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Current Issues in Spine

February 2-4, 2017

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January 31, 2017 OrthoSpineNews

Written by  Megan Wood, Beckers Spine – 10 January 2017

Neurosurgeon Aria Sabit, MD, received a 235-month prison sentence today for fraud, as reported by Medscape.

Here are eight things you need to know:

Criminal history

1. Dr. Sabit possesses a significant criminal history, dating back to 2010. While practicing at Ventura, Calif.-based Community Memorial Hospital, Dr. Sabit “invested $5,000 in a physician-owned distributorship of screws, plates, rods and other pieces of spinal instrumentation,” according to Medscape. He earned profits from the POD, called Apex Medical Technologies, and urged his hospital to use the equipment. Dr. Sabit performed numerous “unnecessary surgeries,” receiving illegal kickbacks. Court documents revealed the Apex Medical Technologies illegal kickbacks totaled $440,000.

2. As a result of these unnecessary surgeries, about 30 of Dr. Sabit’s patients sued him for malpractice. Community Memorial Hospital cut ties with Dr. Sabit in December 2010 to protect patients.

3. With a California career in the rearview, Dr. Sabit took his practice to Detroit. His fraudulent ways were far from over, however. He convinced patients to receive spinal fusions with metal instrumentation, but “subsequent diagnostic imaging revealed that he never installed the hardware, just bone dowels, and never achieved fusion,” according to Medscape.

 

READ THE REST HERE


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January 30, 2017 OrthoSpineNews

January 30, 2017

IRVING, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–According to Vizient’s post-election survey of member hospital C-suite and hospital pharmacy executives, more than 90 percent are in favor of keeping the protections afforded to patients with preexisting conditions currently included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). A top concern for the future is lower reimbursements, followed by fewer insured/covered patients.

Vizient, Inc., the nation’s largest member-driven health care performance improvement company, conducted the survey to understand how its member hospitals are reacting to proposed changes by the new Administration to the ACA. The survey also asked executives about their top concerns for the future and their priorities for 2017.

“In reviewing the survey results, central themes come through: uncertainty and concerns about financial viability. There are many open questions about the future of the ACA, and what a repeal and replacement strategy could look like,” said Byron Jobe, president and chief administrative officer for Vizient. “As Congress wrestles with these decisions, it’s important to ensure reimbursement levels are enough to allow hospitals to continue their mission of caring for patients in their communities. Equally important, hospitals must quickly gain a clear understanding of where health policy is heading so they can begin to prepare.”

Top findings from the survey include:

  • An overwhelming majority of hospital C-Suite leaders (89.5%) and hospital pharmacy executives (96.2%) want to keep the ACA’s protections of patients with pre-existing conditions in place
  • The majority of hospital C-Suite leaders want to see value-based reimbursement continued in the event that changes are made to the ACA
  • The top concern for the future of the executives surveyed was lower reimbursement, followed by fewer insured/covered patients
  • Looking ahead, the leaders surveyed cited reimbursement from Medicare/Medicaid, followed by health policy, as having an influence over hospital merger and acquisition activity
  • In light of recent price spikes and drug shortages, 55% of hospital executives surveyed said they would like the Trump administration to work with the FDA to fast-track competitive drugs to market
  • Across all executives surveyed, their top 3 priorities for 2017 were (1) reducing clinical variation across care delivery, (2) migrating toward value-based models and (3) the integration of existing technology systems

“We believe there is broad consensus among hospital leaders that the traditional fee-for-service payment model alone is not sustainable. There have been significant investments made in the migration toward value-based care, and hospitals require a coherent direction in order for these programs to deliver on their promise,” said Jobe. “During this time of uncertainty, executives should focus on factors they can control. Addressing operational efficiency, reducing clinical variation and driving down costs will help executives ensure that their organizations can sustainably weather a changing and potentially leaner operating environment.”

Survey Methodology

The survey was conducted online, with the results based on responses from 222 health care C-suite leaders (CEO, COO, CFO, CMO, CNO, CIO) and hospital pharmacy executives between Dec. 1—14, 2016.

