
Orthopedic surgeons have filed a lawsuit against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and associated organizations.
Sep 18, 2025
FDA Clears CurvaFix Low Profile: A New Twist in Pelvic Fixation
The FDA has granted 510(k) clearance to the CurvaFix® Low Profile System.
Sep 12, 2025
restor3d + Partners Group: Defining the Next Orthopedic Battlefield
The orthopedics industry has entered a new arms race: personalization. restor3d just raised its flag on the battlefield.
Sep 9, 2025
Highridge Medical Steps Into the Expandable Cage Wars
In the expandable cage wars, Highridge just went from bystander to serious contender.
Sep 8, 2025
Globus Medical Scores $9.5M in Patent Fight with Life Spine
Globus Medical, Inc. has notched a $9.5 million courtroom victory over competitor Life Spine, Inc.
Aug 26, 2025
USPTO Awards Bone Solutions Five Patents: Magnesium on the March
Move over calcium. Magnesium is muscling its way into the orthopedic spotlight.
Aug 21, 2025
Demetra’s Spine Play: From Bone Cement to “Surgery in a Box”
In an industry where everyone talks about “disrupting” spine, Demetra Holding S.p.A. might actually be doing it.
Aug 12, 2025
Big Boost for Personalized Cervical Fusion: Add-On Code
Come October 1, Medicare is officially sweetening the deal for cervical fusion procedures using Carlsmed, Inc.’s aprevo® personalized interbody implants.
Aug 11, 2025
ZeroTo510 Launches Industry-Driven Ops Challenge
In the land of blues, barbecue, and biomedical hustle, Memphis is turning up the volume on medtech innovation.
Aug 7, 2025
Uber RICO Lawsuit Targets LA Ortho Surgeon
Uber Technologies files a lawsuit in California federal court against 2 LA law firms and a local spine surgeon.
Jul 31, 2025
Did Kerlan-Jobe’s Lawyers Betray their Famous Client?
Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (KJOC) has filed a malpractice lawsuit against Hooper Lundy & Bookman, P.C.
Jul 31, 2025
Zimmer Biomet Buys a Robot (Company)
Zimmer Biomet just dropped $177 million to corner the market on orthopedic autonomy.
Jul 28, 2025
Dynamic Trio Reunited: Coflex, CoFix, and Paradigm Spine
Part reunion tour, part power play, the VBs are getting the band back together—Coflex®, CoFix® and Paradigm Spine. Not only buying back their greatest hits but also dropping a new album! Details here.
Jul 22, 2025
NY Ortho Surgeons and Clinics Named in Racketeering Lawsuit
$14 billion in fraud alleged by DOJ in new action against orthopedic healthcare providers and suppliers of, primarily, amniotic allograft tissues. Here are the details.
Jul 22, 2025
FDA Green Lights Stryker’s Incompass™ Total Ankle System
FDA green lights Stryker’s new total ankle system which combines the best of Inbone™ and Infinity™ into a super-system for ankles. Here are the details.
Jul 14, 2025
Ascension Buys AMSURG – and 250 ASC Locations
Ascension, home to 21,000 providers in 94 hospitals has just bought the largest developer and operator of ASCs in the U.S., AMSURG. Here are details.
Jul 2, 2025
FDA Grants 510(k) Clearance for MRI-Compatible Interbody Implant
More and more, surgeons are asking for MRI compatible implants. The latest to receive FDA clearance is Accelus’s innovative FlareHawk interbody fusion systems. Here are details
Jul 1, 2025
Treace Sues Zimmer and Paragon 28 Over Patents
recently acquired Paragon 28. This will be a big case. Stay tuned.
Jun 19, 2025
Doctor Pay Lawsuit Clears Major Hurdle
Massive Class Action suit alleging a conspiracy to suppress physician pay, moving forward in the courts. AMA is leading the charge against virtually all payers. Here are details.
Jun 18, 2025
Accelus Raises Capital, Names New Board Chair
Under Kevin McGann, Accelus found its footing, sold more than 32,000 fusion implants and now has new capital to build on the momentum. Here are details.
