First a definition: A "Sacred Cow" is a widely held belief, tradition, or practice within an industry or organization that is rarely questioned, fiercely protected from criticism, and often upheld despite evidence suggesting it may be outdated, inefficient, or counterproductive.
Every industry has them, including orthopedics, and they can create dangerous blind spots that sink even the biggest players.
Kodak, the former king of photography, had a Sacred Cow. They invented the digital camera but clung to their Sacred Cow: film was their cash cow, and digital was a threat. Instead of embracing the future, they defended the past and filed for bankruptcy in 2012. Why? They asked, “How do we sell more film?” instead of, “What business are we really in?”
Orthopedics isn’t immune to Sacred Cows. Public ortho companies with global sales risk falling into the same defensive mindset, driven by short-term financials and the wrong question: “How do we sell more products next quarter?” Here are seven Sacred Cows I see in orthopedics today—and the blind spots they create:
#1 – We sell implants, disposables, and capital equipment. Our revenue comes from hardware.
Blind spot: Software is beco...