About Vizient, Inc.

Vizient, Inc., the largest member-driven health care performance improvement company in the country, provides innovative data-driven solutions, expertise and collaborative opportunities that lead to improved patient outcomes and lower costs. Vizient’s diverse membership and customer base includes academic medical centers, pediatric facilities, community hospitals, integrated health delivery networks and non-acute health care providers and represents almost $100 billion in annual purchasing volume. The Vizient brand identity represents the integration of VHA Inc., University HealthSystem Consortium and Novation, which combined in 2015, as well as the recently acquired MedAssets’ Spend and Clinical Resource Management (SCM) segment, which includes Sg2. In 2016, Vizient received a World’s Most Ethical Company designation from the Ethisphere Institute. Vizient’s headquarters are in Irving, Texas, with locations in Chicago and other cities across the United States. Please visit www.vizientinc.com as well as our newsroom, blog, Twitter,LinkedIn and YouTube pages for more information about the company.

Contacts

Vizient, Inc.
Angie Boliver, 972-830-7961
angie.boliver@vizientinc.com


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January 30, 2017 OrthoSpineNews

By Ayesha Rascoe – Reuters, January 30, 2017

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump signed an order on Monday that will seek to dramatically pare back federal regulations by requiring agencies to cut two existing regulations for every new rule introduced.

“This will be the biggest such act that our country has ever seen. There will be regulation, there will be control, but it will be normalized control,” Trump said as he signed the order in the Oval Office, surrounded by a group of small business owners.

Trump’s latest executive action will prepare a process for the White House to set an annual cap on the cost of new regulations, a senior official told reporters ahead of the signing.

For the rest of fiscal 2017, the cap will require that the cost of any additional regulations be completely offset by undoing existing rules, the official said on customary condition of anonymity.

READ THE REST HERE


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January 27, 2017 OrthoSpineNews

January 26th, 2017 – By Walter Eisner

The public is going to get information on recalled medical devices a little quicker in 2017. The FDA announced on January 3, 2017 that the agency is posting device recall information on its website earlier than in previous years.

The FDA used to post device recall information only after the agency announced the company’s initiation of a correction or removal action. Now, the agency is posting the information on the Center for Devices and Radiological Health’s (CDRH) Medical Device Recalls Database at the time the company takes a correction or removal action and notifies FDA that it can post the information, rather than at the time of FDA’s recall classification.

Click here to go to the agency’s recall page.

So far, there has only been one recall in 2017. Nurse Assist Inc. recalled the normal saline flush syringes due to incidents of Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia) contamination. B. cepacia is a bacterium that can cause bloodstream infections, particularly in patients with weak immune systems.

The FDA issued 39 device recalls in 2016, which was more than the 32 recalls from 2015 but significantly less than the 60 recalls from 2014.

 

READ THE REST HERE


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January 27, 2017 OrthoSpineNews

Minneapolis, MN – VTI, a MIS medical device company focused on lumber spine solutions, announced today that it has been granted a new patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This patent relates to the company’s unique modular, in vivo assembly technology and its motion preservation, InterCushion® pipeline product. VTI now has over 25 patents and patent pending assets in its global intellectual property portfolio.

“The grant of this patent expands and lengthens VTI’s protection of our unique in vivo expansion technology for minimally invasive lumbar spine solutions. VTI is a world leader in lumbar spine focused motion preservation/disc nucleus replacement technology. This patent exemplifies our continued commitment to protect and broaden our intellectual property portfolio in this space. We are encouraged by the clinical results we are seeing from clinical trials using VTI’s modular technology in our InterCushion® product line,” commented Matthew R Kyle, President and CEO of VTI.

VTI’s InterCushion® lumbar spine motion preservation product has been successful in reducing pain, preserving disc, and halting modic changes in clinical trials in Canada. Currently, several patients are at or near 5 years’ post implantation with continued clinically successful outcomes.

Dr. Philip de Muelenaere stated “The potential value of an intervertebral nucleus replacement is linked to decreased future deterioration of the spinal motion segment. By maintaining disc height, the motion is maintained, stability is regained and long term collapse prevented. This protects the patency of the foramina, and decreases facet arthrosis which, apart from being a pain generator, will compromise the exiting nerve root.