Jun 11, 2025
Former SpineFrontier CEO Pleads Guilty
Dr. Kingsley Chin, one of the most prolific and accomplished spine surgeons/entrepreneurs in America has settled his legal woes by pleading guilty. Sentencing on August 6, 2025. Here are the details.
Jun 5, 2025
Lawsuit Alleges Dirty Instruments Caused Hundreds of Infections
Sixty-seven patients have filed a lawsuit against Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver, Colorado, alleging that they developed serious infections at their surgical sites or in their bloodstream because of improper cleaning and sterilization. The patients, all of whom underwent surgery at Porter Adventist Hospital between 2015 and 2018, alleged that they developed serious infections including […]
Jul 22, 2019
Single Use Extremities Kit Cuts OR Time 33% in New Study
A new, 14-month multi-center study comparing the use of single use extremities instrument kits to standard, traditional implants and instruments, is reporting that physicians may be able to reduce intraoperative time by as much as 33% and realize the attendant, significant savings. The study’s lead investigator was John Levin, D.P.M., with Orthopedic Center of Palm […]
Apr 26, 2019
Canada’s UH Network Buys 18 Carestream Systems
Canada’s University Health Network’s Joint Department of Medical Imaging (JDMI) of Toronto has purchased 18 Carestream Imaging Systems to boost productivity and enhance image quality. Canada’s University Health Network (UHN) includes Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. UHN initially purchased one Carestream DRX-Evolution system and assessed it […]
Mar 1, 2019
$140 Million Malpractice Award Against Ortho Surgeon
A New York arbitrator has awarded $140 million to resolve 255 medical malpractice suits against ex-orthopedic surgeon Spyros Panos. Panos, a 50-year-old resident of Hopewell Junction, New York, will not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement. JT Wisell of Wisell & McGee, whose firm represented more than half of the plaintiffs that sued Panos, […]
Mar 1, 2019
4 Top Sports Docs Tackle Tendon and Ligament Repair
Ligament or tendon repair is both the bread and butter of sports medicine and one of its most interesting and debated subjects. Here are four accomplished sports medicine surgeons giving a master class on this essential subject.
Feb 27, 2019
Prestige Medical Partners With Esaote and Glassbeam
Prestige Medical Imaging (PMI), one of the top suppliers of medical imaging equipment and services in the United States has formed a partnership with global manufacturer of medical diagnostic systems Esaote and data analytics firm Glassbeam. By partnering with Esaote and Glassbeam, Newburgh, New York-based Prestige Medical Imaging expects to expand its range of analytics […]
Feb 25, 2019
District Court Grants Stay in NuVasive Litigation Against Alphatec
A California federal court has granted a stay in the NuVasive, Inc. [NUVA] patent litigation against Alphatec Holdings, Inc. [ATEC] until the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reevaluates the validity of some of NuVasive’s patents. NuVasive originally filed suit against ATEC in February 2018, alleging that ATEC’s lateral surgery procedure infringed upon some of NuVasive’s […]
Feb 25, 2019
Rothman Orthopaedics Partners With NueHealth and MUVE Health
Philadelphia-based Rothman Orthopaedics Institute, one of the country’s largest orthopedic practices, has announced a partnership with Leawood, Kansas-based NueHealth, an Ambulatory Surgical Platform company, and Denver, Colorado-based MUVE Health, a developer and operator of total joint and spine centers. The companies plan to integrate their models and platforms, expanding and scaling the success that they […]
Feb 25, 2019
“Stem Cell” Company Teams up With Insurer
The Zero Card, a Tulsa-based supplemental healthcare benefit provider, has announced a partnership with living cell therapeutics (sometimes referred to as a “stem cell” therapeutic) company Regenexx. Colorado-based Regenexx has a global network of Regenexx trained physicians who provide the Regenexx brand of living cell therapies to treat a variety of musculoskeletal problems. The Zero […]
Feb 21, 2019
SI-BONE Partners to Create 3D-Printed Implants
PrinterPrezz, Inc., a Fremont, California-based designer and manufacturer of 3D-printed medical devices, has announced a customer agreement with SI-BONE, Inc., a medical device company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. SI-BONE pioneered minimally invasive surgical treatments of the sacroiliac joint with its iFuse Implant System. Since the introduction of iFuse in 2009, it has been used […]
Feb 18, 2019
Orthofix Acquires Options Medical
Lewisville, Texas-based global medical device company, Orthofix Medical Inc., has announced its acquisition of Options Medical, LLC, a Gainesville, Florida-based medical device distributor. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Options Medical was founded in 2012 and had more than 40 team members that distributed medical devices in Florida and Connecticut. As part of […]
Feb 15, 2019
3-Ways to Fix a 54-Year-Old Former Pitcher
A 54-year-old former baseball pitcher with recurrent lateral ankle snapping and sensation of giving way with pain needs help. Know what to do? Well, three top docs tackled this question at the Orthopaedic Summit and, surprise, gave THREE different opinions. See if you agree with one or all.
