Congresses and Meetings

This weekend sees the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) annual meeting, starting April 7, 2014. Mazor Robotics is using the occasion to debut and officially launch the new Renaissance Guidance System brain module, which it says is FDA-cleared for both spine and brain surgery.

It’s only one study, but it’s perhaps telling that the theoretical advantages of a balloon-expandable transcatheter valve design seem to carry through into clinical reality as procedural success for Sapien XT significantly outstrips its rival CoreValve.

Zimmer Spine, Inc., has announced the U.S. market launch of a comprehensive family of Puros Demineralized Bone Matrix (DBM) with Reverse Phase Medium (RPM) Putty, Putty with Chips, Gel and Paste, and Puros DBM Block and Strip products

A combination of findings presented at ACC 2014 and a newly published clinical paper, point to a bleak future for Renal Denervation as a blood pressure reducing therapy, at least as far as Medtronic’s Symplicity System is concerned.

AccessClosure Inc., has commercially launched its Mynx Ace Vascular Closure Device at ACC 2014. The company says the device is a safe and secure vascular closure product that provides consistent results with a new, easy-to-use deployment system to seal femoral artery access sites.

Following FDA clearance in January, ACIST Medical Systems, Inc., has now announced the global introduction of the new ACIST|RXi™ Rapid Exchange FFR System – the world’s first Rapid Exchange FFR system. This device features new technology designed to provide physicians with a fast and easy way to perform Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) procedures.

Healthcare products company Medline is showcasing many products at AORN this weekend, but is using the event to launch Surgiseal Twist, a new delivery device for a cyanoacrylate topical skin adhesive.

A new study talks of significant reductions in fluoroscopy time, procedure time, radiation dose and contrast dose when using the Surefire Radiation Therapy Infusion System without placing permanent embolic coils.

Smith & Nephew has used the AAOS annual meeting at which to announce the launch of the JOURNEY™ II Cruciate Retaining knee replacement which it says will address about half of all knee replacement cases.

Smith & Nephew says its newly launched DYONICS PLAN system allows surgeons to visualize, assess and generate a comprehensive surgical report for each patient’s unique Femoroacetabular impingement surgery before that patient ever enters the operating room.

A pioneer in orthopaedic 2D/3D imaging, EOS imaging has announced the CE mark of hipEOS, a 3D hip arthroplasty planning software based on EOS biplanar 3D imaging.

German industrial chemicals outfit, Evonik corporation has its finger in many pies and is trumpeting the success of its VESTAKEEP PEEK material, which has found its way into many medical devices. They’d like to tell you more at AAOS this week.

The U.S. FDA has cleared Maxx Orthopaedics’ Freedom PCK Revision Knee System claimed by its manufacturer to be one of the most bone-conserving, low profile revision knee systems available on the market.

Exactech, Inc. has taken the opportunity presented by this week’s AAOS meeting to announce successful first surgeries using its new Equinoxe® Resurfacing Humeral Head.

It’s the annual AAOS congress this week, an event so etched into the lives of the orthopaedic community worldwide that’s it’s become known simply as “Academy”. This year it’s in New Orleans, so attendees would be well advised to leave next weekend free for recovery.

On-X® Life Technologies Inc. has announced that it will officially launch its On-X Plus 1.5 Aortic Heart Valve at the Annual Meeting & Cardiothoracic Forum of the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain & Ireland, March 10-12, Edinburgh, Scotland.