The 5 year follow up MRI study proves that the prosthesis had maintained its position, maintained the disc height and kept the patients pain free.”

ABOUT VERTEBRAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Vertebral Technologies, Inc. (VTI) is a privately held company based in Minneapolis, MN, USA. VTI is dedicated to the design, development, manufacturing and marketing of medical devices to address painful conditions of the spine through less-invasive surgical approaches. VTI’s products utilize its unique modular-assembly technology to deliver solutions optimized for both surgeons and their patients. VTI sells InterFuse® modular interbody fusion devices worldwide.

For more information visit, http://www.vti-spine.com or contact Brian Thron at marketing(at)vti-spine(dot)com or +1.952-979-1811


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January 26, 2017 OrthoSpineNews

RAYNHAM, Mass., Jan. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — DePuy Synthes*, part of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the VIPER® and EXPEDIUM®Fenestrated Screw Systems. When used in conjunction with CONFIDENCE™ High Viscosity Spinal Cement, the screws are intended to restore the integrity of the spinal column in patients with advanced stage spinal tumors. The VIPER and EXPEDIUM Fenestrated Screw Systems may be used in open or percutaneous spinal fusion surgery.

Metastatic spine disease accounts for 10 percent to 30 percent of new cancer diagnoses annually.1 Surgical fixation with pedicle screws may be used as palliative care to stabilize the spine, help reduce pain and help keep the patient mobile.1The VIPER and EXPEDIUM Fenestrated Screws are designed with a hollow shaft, or cannulation. This design along with holes called fenestrations above the screw tip enable controlled delivery of CONFIDENCE™ High Viscosity Spinal Cement into the vertebra to provide immediate screw fixation.

“Metastatic disease in the spine can be severely painful and limiting for patients who are really trying to maintain quality of life, and there is a significant need for spinal implants that enhance stability in metastatic bone disease so that these patients can continue to function freely,” said William C. Horton, M.D., Vice President of Research & Development, DePuy Synthes Spine. “We designed these fenestrated screw systems to help address those needs, and to facilitate minimally invasive solutions for patients suffering from this disease.”

The VIPER Fenestrated Screws are compatible with the VIPER and EXPEDIUM 5.5 Spine Systems and the EXPEDIUM Fenestrated Screws are compatible with the EXPEDIUM VERSE Spinal System. Both fenestrated screw systems are anticipated to be available in the United States in mid-2017.

Indications for Use

When used in conjunction with CONFIDENCE™ High Viscosity Spinal Cement, the VIPER® and EXPEDIUM® Fenestrated Screw Systems are intended to restore the integrity of the spinal column even in the absence of fusion for a limited time period in patients with advanced stage tumors involving the thoracic and lumbar spine in whom life expectancy is of insufficient duration to permit achievement of fusion. The VIPER® and EXPEDIUM® Fenestrated Screw Systems augmented with the CONFIDENCE™ High Viscosity Spinal Cement are for use at spinal levels where the structural integrity of the spine is not severely compromised.

About DePuy Synthes Companies
DePuy Synthes Companies, part of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, provides one of the most comprehensive portfolios of orthopaedic solutions in the world. DePuy Synthes solutions, in specialties including joint reconstruction, trauma, craniomaxillofacial, spinal surgery and sports medicine, are designed to advance patient care while delivering clinical and economic value to health care systems worldwide. For more information, visit www.depuysynthes.com.

*DePuy Synthes represents the products and services of DePuy Synthes, Inc. and its affiliates. Medos International, SARL is the legal manufacturer of the VIPER and EXPEDIUM Fenestrated Screw Systems.

DSUS/SPN/0117/1510 01/17

1 Dunning, E.C, et al. Complications in the management of metastatic spinal disease. World J Orthop. 2012 Aug 18; 3(8): 114–121.