Feb 15, 2019
Wall Street’s Take on Orthopedics 4Q 2018
Wall Street’s top analysts are wrapping up their analysis of 2018 for suppliers of hip and knee products. Larry Biegelsen, senior analyst at Wells Fargo, gave his clients a report after three out of the four top reconstructive (hip and knee) companies (Johnson & Johnson, Stryker, and Zimmer Biomet) reported Q4 results. Biegelsen estimated that […]
Feb 14, 2019
Orlando Surgeon Owes $500,000 for Kickback Scheme
An Orlando skilled nursing facility and an orthopedic surgeon have agreed to pay $1.5 million to the federal government to resolve allegations that they had an illegal kickback scheme that involved Medicare and TRICARE patients. The Justice Department alleged that Conway Lakes Health & Rehabilitation Center and its management company Clear Choice Health Care had […]
Feb 14, 2019
Final Nail in JNJ’s $1.7 Billion Pinnacle Hip Lawsuit?
DePuy, a Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)unit, has agreed to settle the majority of the individual consumer lawsuits that claim that the company’s DePuy Synthes metal-on-metal hip implants were defective and that the company misled patients about potential dangers. Mark Lanier, an attorney for some of the 10,000 plaintiffs, said, “The parties have reached an agreement […]
Feb 13, 2019
Federal Judge Dismisses Maryland ACA Lawsuit, For Now
A federal judge has dismissed the lawsuit filed by the state of Maryland that sought to enforce the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Maryland filed the lawsuit in September 2018 to establish that the ACA was constitutional after Congress reduced the payment for violating the minimum coverage requirement to zero. See OTW’s coverage […]
Feb 11, 2019
Biogennix Names Robert Baizer CFO
Biogennix, Inc., the Irvine, California-based osteobiologic company, has named Robert Baizer its new Chief Financial Officer. Biogennix is the developer, manufacturer, and distributor of proprietary bone graft substitutes for bone fusion procedures. Its osteoSPAN and Morpheus bone graft substitutes are resorbable, osteoconductive scaffolds that are designed for bone regeneration and optimal handlings by surgeons. Baizer […]
Feb 11, 2019
“I Love My Camel Cigarettes” and Other Red Flags
What are the four reddest of red flags for large joint arthroplasty? Write down your guess and then check out what four of the best large joint surgeons in the U.S. (Kelly, Sculco, MacPherson and Lombardi) said. Agree? Disagree? Have one they missed? Write it in the comments section.
Feb 11, 2019
Too Much, Too Fast for Same Day TKA? Lombardi v Dennis Debate
Orthopaedic Summit 2018: Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S. and Douglas A. Dennis, M.D., debate the merits of a same day total knee replacement versus the classic.
