By SARA MALM – September 3, 2016

A single injection of protein harvested from a patient’s own blood may replace the need for knee surgery for osteoarthritis sufferers.

The new 20-minute procedure sees blood drawn from the patient’s arm, separated in a centrifuge, after which part of the fluid is then injected into the arthritic knee.

The surgeon who brought the treatment to the UK believes it can stop the need for keyhole surgery for osteoarthritis of the knee altogether.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, particularly affecting people aged 65 and over.

The degenerative condition affects the cartilage – the joint’s connective tissue – causing pain, stiffness and inflammation.

A trial study in the Netherlands published earlier this year showed that 85 per cent of patients had little to no pain in their knee six months after new procedure, which is called the NStride Autologous protein injection.

A further, larger, study based on work in Italy, Austria, Belgium and Norway, which has seen similarly positive results, is due to be published later this month.

About 55ml of blood is taken from a vein in the patient’s arm, mixed with an anticoagulant and centrifuged at high speed for 15 minutes, causing the blood to separate into three layers – a yellow blood plasma; a red blood cell concentration; and a ‘platelet-rich plasma’, a solution comprising platelet cells and some white blood cells.

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By Shaun Gallagher

WARSAW, Ind. — While Northern Indiana is known as the RV Capital of the world, just an hour south of us, the orthopedic industry could give the RV industry a run for its money.

“The local companies here generate $17 billion in revenue annually,” Sheryl Conley, President & CEO of Orthoworx said. “It has $5 billion of impact to the state of Indiana on very many economic levels. It is critical to us. it is an industry that’s continuing to grow.”

For this growing industry, dozens of legislators came to Warsaw to hear about the economic boom it provides for the state.

“It’s increasingly known as the orthopedic implant capital of the world,” Chris Cerone, VP of Global Government Affairs for Zimmer Biomet said. “It’s a tremendous American success story. I have an opportunity to travel to other countries and one of the best things I do is talk about Warsaw and it’s importance to patients, health care and the importance to the economy of both Warsaw the region and the state and the US economy as well.”

While the industry is booming in Indiana and the country, it’s also big internationally and Warsaw is globally recognized as the hub of orthopedics devices.

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Written By John Overall – August 22, 2016

TUCSON – The first hip replacement surgery was performed in 1960. Now, more than 300,000 total hip replacements are performed each year in the United States.

Dr. Russell Cohen from the Tucson Orthopaedic Institute joined a team of other surgeons to develop a new surgical technique that allows their patients to get back on their feet sooner.

59-year-old Mindy Sparks suffers from severe arthritis in her hips. About six months ago the pain became unbearable, “I would walk across a parking lot and almost feel like crying it hurt so badly,” Sparks said.

Dr. Cohen showed News 4 Tucson Mindy’s X-Rays, “You can see here that her hip joint is completely gone. There’s no separation between the ball and the socket. So these two hips are about as bad as a hip needs to be before we recommend it be replaced,” Dr. Cohen said.

Dr. Cohen has been performing minimally invasive hip and knee replacements since 2003. About three years ago Dr. Cohen joined six other surgeons and came up with a procedure they call The Direct Superior Approach to the hip.

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