Why we started Surgical Fixation

SurgicalFixation.com: For surgeons by surgeons.

We created SurgicalFIxation.com because we needed a better way to make decisions about fixation devices. Fixation choices are important – choosing the optimal device for a procedure can mean better outcomes for your patients. And happy patients are what it’s all about.

In an ideal world, surgeons would have time to do due diligence for every fixation choice for every kind of procedure we do. But the options are constantly evolving, and the information about fixation device options is spread across multiple manufacturers’ websites and journals. Gathering complete and up-to-date information about all your options is unmanageably time-consuming for most busy surgeons.

So we created Surgicalfixation.com.

SurgicalFixation.com gathers together in one place all the information you need to make a well-informed decision on a fixation device. You can see all your options for any procedure, with not only the manufacturer’s specs but also how each device is used, and peer and journal reviews. Our goal is to give you all the critical information you need to help you make the best decision. Think of it as due diligence made easy.

More Insurance Companies to Cover Total Ankle Replacement (TAR) systems.

Small Bone Innovations, Inc. (SBi), recently reported that UniCare had revised its coverage policy to cover Total Ankle Replacement (TAR) systems that are FDA-approved and cleared. They are now reporting that both Tricare and 38 of the 39 independent member companies of the BlueCross and BlueShield Association will cover SBi's STAR™ Total Ankle Replacement system.

See more information about the Small Bone Innovations: Star Ankle as well as other Total Ankle Replacement Implant options on the TAR Ankle Joint Implant Page.

Forthcoming articles by Foot & Ankle Specialist Online Now

Foot & Ankle Specialist offers the feature OnlineFirst that allows final revision articles (completed articles in queue for assignment to an upcoming issue) to be hosted online prior to their inclusion in a final print and online journal issue. This feature allows subscribers and members the ability to access the very latest papers in the field reducing the lead times between submission and actual journal publication.

In this month’s current early release is Lowell S. Weil Jr.’s paper on Anatomic Plantar Plate Repair Using the Weil Metatarsal Osteotomy Approach The study demonstrated favorable results (85% improved function, 77% satisfied outcome, improvement in the visual analog pain scale from 7.3 to 1.7) and minimal complications after analyzing the results of repairing plantar plate injuries in conjunction with a Weil metatarsal osteotomy.

You can see what fixation options are available for your next Weil metatarsal osteotomy on the Lesser Metatarsal Osteotomy Page.

WellPoint’s Unicare subsidiary has revised its coverage policy to cover Total Ankle Replacement (TAR) systems

Small Bone Innovations, Inc. (SBi), reported that UniCare, a subsidiary of WellPoint Health Networks, Inc, the nation's leading commercial health care insurer with over 30 million members, has revised its coverage policy to cover Total Ankle Replacement (TAR) systems that are FDA-approved and cleared.

UniCare members access WellPoint's nationwide network of primary care doctors and treatment facilities serving 13 million members in 37 states. UniCare's positive decision on TAR coverage further increases the number of individuals in commercial plans with access to TAR by 7%, according to SBi's reimbursement consultant, Musculoskeletal Clinical Regulatory Advisers, LLC (MCRA). This increase follows the positive decision by Aetna and CIGNA announced last month, and raises the total number of individuals in commercial plans with access to TAR by 24%. 

 

Charles Schneider, Vice President of Health Economics, Reimbursement and Public Policy at MCRA, said: "The majority of the largest U.S. commercial carriers, such as Aetna, CIGNA and UniCare, have now modified or revised their coverage policies to support patient access to TAR procedures having determined that solutions such as the STAR ankle are safe, effective and offer a clinically proven treatment option for patients suffering from end-stage ankle arthritis."

See more information about the Small Bone Innovations: Star Ankle as well as other Total Ankle Replacement Implant options on the TAR Ankle Joint Implant Page.

Wright Medical Announces the Commercial Launch of the PRO-TOE VO Hammertoe Fixation System

Wright Medical Group announced the full commercial release of the PRO-TOE^TM VO Hammertoe Fixation System and was featured at the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons March in Fort Lauderdale, FL (March 9-12,2011). The implant is the first metal internal hammertoe implant for Wright Medical. Jason Edie, Director of Research and Development, commented, "The PRO-TOE^TM VO Hammertoe system offers a number of advantages over the present implant options. The implant's construction provides a solid and secure fixation that prevents shortening of the toe. The implant is also fabricated from stainless steel which simplifies the procedure by eliminating the freezer storage and special instruments required for other implant alternatives.”

See more information about the Wright Medical: Pro-Toe VO Hammertoe Fixation System as well as other hammertoe implant options on the Hammertoe Correction Page.

Component Loosening A Source of TAR Revision in long-term follow-up

As reported on Orthosupersite.com, Swiss investigators presenting at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in February described aseptic loosening, talar component subsidence and progressive joint instability as the main factors contributing to the 34.9% revision rate they observed with a three-component total ankle replacement prosthesis. Samuel Brunner, MD, of Zurich, followed 72 patients who underwent total ankle replacement (TAR) with the Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (STAR, SBI) over a period of 14 years. Brunner and colleagues defined revision as any component exchange or conversion to ankle fusion and of these, aseptic loosening accounted for 75% of the revisions. According to Brunner,  “Patients with revision were considerably younger at 50.9 years at implantation than those without revision at 58.5 [years].” Based on these results, the investigators recommended against the use of hydroxyapatite-coated implants in TAR.

Reference:

Brunner S, et al. 10 to 14 year survivorship of a current 3-component total ankle prosthesis. Paper #55. Presented at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Feb. 15-19, 2011. San Diego.


See more information about the Small Bone Innovations: Star Ankle as well as other Total Ankle Replacement Implant options on the TAR Ankle Joint Implant Page.