Feb 4, 2019
Medovex Corporation Raises $4.9 Million
Alpharetta, Georgia-based Medovex Corporation, developer of a novel, non-invasive treatment for back pain, announced that it has raised $4.9 million from investors in two transactions. In the first transaction, the company received $1,800,000 in cash and $200,000 by cancellation of debt from four separate purchasers. In the second purchase agreement, announced 10 days later, the […]
Jan 30, 2019
Nordic Capital Buys Orchid Orthopedic Solutions
Nordic Capital Fund IX is buying a majority ownership position in Orchid Orthopedic Solutions from Altor Fund III. Orchid is a Holt, Michigan-based designer and manufacturer of orthopedic implants. Orchid’s top products include hip, knee, trauma, extremity, dental, and spinal implants along with single-use and multi-use instruments that are used in implant-related surgical procedures. Orchid […]
Jan 29, 2019
DePuy Settles Hip Implant Suit for $120 Million
DePuy Synthes has agreed to pay $120 million to settle the multistate lawsuits that allege that the company made false claims and engaged in deceptive marketing for its metal-on-metal hip implant devices. The attorneys general of 46 states sued DePuy Synthes and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson, claiming that DePuy engaged in unfair and […]
Jan 29, 2019
Anthem Caves in Spine Surgery Lawsuit. Must Pay.
Between August 2013 and August 2016 Anthem, Inc., one of the largest medical insurers in the United States, categorically DENIED all requests to reimburse two-level cervical artificial disc replacement surgery (2C-ADR) because, they said, it was “investigational.” In July 2017, Lawrence Bradford filed a class action suit against Anthem Inc. on behalf of all similarly […]
Jan 28, 2019
Kyocera Expands U.S. Ortho Presence With Renovis Purchase
Japan-based Kyocera Corporation has announced that its U.S. headquarters, Kyocera International, Inc., has agreed to purchase the major assets of Renovis Surgical Technologies, Inc. that relate to artificial joint and spinal products. Renovis is a U.S.-based orthopedic and spinal medical device manufacturer and developer. Kyocera manufactures medical products that are primarily for the Japanese market. […]
Jan 22, 2019
Carestream Awarded 42 U.S. Patents in 2018
Rochester, New York-based medical imaging and IT company, Carestream Health, has announced that it was awarded 42 U.S. patents by from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2018. The patents were awarded in the areas of digital radiology, extremity CT imaging, and other healthcare technology areas. The company also received 37 patents in European […]
Jan 21, 2019
Biogennix Appoints Michael Roux General Manager
Irvine, California-based osteobiologics company Biogennix has named Michael Roux its new General Manager. Biogennix is a developer, manufacturer, and distributor of bone graft substitutes for bone fusion procedures. Its osteobiologic products are specifically designed for posterolateral spine fusion. Roux is joining Biogennix after almost 30 years of experience in the technology and medical device space. […]
Jan 16, 2019
ConMed Corporation to Acquire Buffalo Filter
ConMed Corporation, a Utica, New York-based surgical device maker, has announced its agreement to acquire the privately held Buffalo Filter LLC for $365 million in a transaction that is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019. The transaction is expected to be financed through a combination of new convertible notes and an expanded […]
Jan 3, 2019
Smith & Nephew Acquires Ceterix for $105 Million
Smith & Nephew has announced an agreement to acquire Ceterix Orthopaedics, Inc. for $105 million. The deal is structured as an initial cash payment of $50 million followed by up to an additional $55 million over the next five years, depending on the company’s financial performance. UK-based Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology […]
Dec 28, 2018
$400 Million Settlement Reported in Johnson & Johnson Hip Lawsuits
Bloomberg reported that Johnson & Johnson is willing to pay more than $400 million to settle thousands of claims that the company sold defective artificial hips and hid the dangers of the devices from consumers. In a December 9 court filing, a judge said that Johnson & Johnson has settled or is in the process of […]
Dec 20, 2018
Coordinated Health and CEO Settle Allegations for $12.5 M
Coordinated Health and its CEO have agreed to pay a total of $12.5 million to settle allegations that they submitted false claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs. Coordinated Health is a Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, hospital and health system that employs about 100 physicians. Thirty of those physicians are board-certified orthopedic surgeons. The […]
Dec 19, 2018
Texas Judge Rules ACA Unconstitutional
A Texas judge rules that the ACA is unconstitutional, prompting a swift response from the law’s supporters. Appeals are certain and the law remains in effect for now.
