February 7th, 2010 by OS
MIOT Hospital has performed the first ‘silent hip’ procedure on an Indian patient. The ‘silent hip,’ a refinement of the pre-existing thrust plate, and is made of titanium coupled with a delta ceramic bearing that seems to have worked well on the patients on whom it has been used so far, globally.
The patient can begin to walk an hour after surgery, climb stairs in 48 hours and, in three to five days, go home. Complete normal activity will be restored in four weeks, he said.
The Hindu… http://ow.ly/14KPf
February 7th, 2010 by OS
Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a “smart coating” that helps surgical implants bond more closely with bone and ward off infection.
When patients have hip, knee or dental replacement surgery, they run the risk of having their bodies reject the implant. But the smart coating developed at NC State mitigates that risk by fostering bone growth into the implant. The coating creates a crystalline layer next to the implant, and a mostly amorphous outer layer that touches the surrounding bone. The amorphous layer dissolves over time, releasing calcium and phosphate, which encourages bone growth.
NanoTechWriter… http://ow.ly/14KGT
February 6th, 2010 by OS
Located in the University Enterprise Laboratories business incubator in St. Paul, the tiny three-person firm is on the cusp of rolling out its core (and so far, its only) product — a unique knee brace that, according to the company, provides temporary relief of joint pain and arthritis and, longer term, reduces swelling and pain.
The company’s knee system combines heat with pulsed electromagnetic field technology — electrical energy that sends a series of magnetic pulses through injured tissue to reduce swelling and, by extension, pain. John Dinusson, OrthoCor’s CEO, says that therapy has been around for decades, as has the use of heat to treat joint pain. But the OrthoCor device is unique because it combines the two, he adds.
ScrippsNews… http://ow.ly/14Fbt
February 5th, 2010 by OS
The financing facility will be used for working capital liquidity as well as other general corporate purposes to support the company’s continued domestic and international growth. The new credit facility included a revolving line of credit for both domestic and international assets along with a growth capital term loan for expansion.
“We have continued to turn to USCP to assist us in financing our working capital needs over the past 3 years due to their breadth of experience in asset-based lending,” said Colleen Gray, CEO of Consensus, a medical artificial joint implant manufacturer and distributor.
LivePR… http://ow.ly/14bG2
February 4th, 2010 by OS
Two technologies — semi-active (collaborative) robotics and patient-specific templating — are currently attracting most of the attention. Coupled with less-invasive surgical techniques and innovative implant design, they offer new opportunities for surgeons to develop more reliable, efficient and accurate practices.
OrthoSuperSite… http://ow.ly/13N1G
List of Robotic and Computer Aided Surgery Startups http://orthostreams.com/?page_id=1122
February 2nd, 2010 by OS
Northwestern University researchers are the first to design a bioactive nanomaterial that promotes the growth of new cartilage in vivo and without the use of expensive growth factors. Minimally invasive, the therapy activates the bone marrow stem cells and produces natural cartilage. No conventional therapy can do this.
“Our material of nanoscopic fibers stimulates stem cells present in bone marrow to produce cartilage containing type II collagen and repair the damaged joint”
PhysOrg… http://ow.ly/13dIO
February 2nd, 2010 by OS
Polymer nanofabrics developer NiCast Ltd. has obtained a three-year €4 million grant from EU Seventh Framework Progamme for Research and Development to head a consortium that will develop a spinal disc product. NiCast will head a group of ten companies and research institutes, and the company’s share of the grant is €600,000.
NiCast produces electrospun nanofabrics, biomaterials made of ultra-thin polymer fibers, with properties that mimic those of human tissues and organs. The company’s products include the AVflo vascular access graft for hemodialysis and the NovaMesh hernia mesh. The company obtained CE Mark certification for the AVflo in 2008, and plans to begin marketing of the NovaMesh in the Europe during the current quarter, pending regulatory approval.
Globes Online… http://ow.ly/12WMf
February 2nd, 2010 by OS
Intralink-Spine (ILS) is a company formed to develop, manufacture, market, and sell a tissue modifying reagent that can be injected into the intervertebral disc of the human spine to increase crosslinking in the native collagen matrix.
ILS, a privately held medical device company focused on the treatment of degenerative disc disease and low back pain, announced today that it has been awarded a $750,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for pre-clinical studies of its NEXT technology.
The NEXT device is designed to immediately strengthen and stabilize the disc, reducing disc bulge and pain without the costs and risks associated with surgery. Dr. Hansen Yuan, M.D., a leader in spine surgery, added: “This injectable tissue reinforcement procedure can provide an effective treatment for patients who are either early in the disease process or adverse to surgery.”
CNBC… http://ow.ly/12WsY
Website… http://www.intralink-spine.com
January 31st, 2010 by OS
Disc Dynamics is in the process of shutting down its business. The rumors of the company’s demise were confirmed to OTW by Dave Stassen, founding managing director of Split Rock Partners, the venture capital firm that corralled $65 million in private equity funds since 2000 for the spine company.
“Stassen told OTW on January 28 that the FDA’s refusal to allow the company to proceed with its IDE and continued request for more and more information and data finally “bled the company dry.”
Stassen said this was the third or fourth company in their portfolio that has had to cease operations because of their inability to get through the FDA. Investors have dropped $300 to $400 million “down the hole” because of the FDA.
OTW… http://ow.ly/12nQx
Disc Dynamics RIP… http://orthostreams.com/?p=3082
January 31st, 2010 by OS
Pioneer Surgical Technology (Marquette, WI) announced today the company’s plan to open a new office facility in Austin, Texas, April 1, 2010. The new facility provides Pioneer greater recruiting access to industry professionals who will help further the growth and development of Pioneer’s Spine Division. In addition, the move provides greater strategic access to key Spine markets and enables the company to offer stronger logistic support to surgeons and its growing spine sales force.
Press Release… http://ow.ly/12hJm
