Orthopedics This Week

Doctors and patients report rushes for procedures as worries over ACA overhaul spike.

According to their colleagues, these are the leading orthopedic hand surgeons in North America. Whether handling the wrist, elbow, or hand, these exemplary physicians have reached the pinnacle of their profession.

Renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jamie Alexandra Dale is seeking justice and $31 million after she was attacked and left for dead by her ex-boyfriend and former NFL player Curtis Jordan. Her permanent injuries have left her unable to continue her surgery practice. Her story is not only heartbreaking but an indication of the economic toll this attack represented.

Which companies will increase shoulder and foot/ankle market share in 2017. In mid-December we received a flashlight into the opaque future of those two dynamic extremity markets. The early Xmas gift came courtesy of top global medical technology analyst, Glenn Novarro. Here is what we learned.

It’s Donald Trump’s world in Washington. The Boss is driving agendas now and here’s the absolutely very latest. The ACA is first up. But there is also a spate of other year-end developments—primarily new digital healthcare initiatives—that should be noted.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tom Price is in charge of implementing President-elect Trump’s promise to repeal and replace Obamacare. He faces a 2,000 page long law and a Rubik’s Cube of rules and regulations. But he is the right guy for the job having led the Republican effort over the last couple of years to design an alternative plan. Can Obamacare be untwisted? What does it mean for orthopedics? We find out. 

It’s not a revolution, but it is changing orthopedics. 3D printing produced the fastest new product launch in Stryker Spine’s history. It also represented 20% of the winning spine technologies for 2016. Stryker’s rousing success with Tritanium has lessons for everyone. Here they are.

NASS new guidance document regarding bone growth stimulators for spine fusion brings clarity to an often confusing gaggle of products and indications. Bottom line, the evidence supports some bone stimulators and not others in spine fusion. Here’s the story.

RBC’s excellent spine surgeon survey, now in its eighth year, was released a couple of weeks ago and it provided many insightful, even surprising, results. Which products are spine surgeons most excited about? What do they think is happening with reimbursement? Is their business growing or declining? Here are RBC’s answers.

Robots, 3D printing and clever strategies for navigating the spinal anatomy dominated this year’s winning technologies. Clearly we are in an environment where risk reduction rules. And so our panel selected impressively clever technologies which make every surgeon even more perfect…and awesome. Congratulations to each and every winner!