Dec 19, 2018
Foster Corp. New Distributor of Solvay’s Polymers
Foster Corporation, a Connecticut-based provider of polymer solutions in the medical and pharmaceutical marketplace, “…has announced that it has been appointed as a North American distributor of Solvay’s KetaSpire PEEK (Polyether ether ketone) and AvaSpire PAEK (polyaryletherketone) polyketone based polymers for the North American market.” The PEEK and PAEK polymers are medical grade polyketone polymers […]
Dec 14, 2018
University of Toledo Professor Petitions FDA for Reprocessing Ban
A University of Toledo professor has petitioned the FDA to ban the reprocessing of pedicle screws and other implantable orthopedic devices. OTW recently covered the results of multicenter research studies that proposed a superior standard of care and method of delivery that completely eliminated contamination in pedicle screws: Are Your Sterile Implants Really Sterile? Following the […]
Dec 11, 2018
Brielle Orthopedics Joins Rothman Institute
One of the Jersey Shore’s largest orthopedic groups has announced that it will be joining forces with the Rothman Institute. The partnership will be marketed as Brielle Orthopedics at Rothman and adds 14 new physicians and three new offices to Rothman’s portfolio. Brielle Orthopedics has been in operation for over 50 years and provides services […]
Dec 10, 2018
Altus Capital Partners Acquires ChoiceSpine
Altus Capital Partners, Inc., an investment firm focusing on manufacturing businesses, has announced its recent acquisition of Tennessee-based ChoiceSpine, LP, a privately held spinal implant company that offers specialized spinal implants, instrumentation, and biologics for the surgical treatment of complex spine disorders. ChoiceSpine collaborates with physicians to develop new products that incorporate current medical technology […]
Dec 7, 2018
Spine Surgeon Wins $112 Million in Royalty Battle With Medtronic
An Indiana spine surgeon and inventor has prevailed in a five-year legal battle against medical device company Medtronic, with a jury awarding him $112 million in damages. Rick Sasso, M.D., is a founding member and president of Indiana Spine Group and a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and a professor and chief of spine surgery at Indiana […]
Dec 6, 2018
WishBone Medical, Inc. Acquires Response Ortho
WishBone Medical, Inc. has announced its acquisition of the Turkish pediatric fixation device maker Response Ortho. Response Ortho has been in business for 14 years and is dedicated to increasing procedural efficiency and cost effective patient outcomes for the treatment of complex orthopedic conditions through the development of innovative, patented solutions for advanced fracture formation […]
Dec 5, 2018
Innovasis Partners With Stability Biologics
Salt Lake City-based spinal device company Innovasis, Inc. has signed a private label agreement with Stability Biologics, LLC, a Nashville-based company that will provide Innovasis with a line of bone allograft tissue products. The private label agreement will allow Innovasis to commercialize, among other products, Stability’s flagship product, the Physio brand of human bone allograft. […]
Nov 28, 2018
$3.15 Billion for DJO Global, From a Welder?
