Year in Review: Fixation 2011

2011 was a year of mergers & acquisitions ultimately making the most headlines in the world of foot and ankle fixation news. This all started with the monster mega merger between Depuy Orthopedics and Synthes back in April. Before the dust even had a chance to settle, the acquisition of MMI by Stryker and then Ascension Orthopedics by Integra LifeSciences made headlines. Zimmer made a splash by acquiring the external fixation line ExtraOrtho and finally Wright Medical also joined in the fun by agreeing to carry ArthroCare's Opus Knotless suture fixation technology. The acquisition of these new technologies and expansion of the product lines certainly has influenced the playing field among the "Big" companies who are vying for the majority of the Foot & Ankle market share. Only time will tell who the winners and losers are by how the market responds to these changes and particularly where surgeon loyalty falls.

In light of last years chess match between some of the largest medical device companies, out of the ashes came a handful of new companies and product lines…

For starters, Arrowhead Medical Device Technologies brought forth the Arrow-Lok hammertoe implant. This implant eliminates the need for external k-wire fixation nor does it need any form of temperature control prior to or after insertion of the implant. The company is currently in the process of developing their next foot and ankle implant. Other companies new to the foot and ankle market include Solana Surgical, whose focus in currently on 1st MPJ implants; Nextremity Solutions, who is in the process of bringing forth the Nextra Hammertoe Correction System, and Paragon 28, who will be offering a complete line of forefoot, midfoot and hindfoot plates.

Some of the new products to hit the market this past year introduced traditional concepts with a new twist. The Stryker (formerly MMI) Anchorage CP Plate was the first plate of it's kind, allowing surgeons

the ability to introduce an interfragmental compression screw actually through a dedicated screw hole. The new plates were specifically designed for a 1st MPJ Arthrodesis and Lapidus Arthrodesis. The Arrow-Lok implant previously mentioned takes the traditional buried k-wire fixation concept and augments it with the added benefit of greater pullout strength from the double-ended arrow tips. Other new products to highlight the year include the Pro-Toe VO

& Inbone II Total Ankle Replacement by Wright Medical, the BME Speed, the Integra U-Shaped Plate, and the Arthrosurface HemiCap Talar Resurfacing Implant (which at this time is still not yet available for use in the U.S.) As new products hit the open market, there was a trend in that Ankle Implants and Hammertoe Implants were definitely the hottest fixation of 2011

Probably the most exciting news though of 2011 for foot and ankle surgeons was the inaugural year of FootandAnkleFixation.com! No longer will surgeons have no place to look for updated and relevant foot and ankle surgery information for your daily practice and patients. Too many other orthopedic websites focus on the corporate aspect of medical device information, where our information is dedicated to the driving force behind it all, the actual fixation devices and how it relates to the surgeon's practice. By surgeons, for surgeons.

So what's on the horizon for 2012? Stay tuned to FootandAnkleFixation.com to keep up with the latest unbiased foot and ankle fixation news.

New Product: HemiCAP® Talar Resurfacing Implant

With all of the hype surrounding Ankle Joint Implants / TAR, a new implant has surfaced on the market (no pun intended) from Arthrosurface. The Hemicap Talar Resurfacing Implant is different in the sense that it is not a Total Ankle Replacement, but is designed for more specific or focal talar dome defects. Arthrosurface has taken the technology from their Hemicap DF System for 1st MPJ resurfacing and applied the same concept to the new talar implant. The device has a cobalt chrome articular surface with the undersurface coated in Titanium.

As stated on the Arthrosurface website, "The HemiCAP system is intended to provide an effective interim means for managing pain and disability in the middle-aged patient until a total joint replacement treatment option becomes more necessary, and is part of a clinical treatment strategy to help avoid early-age-revision scenarios. The prosthetic may also provide a treatment option for the older patient who may not tolerate the morbidity of a total joint replacement procedure."

This implant is not yet available for use in the United Sates or Canada. However, it is cleared in Europe and Arthrosurface has a program set up through which pateints can connect with physicains overseas. FootandAnkleFixation.com offers many informative services to foot and ankle surgeons, and we strive to provide up-to-date product news and information that we feel is pertinent to your practice. Unfortunatly, we do not include non FDA cleared products in our comprehenisve database. We will bring attention to those that are either on the verge of being cleared or that we feel are potentially industry changing. This is an exciting new option for reconstructive ankle surgery and we look forward to the opportunity when we can explore this implant further

Arthrosurface: New Website

Here at FootandAnkleFixation.com, we try not to get bogged down in the corporate side of medicine that you'll find in most orthopedic online websites. Our goal is to present only fixation product updates that will make a difference in your daily practice. With that said, every now and then there are changes within the industry, that we feel are important enough to bring attention to. Arthrosurface, makers of joint resurfacing systems, have upgraded their website and product pages to a more surgeon friendly site where all of their product information is very accessible. It is very easy navigate through their site and find product literature, videos, and general media content.

As Arthrosurface has helped to make it easier for you as a surgeon, unfortunately, most other device companies have not. Thus the idea behind creating SurgicalFixation.com. Our goal is to create an online resource where you can go for all of your Fixation needs without the need to waste time searching for implant information. Like Arthrosurface, we have created a user friendly platform for where you can find product information by procedure including product brochures, product literature, and quick tip videos. Give it a try, start by looking at the Arthrosurface products here.