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/depuy-synthes-receives-fda-clearance-for-cement-augmented-pedicle-screw-systems-300397372.html

 


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January 26, 2017 OrthoSpineNews

SIRAKOSS Ltd., a UK-based medical device company developing innovative bone grafting solutions for the $3 billion global orthopaedic market, has announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted two  patents for its bone graft technologies.  SIRAKOSS‘ patent portfolio encompasses advanced synthetic bone graft technologies which  form the company’s product pipeline designed to address the significant clinical need for a fully-synthetic, standalone bone void filler.  SIRAKOSS’ technologies provide consistently effective bone regeneration without the established risks found by using either autograft or therapeutics-based products such as BMP’s.

The two new granted patents are important additions to SIRAKOSS’ intellectual property estate and significantly enhance the company’s technology and product pipeline.  Patent US 9,492,591 describes novel formulations of putty products, where the SIRAKOSS core technology may be combined with modified resorbable polymer carriers to produce a bone graft with improved handling characteristics and enhanced efficacy. The second patent (US 9,492,585) describes a range of bone graft technologies with specific microstructural properties that expands the potential products that SIRAKOSS can develop. These two new patents add to SIRAKOSS’ robust existing granted patents in Europe, Japan, Australia and China, and to the company’s core IP estate in the USA, Japan and Australia.

These patent grants occur as SIRAKOSS is advancing the development of its lead technology in Europe toward market.

The company’s proprietary technology is entirely synthetic, containing no human tissue and can be manufactured in consistent, high quality batches.  Surgeon feedback on pre-clinical performance data and handling properties of the SIRAKOSS bone graft substitutes, when compared to currently available products, has been very encouraging. The alternative approach against which all other options are measured is autograft – the ‘gold standard’ – where healthy bone is harvested from the patient’s hip and replanted at the defect site. The amount of bone that is available for grafting is limited, particularly in children, and requires two invasive operative procedures, increasing the risk for the patient and the cost for the hospital.  Other alternatives have seen products derived from cadaver bone, but these can be inconsistent in their performance.

Brian Butchart, CEO of SIRAKOSS, said “The granting of these two patents endorses the breadth of our technology and provides SIRAKOSS further protection for its unique product offerings in the largest single market for bone graft substitutes.”

Investor director, Sinclair Dunlop, Managing Partner at Epidarex Capital, said “this welcome expansion of SIRAKOSS’ global IP estate furthers the competitiveness of the company’s core technology and its potential for meeting a large market, driven by patient needs”

Synthetic bone grafts are used in trauma, spinal and dental surgery to fuse bones together to correct congenital or degenerative conditions (such as curvature of the spine) or following a traumatic injury where the bone fails to heal.

About SIRAKOSS Ltd.

SIRAKOSS Ltd is a medical device company that is developing synthetic bone graft technologies that will compete in a $3 billion global market. Bone graft substitutes are utilised in various orthopaedic and dental surgical procedures. SIRAKOSS is developing a number of products that will offer surgeons solutions to challenges that exist with current technologies, and are progressing these towards commercialisation. SIRAKOSS‘ patent portfolio provides protection for different types of synthetic bone grafts that form a product pipeline with products that have different properties related to new bone formation. This broad scope of technologies enables SIRAKOSS to develop a range of synthetic bone graft substitutes with significantly enhanced bone growth properties.  This provides the opportunities to develop products that would perform against other bone graft approaches, namely autograft, processed allografts and other synthetic bone graft substitutes. www.sirakoss.com

About Epidarex Capital

Epidarex Capital invests in early-stage, high growth life science and health technology companies in under-ventured markets within the UK and US. Epidarex was created to meet the need for more sector-specific risk capital for young companies, including spin-outs from leading research universities. The fund’s international management team has a track record of successfully partnering with top scientists and entrepreneurs to develop highly innovative products for the global healthcare market. For further information please visit www.epidarex.com.


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January 26, 2017 OrthoSpineNews

Aliso Viejo, CA – January 25, 2017 – OrthAlign, Inc., a privately held U.S.-based medical device and technology company, received 510(k) clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to commercialize its Direct Anterior Approach HipAlign® system. The handheld computer provides surgeons with critical measurements they need to optimize the outcomes of their direct anterior approach total hip replacement surgeries. This is accomplished with cup placement accuracy data and measurement changes in leg length and joint offset.

