2 Orthopedic Inventions on CNN’S List of Top 10 Health Innovations in 2009

       #4 – a bone graft substitute made from wood Researchers in Italy have discovered a way to convert a block of wood into a bone graft substitute, which produces a “bioactive, inorganic compound” that “closely resembles” the structure of natural bone. To create the implant, the team heats wood – noting that red oak, [...]

AAOS, NASS Is Now Targeted by Senator Charles Grassley

  Looks like Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa is moving up the food chain. Specifically, the Senator asked for the following: Policies for accepting industry funding and whether or not companies are allowed to place restrictions or provide guidance on how funding will be spent Explanations of all restrictions and/or guidance for each transfer of value [...]

Robotic Ankle, SPARKy, Only Steps Away From Daily Use

  Two years ago, George Wolf was injured in a hang-gliding accident.  His left leg  was amputated below the knee. He now has an artificial limb, but he longs to walk with fluid movement.  When he heard that fellow Arizona State Universityprofessor Thomas Sugar was looking for candidates to test a new spring-loaded robotic ankle that [...]

Space-Age Treadmill Reduces G Forces on the Legs

A treadmill developed at NASA Ames Research Center in California more than a decade ago for exercising in space has seen more athletes than astronauts lately. AlterG has sold more than 200 of the “anti-gravity” physical therapy and training treadmills, which are based on the NASA prototype, at $75,000 each. The buyers have mainly been [...]

William Christy Takes Helm as SpineMatrix CEO

  William “Bill” Christy, a veteran of five successful medical device start-up companies, has been named CEO of SpineMatrix, an Akron, Ohio-based medical technology company specializing in advanced spinal diagnostics. He joins the company after serving as president and CEO of AOI Medical, a developer of medical devices for the treatment of osteoporotic spine disorders. [...]

SBi Is Expanding Investments and Global Reach

 Small Bone Innovations, Inc has announced a joint venture with Khazanah Nasional Berhad (Khazanah) and Malaysian Technology Development Corporation Sdn. Bhd. (MTDC). The joint venture, SBi Asia Pacific Sdn. Bhd. (SBi APAC), is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Orthopedics This Week by Elizabeth Hofheinz…  http://ow.ly/OsbV

Symmetry Medical Announces Restructuring – Closes the Maine Facility

    “Symmetry Medical Announces Restructuring”  PRNewWire… http://ow.ly/NQ06 “Symmetry to close Auburn manufacturing plant”  Maine Today…  http://ow.ly/NPZm

Alphatec Spine to Acquire Scient’X With a Pure Stock-for-Stock Transaction by March 2010

   Alphatec will use 24M shares of ATEC stock or around $116M in value to purchase 100% of the outstanding shares in Scient’x. The combined company will create the third-largest independent spinal company with a global span of product distribution. Scient’x is the largest privately held independent spine company outside of the United States with product [...]

Smith and Nephew Orthopedics Plans to Move Its Corporate Headquarters to the Other Side of Memphis

  Smith & Nephew was granted a 15-year PILOT for its expansion plans at Goodlett Farms.  As part of the growth, it will add 160 new jobs with an average annual wage of $121,425 including benefits. A previous application indicated average pay of $101,000 including benefits.  The company will purchase a 285,000-square-foot building that was [...]

Ouroboros Medical Gets European Clearance for Its OSS Device for Spinal Fusions

Ouroboros Medical, Inc., an early stage medical device company focused on developing minimally invasive spine products for degenerated disc disease, has received approval to market Ouroboros’s spinal fusion product in Europe. “Ouroboros Medical Inc. Establishes European Approval and Awarded 2009 Spine Technology Summit Award” BusinessWire…  http://ow.ly/MEGs

No Changes Imminent for the 510(k) Process

According to an editorial published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, acting director of the CDRH, has confirmed that no sweeping changes are imminent for the 510(k) process. The rigor of the 510(k) pathway has been a subject of discussion for several years, with concerns punctuated by the clearance of ReGen Biologics’ Menaflex. [...]

JBJS – the Latest Clinical Developments and Trends in Knee Reconstruction

  3 Hospital factors lead to the best outcomes – teaching institution, high arthroplasty volumes and location in the Midwest US Unicompartmental knee arthroplasties are gaining traction in the marketplace Computer-assisted knee replacement looks good in the short term HealthPointCapital…  http://ow.ly/LESV

Survivorship at 22 to 26 Years Reported With Uncemented Tapered Total Hip Stem

  Biomet Taperloc     The results of an award-winning paper showed a loosening rate of 0.7% at 22 to 26 years follow-up for uncemented total hip arthroplasty performed with a tapered femoral component. In his study, Jeffrey R. McLaughlin, MD, found one uncemented femoral stem among the 145 hips (138 patients) that were treated [...]

