Amedica Corporation announced that it has been granted two United States patents for its total disc replacement (TDR) technology that features the use of silicon nitride in the construction of the complete implant. U.S. Patent No. 7,758,646 B2 and U.S. Patent No. 7,771,481 B2 cover the disc’s design and the use of the silicon nitride ceramic materials in its construction. This is yet another important addition to Amedica’s growing patent portfolio for spinal implant applications.

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A study appearing in the August 2010 issue of Anesthesiology found that patients receiving a total hip or knee replacement in Taiwan had a higher incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) when general anesthesia was administered for the operation than when the same procedures were performed under epidural/spinal (regional) anesthesia. The study’s findings support the evolving concept of long-term consequences of anesthesia.

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Zimmer Holdings, Inc. has announced the first implantation of the Zimmer® NCB (Non-Contact Bridging) Periprosthetic Plating System. Scheduled for full release in the Fall of 2010, the Zimmer NCB Periprosthetic Plating System is the first comprehensive solution available to address complex femoral fractures which can occur around a hip or knee implant. Hip and knee replacements have been shown to be extremely effective procedures but may be complicated by periprosthetic fractures.

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Ascension Orthopedics, Inc. has announced the implantation of an additional PyroTITAN™ Humeral Resurfacing Implant in Brisbane, Australia. The PyroTITAN was implanted last month at the Brisbane Private Hospital. PyroTITAN Humeral Resurfacing implant offers a conservative, bone-sparing option for patients in need of shoulder joint replacement. The PyroTITAN is available in 12 sizes, which are based on published anthropomorphic data of over 300 human humeri to provide an improved anatomic fit.

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The Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Devices advisory committee has unanimously recommended the FDA approval of DePuy Orthopaedics’ Pinnacle CoMplete Acetabular Hip System, the first ceramic-on-metal hip bearing to be considered for approval in the US. The recommendation was based on the clinical study comparing Pinnacle CoMplete System to a commonly used DePuy metal-on-metal implant on the efficacy and safety. Laboratory testing on the Pinnacle CoMplete System showed a greater than 90% reduction in wear compared to the metal-on-metal system under normal gait conditions and a more than 80% reduction in wear under adverse conditions.

The Stone Clinic in San Francisco reported it implanted the first commercially available meniscus templates in California this past week, opening up a whole new field of meniscus reconstruction. The implant permits segmental rebuilding of portions damaged or missing meniscus cartilage, the fibrous shock absorber of the knee. To date doctors have only been able to remove, suture repair or replace the whole meniscus with cadaver tissue. There was no method of rebuilding or regenerating missing and torn segments.

MAKO Surgical Corp. has announced that it received two 510(k) clearances from the US Food and Drug Administration to market both the Company’s proprietary Version 2.0 Tactile Guidance System(tm) (TGS(tm)), branded as the MAKO RIO(tm), and its bicompartmental knee resurfacing implant system, branded as RESTORIS(r) MCK. MAKO currently expects to commercially launch both the RIO(tm) system and the RESTORIS(r) MCK system in the first half of 2009. Obtaining the FDA 510(k) clearance for each of these products represents the achievement of a key milestone towards the continuing commercialization of innovative technology that restores patient quality of life.

DePuy Mitek, Inc. has announced the launch of the HEALIX™ BR Dual Threaded Anchor System, the first suture anchor for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair made with the company’s proprietary BIOCRYL® RAPIDE™ biocomposite material, shown in pre-clinical trials to resorb and promote bone formation within the implant profile2. BIOCRYL RAPIDE has become an important technology platform in orthopedics sports medicine. The biocomposite material, exclusive to DePuy Mitek products, has more than four years of clinical success in more than 100,000 patients. BIOCRYL RAPIDE is currently used in the MILAGRO Bioreplaceable Interference Screw for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair.

Empa has developed a novel sensor to help doctors monitor broken bones as they grow back together. They can now decide whether the healing process is progressing normally or whether there is a danger that the fracture or implants might be overloaded. An electronics-free sensor offers many advantages not least of the financial kind. In the new Empa sensor the data is read out by means of an ultrasonic scanner. The solution is in the form of a small, hollow spiral which sits on the implant together with a fluid reservoir.

DePuy Spine Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company, has launched the VERTIGRAFT® VG1® CERVICAL ALLOGRAFT, an innovative bio-implant for anterior cervical fusion surgery designed to align with the spinal anatomy for maximum stability and freeze-dried for easy storage. VG1 CERVICAL’s trapezoidal design matches the anatomy of the cervical spine and its open central chamber allows surgeons to add graft material of their choice.