Based on FDA cleared bench test data, HipAlign technology provides cup placement accuracy of ±3°, with at least 97% confidence. The system accounts for pelvic tilt when measuring the abduction and anteversion angles of the acetabular cup. Additionally, the system measures changes in leg length and joint offset, within 3mm or less, with at least 97% confidence.

“The required surgical technique for Direct Anterior HipAlign is so simple and intuitive. One of the biggest value props is that I can now eliminate the need for intraoperative radiation exposure by getting fluoro out of the operating room. I can’t emphasize how game-changing that is…,” said E. Matthew Heinrich, MD of Orthopedic Specialists of Austin, in Austin, TX. “OrthAlign technology has been one of the most cost-effective, mobile, and accurate technologies in the orthopedic market since I started my practice over 15 years ago. I use KneeAlign® technology for all of my knees and will be using HipAlign for all of my hips.”

Recent statistics have shown that the direct anterior approach, despite being a more challenging surgery, is growing in popularity amongst surgeons as it arguably leads to quicker recovery, less pain, and more normal function for patients after a hip replacement. HipAlign for the Direct Anterior Approach was designed specifically to help surgeons more easily make the transition from posterior to direct anterior, while providing more clinically relevant positioning for cup placement, leg length, and joint offset. HipAlign is an open platform, so it can be used with any THA implant system. The technology does not require any pre-operative imaging, intraoperative fluoroscopy, or any additional personnel in the operating room to control components outside of the sterile field.

“There are three key principles that OrthAlign focuses on in product development: ease of use, precision, and cost-effectiveness,” said James Young Kim, OrthAlign’s Global Vice President of Marketing. “We are so proud of our newest application Direct Anterior Approach HipAlign. Our engineers set out to create a product that will enhance the surgical experience for direct anterior hip replacements and drive better accuracy for the best outcomes, all while fitting in the surgeon’s common workflow. Best of all, especially in this cost-conscious healthcare environment, OrthAlign technology is a fraction of the cost of competing technologies. There are no upfront capital expense requirements, no software costs, and no annual service contracts.”

OrthAlign will be showcasing its full portfolio of products, including the recently approved Direct Anterior HipAlign technology at this year’s AAOS meeting in San Diego, CA, March 15-18, 2017 at booth #5615.

About OrthAlign, Inc.

OrthAlign is a privately held medical device and technology company, committed to providing orthopedic surgeons with cutting edge, user-friendly, surgical navigation products for precise alignment and positioning. We believe that our technology will raise the standard of care in Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasty surgeries by making consistent and measurable results accessible to all surgeons, hospitals, and patients. Our strategy is to leverage this technology to provide simple and precision-driven solutions for a broad range of orthopedic procedures. For more information regarding OrthAlign, please visit www.orthalign.com.

ORTHALIGN®, ORTHALIGN PLUS®, KNEEALIGN®, KNEEALIGN® 2, HIPALIGN® and UNIALIGN™ are [registered] trademarks of OrthAlign, Inc.”


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January 26, 2017 OrthoSpineNews

January 25, 2017

BORDEAUX, France & BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Regulatory News:

IMPLANET (Paris:IMPL) (OTCQX:IMPZY) (Euronext: IMPL, FR0010458729, PEA-PME eligible; OTCQX: IMPZY), a medical technology company specializing in vertebral and knee-surgery implants, today announces that it has been given the green light by the American and European authorities, through FDA 510k clearance and CE marking, to market its new Jazz Frame® implant.

JAZZ Frame® is a system of connectors, the final link in the JAZZ Band® technological platform dedicated to the hybrid surgical technique. Implanet now offers surgeons the possibility of defining and optimizing a global strategy to reduce major deformities, thus maximizing long-term clinical outcomes.