Ellipse Technologies Announces the World’s First Remote Control Device Used Clinically to Straighten a Human Spine

Ellipse Technologies completes a first-in-man dynamic adjustment at the University of Hong Kong. Using MAGEC Technology, a single minimally invasive surgical procedure is completed. Then, during a series of simple outpatient visits, the physician will dynamically adjust the MAGEC Technology from outside the body via the MAGEC System’s control unit, thus eliminating the need for multiple highly invasive [...]

Ascension Orthopedics Hires Key Senior Executives

  Ascension Orthopedics, Inc., a leader in orthopedic extremity implants, announces the recent hiring of two veteran executives, L. Robert Johnston, Jr. as CFO and Clifton J. Seliga as Senior VP of Marketing. PRNewsWire…  http://ow.ly/Kexm

Applied Spine Technologies Awarded a Unique Articlulating Screw Patent – “Mounting Mechanism for Pedicle Screws and Related assemblies.”

Bruce Robie, Ph.D., company VP of Research and Development said, “The two key elements of an optimal dynamic stabilization device are a connector that can change length, and a mechanism that permits dynamic angulation between the connector and the pedicle screws, as the patient bends.” OrthopedicsThisWeek…  http://ow.ly/K6eV

Stretching Implant Life – Ideas From Cambridge University’S Engineering Department

A researcher from Cambridge University’s engineering department has been awarded a €1.5m (£0.9m) grant from the European Research Council (ERC) to set up a research group to improve the lifespan of prosthetic implants such as hip replacements. Researcher Athina Markaki and her team are working on a therapy whereby controlled levels of mechanical strain could [...]

Captiva Spine Receives 510(k) Clearance for Its Proprietary Lumbar Interbody Fusion Device, the PIVOTEC™

Press Release…  http://ow.ly/JcXO

Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Gains Ground at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia

Tubular Retractors The biggest technological advance, in the estimation of Dr. Ogden, has been the invention of tubular retractors, which allow the spine surgeon to insert a tube through a small incision close to the problem area, gently spread the muscles apart rather than cut through them, and perform delicate procedures such as: – Discectomy, [...]

BioMedFlex Raises Half of Targeted $500K Round to Sell Its Hard Carbon Biocompatible Coating for Use on Medical Implants

BioMedFlex’s thin coatings feature chemical inertness, high flexural strength, wear resistence, low friction, non-reflective and electrically insulating characteristics, among others differentiating them from other coatings. TechJournalSouth…  http://ow.ly/JdeT Company Website….  http://www.biomedflex.com/

‘Orthopedic Triad’ Essential to the Success of Mobile Bearing Knee Systems

Seth Greenwald, DPhil (Oxon), director, Orthopaedic Research Laboratories, discusses the elements of a successful Mobile Bearing Knee System.  In the interest of assuring the functionality and longevity of mobile bearing knee systems, physicians should focus on an “orthopedic triad” composed of patient factors, design and material manufacturing choices, and surgical variables. OrthoSupersite…  http://ow.ly/ImM6

Rural Patients More Likely to Have Joint Replacement

Patients in rural areas are more likely than urban dwellers to undergo total knee and hip replacement surgeries, a new study found.   Among Medicare recipients, rural residents were 27% more likely to have one of the joints replaced (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.26 to 1.28), according to an online report published Nov. 30 in [...]

AxioMed Spine Raises $6.4M to Continue Developing Spinal Disc Replacements

    AxioMed Spine has completed the first part of its third financing round, raising $6.4 million from ”leading venture capital firms,” which were not named. The company that is developing next-generation spinal disc replacements is working toward a Series C round of $18.5 million, according to a written statement by its president and CEO, Patrick McBrayer.  MedCityNews…   http://ow.ly/I1oY

Arthrex Wins Appeal From Smith and Nephew Over Suture Anchor Products Used During Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery

  Arthrex Inc. has won an appeal in federal court over a patent infringement lawsuit filed by a competitor, reversing a $23 million judgment stemming from a trial last year in an Oregon, the Naples-based medical device manufacturer said Wednesday. The favorable ruling means that no injunction is pending against Arthrex’s SutureTak or PushLock products, [...]

Interview With Adam Weitz, Founder and CEO of Ortho Kinematics

HealthPointCapital sat down with Adam Weitz, Founder and CEO of Ortho Kinematics to talk about his company’s technology, unmet needs in spine surgery and advancing diagnostic capabilities for surgeons. This interview will be published in two parts. HealthPointCapital…  http://ow.ly/HHxQ

Former J&J Depuy Executive Charged With Bribery

 Robert John Dougall, 44, a past vice president at DePuy International, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, was charged in a magistrates’ court in London. The charge springs from allegations that Dougall had been trying to bribe Greek officials to win healthcare contracts for orthopedic products between February 2002 and December 2005. TheStreet.com  http://ow.ly/HHrk

Stryker Bets $525M on Recycling Medical Devices for Hospitals

    Stryker to acquire Ascent Healthcare Solutions, a company that helps hospital recycle medical devices designed for a single use.  The medical device industry has been wary of this practice in the past, questioning whether devices designed for a single use can be properly sterilized and whether they can hold up for multiple uses.  So it’s [...]

February 22, 2012

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