We often talk about implant "commoditization" in orthopedics.
It’s that spooky campfire story that consultants use to scare medical sales reps. "Beware!" they say, "One day, your specialized hip implant will be treated with as much reverence as a box of Phillips head screws!" We chuckle and assure ourselves that the technical wizardry of the human body will always require our specialized touch.
But what if we didn't hit the brakes? What if we kept accelerating down the commoditization superhighway?
Where would we end up?
My friend just saw this at Home Depot. Gotta love the extra stem extension just in case the tibial bone is poor.
Yes, folks, you are seeing it right. A "Home Knee Replacement Kit." Available—where else?—in the glowing orange paradise of The Home Depot.
Forget the operating room. Forget the years of specialized training. Forget the anesthesiologist (though I do suggest a healthy dose of determination and maybe a bottle of bourbon before opening the blister pack). As the branding proudly proclaims, this is "1000-DO-IT-URSELF."
The packaging itself is a masterpiece of dark satire. It perfectly captures that bright, cheerful hardware store optimism. Look at the pro...