$3.15 billion is a lot of money for bracing, knee implants and pain management products. But that’s what welding equipment manufacturer and precision air and gas handler Colfax Corporation is proposing to do. This should be interesting. The folks on the receiving end of this transaction are a group of private equity investors managed by […]
Nov 27, 2018
Never-Ending Lawsuit…
A decade-long trade secret dispute between Heraeus and Zimmer Biomet is still going and going and…. On two separate continents, no less. Heraeus Kulzer makes orthopedic bone cement. It’s based in Germany. In the 1970s, Heraeus provided its proprietary formula to Merck for it to distribute in Europe. In 1997, Heraeus began supplying this cement […]
Nov 9, 2018
FDA Clears Viseon’s MIS Spine Surgery System
Viseon, Inc. has announced that it received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Voyant System for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, which features proprietary HD imaging sensor and illumination technology. The Voyant System consists of a single-use sterile disposable retractor device and a reusable controller for moving the site image. […]
Nov 5, 2018
Thousands of Insurance Appeals Went to a Fraud
Because a New York orthopedic surgeon posed as another doctor in order to review medical records in insurance coverage disputes as many as 2,500 people are finding themselves to be fraud victims. Spyros Panos previously practiced orthopedic medicine as part of a medical group in Dutchess County, New York, and performed orthopedic surgical procedures at […]
Oct 31, 2018
Anthem Pays a Record $16 Million to Settle Data Breach
Anthem, Inc. has agreed to pay $16 million to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service (HHS), Office for Civil Rights and take substantial corrective action in a settlement over its 2015 data breach that affected nearly 79 million people. Anthem is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and […]
Oct 25, 2018
Zimmer Biomet and Apple to Revolutionize Rehab
The largest supplier of total hip and knee implants, Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., has teamed up with Apple to revolutionize post op patient rehab. The two firms are creating a new APP, called mymobility™, which would work on either iPhone or Apple Watch. This app could change arthroplasty rehab in profound ways. The mymobility app […]
Oct 24, 2018
Key Ruling: Judge Sides With Ortho Surgeon vs. Aetna
A New Jersey judge has refused to dismiss an orthopedic surgeon’s lawsuit against Aetna for the insurer’s failure to reimburse the surgeon $209,000. Cary Glastein, M.D., is a New Jersey orthopedic surgeon who specializes in spine surgery. On October 27, 2016, Dr. Glastein provided a medically necessary surgery to a patient. The patient received medical […]
Oct 23, 2018
Corin Buys Global Orthopaedic Technology
Backed by the Permira Funds, UK-based international orthopedic company Corin Orthopaedic Holding Group Ltd. has agreed to acquire Australia-based Global Orthopaedic Technology (GOT) in a move that strengthens Corin’s presence in that part of the world. The acquisition of GOT will provide scale to its operations in Australia, which is one of the world’s most […]
Oct 18, 2018
Are Your Sterile Implants Really Sterile?
Even reprocessed pedicle screws may be contaminated. It’s a very serious issue. A group of leading researchers are proposing improved standards for handling and delivering pedicle screw implants to reduce and possibly eliminate contamination and therefore the risk of deep bone spine surgical site infection.
Oct 18, 2018
Whistleblower Nets $5.4 Million in $24 Million Settlement
Montana-based Kalispell Regional Healthcare System (KRH) and six of its subsidiaries and related entities have agreed to pay $24 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit with the Department of Justice (DOJ). In a two-year investigation, the Department of Justice uncovered evidence that 63 physicians were involved in an illegal kickback scheme with KRH. The DOJ […]
Oct 17, 2018
Data Mining Uncovers $150 Million in ACA, Medicaid and MA Mistakes
Pareto Intelligence, an analytics solution provider for healthcare organizations based in Chicago, Illinois, has uncovered a multitude of data mistakes in government health care programs which, say the company, had a total financial impact of over $150 million in 2017. The company, which is a data mining and analytics service, used its proprietary algorithms to […]
Oct 9, 2018
Maryland Sues to Head Off Texas ACA Challenge
While the rest of the country waits for a Texas judge to make his ruling (https://ryortho.com/2018/09/texas-lawsuit-challenges-aca/) on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Maryland decided to take swift action. Maryland filed a separate lawsuit in a different federal court requesting an injunction to require the government to continue to enforce the ACA. The […]
Oct 3, 2018
DOJ Green Lights Cigna and Express Scripts Merger
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved the merger between Cigna, one of the nation’s largest insurers, and Express Scripts, a major pharmacy benefit manager. Cigna and Express Scripts announced their intent to merge March 2018. Cigna proposed to acquire Express Scripts in a cash and stock deal valued at approximately $67 billion, with Cigna […]
Oct 1, 2018
Senate Passes Bill to Let Pharmacists Reveal ACTUAL Drug Costs
The U.S. Senate has passed a bill which prohibits insurers and pharmacy benefit managers from using gag clauses that can conceal lower prescription drug prices from patients.
