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New products don’t make it to primetime unless they’re easy to use.
That was the comment a surgeon made at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons’ annual meeting that has stuck with me as I reflect on the orthopedic companies I spoke with in Las Vegas. The adoption of enabling technology and digital tools for adding precision, personalization and simplification to procedures was a significant theme for large orthopedic companies. The talking point for smaller companies across all orthopedic segments was also the potential to streamline. Whether related to product design or surgical techniques, “simplify” was repeated throughout their messaging.
Pristine Surgical announced in January that it received FDA 510(k) clearance for Summit, its 4K single-use arthroscope. A mandate at the early conception of the product was to make the arthroscope single-use. Summit connects to the company’s imaging processing unit, which can back into an existing O.R. tower.
“Surgeons are excited to have a new scope every time. It might seem like a nuisance, but it’s an important consideration,” said Dave Carey, Chief Commercial Officer of Pristine. He added that the model ensures no issues with sterilization or worn product. “It’s a great benefit to a surgeon or nurse. It’s about simplifying the workflow and reducing the time it takes to set up a room or teardown after a procedure.”
Pristine Surgical CEO Bryan Lord said part of the company’s value proposition is its embracement of digital technology. Pristine Connect is a cloud-based software that helps deliver high-definition images.
“We have a digital scope,” Lord said. “We can take this device and constantly and consistently upgrade it.” Not only can we push a button and do over-the-air software upgrades, but with our subscription business model, we can upgrade the box for our customers. It is a future-proof device.”
Like Pristine Surgical, numerous sports medicine, trauma and spine companies spoke about the need to move to single-use implants and instruments to meet the needs of the growing ASC market. Other companies talked about success in targeting underserved procedures in the market.
CurvaFix introduced its smaller-diameter 7.5mm CurvaFix IM implant, designed to simplify surgery and provide strong, stable fixation in small-boned patients with pelvis fractures. The company is one year into commercialization and about to scale its product portfolio nationwide. Leadership said that by designing implants with straight screws and trauma plates for this niche fracture indication, they developed a minimally invasive procedure that allows patients to recover in days instead of weeks.
The CurvaFix device is implanted through a small incision and over a steerable guidewire into the intramedullary space, then tracked over a guidewire and locked in place while using standard fluoroscopy.
“The procedure makes the pelvis more straightforward and simpler for surgeons who are not pelvic experts,” said Steven Dimmer, CEO of CurvaFix. “Most of our product’s use — and most of the market — has been with surgeons who are not pelvic experts. We’ve also received a big response from high-impact surgeons who do pelvis as part of their practice.”
The conversation around reducing complexity extended well beyond these two companies.
Aevumed, a sports medicine company with anchors for rotator cuff repair and tears in other extremities, talked about maintaining R&D and manufacturing in-house to remain nimble, learn processes and quickly respond to surgeons who seek differentiated and superior products. The company is focused on minimizing the 20% rotator cuff retear rate with its novel implant design.
Bonebridge, a Swiss orthopedic company dedicated to reducing complexity in orthopedic trauma cases, uses a TIC (Titanium Inlay Clip) System to allow for variable angle screw locking with its osteosynthesis plates. A highlight of its portfolio is the Tamina TF Proximal Humerus Plate to treat difficult fractures. The company’s instrument systems are optimized to provide surgeons with exactly what they need to place the implant, and nothing more. Bonebridge recently expanded to the U.S. after receiving its first FDA 510(k) clearance in 2021.
Orthopedic procedures are inherently complex, and surgeons seek ease of use with their implants and instruments. Companies that can simplify their processes, from the implant design to its packaging and use, will experience greater adoption.
