Knee

It seems OrthoSensor has the technological capability to make knee prosthesis manufacturers’ implants look really good. Now Zimmer has signed up with the company to co-market the Verasense system alongside its own knee systems.

OrthoSensor™ has announced plans to launch its Verasense™ Knee System in European markets after recently receiving CE Mark approval. Verasense is the first integrated intelligent orthopaedic device to provide surgeons with real-time quantitative data on knee implant positioning, limb alignment and soft tissue balance during total knee replacement surgery.

Mako Surgical Corp. is one of today’s bigger fish in robotic surgery, although it’s had to overcome some choppy waters to get here. Now Stryker has got its teeth into the Florida based robot-assisted knee joint resurfacing outfit, to the tune of a $1.65Bn takeover.

Regentis Biomaterials says new clinical data demonstrates the efficacy and safety of its GelrinC implant for treating articular cartilage in injured knees. At the ICRS World Congress in Izmir, Turkey, the clinical results demonstrated sustained knee function improvement over 24 months after implantation and significant pain reduction.

Another absorbable ACL scaffold might well be on the horizon with the news that US company Soft Tissue Regeneration, Inc., has been issued a US patent which relates to its L-C Ligament®.

Ceterix™ Orthopaedics, Inc. has announced the commercial availability of its NovoStitch™ suture passer in the United States. The device enables surgeons to place stitches in tight joint compartments, including those in knees, hips and shoulders, during minimally invasive arthroscopic surgical procedures.

Stockholm based Episurf Medical has gained CE Mark certification for its personalised Episealer® implant for the treatment of femoral condyle cartilage defects in the knee.

Cell-technology company InGeneron, Inc., has announced a study to assess the use of adult adipose derived regenerative cells to enhance cartilage healing after knee surgery. The study will utilize InGeneron’s patented Transpose RT™ system to prepare regenerative cells from the patient’s own fat tissue.

FDA clearance for Verasense means it’s the first intraoperative system to market that combines quantifiable limb alignment and soft tissue balancing for surgeons during total knee arthroplasty.

OrthoSensor’s VERASENSE™ Intelligent Instrument System is obviously complementing Stryker’s Triathlon® Knee System as the two companies agree to extend their co-marketing arrangement.

Parametrics Medical, LLC, a private tissue bank has announced its release of its Coll-e-Strong line of soft tissue allografts. Using E-Beam Technology, to terminally sterilize the tissue without compromising the biomechanical properties of the collagen, the company claims its allograft line is the first to bridge the gap between biomechanics and sterility.

Zimmer Holdings, Inc. has announced that it has acquired the business assets of West Chester, Pennsylvania-based Knee Creations, LLC. Zimmer says the acquisition enhances its product portfolio of knee treatments through the addition of Knee Creations’ Subchondroplasty® procedure.

Stryker’s Shapematch cutting guide was the subject of a company recall last November. Now the FDA has upgraded the recall to Class I status, indicating the high risk it has placed on use of the device.

Biomet and OrthoSensor will co-promote Biomet’s Vanguard® Complete Knee System and OrthoSensor’s VERASENSE™ in a new deal, of which details have not been disclosed. Coupling the two technologies is expected to result in improved surgical and financial outcomes.

GelrinC is the first synthetic implant to be CE-approved that is said to provide a customised solution by completely filling cartilage lesions with acellular material. GelrinC is claimed to allow high quality cartilage to regenerate in the knee in the exact shape of the defect.

Steven Ek has been named ArthroSurface’s President and Chief Executive Officer, effective November 20, 2012. Mr. Ek is one of the original founders in Arthrosurface and a Director since inception.