Since we have been using sublaminar braid implants to reduce and stabilize scoliotic deformities, we have been able to show significantly greater reductions than we previously obtained with our all-screw or hook-and-screw assemblies”, says Professor Keyvan Mazda, MD, Ph.D, Robert Debré Hospital, APHP, adding: “Using the JAZZ Frame® facilitates the restoration of both frontal and sagittal balance, thanks to the simultaneous reduction of both thoracic curves. This is most notable in the case of the most complex deformities where shoulder imbalance is common. The result of years of clinical experience and of close collaboration with Implanet, JAZZ Frame® allows us to be even more efficient and quick for the sole benefit of patients.

Ludovic Lastennet, CEO of Implanet, adds: “We continue to strictly adhere to, and execute our business plan. The rapid marketing clearance in Europe and the United States is a real source of satisfaction, innovation that maximizes the clinical value of our technology. Optimized for implementation of the “frame” technique, we expect this implant to be rapidly adopted by our partner surgeons, pediatric and adult deformity specialists alike. The marketing release of JAZZ Frame® in our various markets is scheduled for the first quarter of 2017.

Next financial press release: 2016 annual results, on March 28, 2017
Implanet will participate in the Invest Securities Biomed Event, on January 26 in Paris.

About IMPLANET
Founded in 2007, IMPLANET is a medical technology company that manufactures high-quality implants for orthopedic surgery. Its flagship product, the JAZZ latest-generation implant, aims to treat spinal pathologies requiring vertebral fusion surgery. Protected by four families of international patents, JAZZ has obtained 510(k) regulatory clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States and the CE mark. IMPLANET employs 48 staff and recorded 2016 sales of €7.8 million. For further information, please visit www.implanet.com.
Based near Bordeaux in France, IMPLANET established a US subsidiary in Boston in 2013.
IMPLANET is listed on Compartment C of the Euronext™ regulated market in Paris.

Contacts

IMPLANET
Ludovic Lastennet, Tel. : +33 (0)5 57 99 55 55
CEO
investors@implanet.com
or
NewCap
Investor Relations
Florent Alba, Tel. : +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94
implanet@newcap.eu
or
NewCap
Media Relations
Nicolas Merigeau, Tel. : +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98
implanet@newcap.eu
or
AlphaBronze
US-Investor Relations
Pascal Nigen, Tel.: +1 917 385 21 60
implanet@alphabronze.net


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January 25, 2017 OrthoSpineNews

By Advanced Medical Technology Association | January 24, 2017

The Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) has announced that Juan-José Gonzalez, president, U.S. DePuy Synthes, part of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, has been named head of the organization’s Orthopedics Sector. In this role, Gonzalez will help lead and coordinate the regulatory and reimbursement ad-vocacy priorities that particularly impact AdvaMed’s orthopedic member companies.

As head of U.S. DePuy Synthes, Gonzalez leads a more than $5 billion orthopedic business and is responsible for all strategic and commercial activities. In his decade at Johnson & Johnson, he has held a number of management roles of increasing responsibility, most recently serving as president, DePuy Synthes Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), where he led the team driving innovation and growth across the EMEA region by leveraging a broad port-folio to address customer needs in the changing market environment. Gonzalez also has a passion and successful track record for driving talent development within his organization and serves as an ongoing mentor to many within Johnson & Johnson.

Gonzalez has an engineering degree from the University of Lima, Peru; an M.B.A. in marketing and corporate finance from the University of Notre Dame; and a master’s degree in technology from Columbia University.

“With his breadth of experience and knowledge of global markets, Juan-José is an excellent choice to lead AdvaMed’s Orthopedics Sector and to advocate worldwide for patient access to needed mobility technologies,” said AdvaMed senior vice president Tara Federici, staff lead for the sector.

Priority issues for the association’s Orthopedic Sector include:

  • Working with key stakeholders on the design, devel-opment and maintenance of an effective orthopedic device registry in the U.S.; and
  • Ensuring the value of orthopedic implants is captured in new payment methodologies.

– See more at: http://www.odtmag.com/contents/view_breaking-news/2017-01-24/advamed-names-new-head-of-orthopedics-sector#sthash.ek3eb20Q.dpuf