Sep 25, 2018
Texas Lawsuit Challenges ACA
A Texas federal judge rejected the request to suspend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) but heard oral arguments on which provisions should be allowed to survive in light of the recent law that eliminates the penalty for failure to maintain minimum insurance
Sep 13, 2018
Orthopedic Surgeon Seeks Restraining Order on Former Patient
A Houston, Texas, orthopedic surgeon has filed a lawsuit claiming that he fears an ex-patient will carry out a revenge-style killing similar to one that took a local cardiologist’s life just one month (July 2018) before. Anthony Melillo, M.D. of Bay Oaks Orthopaedics & Sports filed a petition for a temporary restraining order and injunctive […]
Sep 10, 2018
NYU’s Free Medical School Tuition Sparks Debate
NYU School of Medicine is now offering free tuition to all of its students, regardless of merit or need. This announcement was met with mixed reviews as experts wonder if this was the best solution to our nation’s rising student debt problem.
Sep 4, 2018
Medtronic Settles Investor Lawsuit for $43M
Medical device company Medtronic plc has agreed to pay institutional investors $43 million in a proposed class-action settlement of a lawsuit related to its bone-growth product, Infuse. Infuse contains a synthesized human hormone that causes bone to grow. It is used as an alternative bone graft fill to iliac crest bone harvesting. Over the years, […]
Aug 20, 2018
After 22 years, Penn Supreme Court to Hear Surgeon’s Appeal
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has agreed to hear an orthopedic surgeon’s appeal in a defamation case that has been in litigation for 22 years. In 1997, Pottstown Mercury Newspaper published several articles reporting that Elliot Menkowitz, M.D. had been suspended after 25 years at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center and that his sudden absence had “spawned […]
Aug 17, 2018
3D-Printed Implants Provide Additional Options for Patients
An orthopedic surgeon at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Durango, Colorado, is now performing talus replacement surgery with 3D-printed implants as an additional option for patients with avascular necrosis. Mercy is now one of the few hospitals in the country offering this procedure. OTW spoke with Douglas E. Lucas, DO, the orthopedic surgeon who performed […]
Aug 17, 2018
Can the AMA Block the Pending CVS-Aetna Merger?
The largest physician organization in the world, the American Medical Association wants the DOJ to block the pending CVS-Aetna merger. Now California’s Insurance Commissioner has sided with the AMA. Here’s the rest of the story.
Aug 17, 2018
Third Lawsuit Hits Mizzou Regenerative Medicine Center
A third person has filed a medical malpractice suit against University of Missouri’s Mizzou BioJoint® Center alleging a failed joint surgery and misleading advertising that allegedly failed to disclose that the procedure is “experimental” (plaintiff’s characterization). The Mizzou BioJoint® Center offers patients unique biological treatments for knee, hip, shoulder, ankle and other joint problems. According […]
Aug 16, 2018
Jury Sides With Patient in Hospital Bill Lawsuit
A Colorado woman has won a decision against a hospital that sued her for an unpaid bill. A jury has determined that the remaining $229,112.13 bill was excessive and awarded the hospital $766.74. In June 2014, Lisa French underwent a spinal-fusion surgery at St. Anthony North Health Campus, north of Denver, Colorado. Prior to her […]
Aug 10, 2018
Malpractice: When Informed Consent Is Not Good Enough
Informed consent has its limitations—as more and more courts are clearly showing. In state after state, courts are ruling that informed consent is not a bullet proof defense. What’s going on? Here’s the answer.
Aug 3, 2018
Physician Groups Demand Payor Transparency
A coalition of medical groups demanded transparency by insurance companies and for them to make information on usual physician charges available to the public.
Jul 23, 2018
Are Your Performance Reviews Litigation Protected?
Think your physician performance reviews are confidential? Learn how value-based purchasing and pay for performance programs may subject them to litigation.
Jul 9, 2018