Ascension Orthopedics implants first humeral resurfacing prosthesis outside the United States

Ascension Orthopedics, Inc., announced the first implantation of the PyroTITAN Humeral Resurfacing Arthroplasty outside the United States in a press release. The PyroTITAN was implanted last month in Brisbane, Australia in a 46-year-old patient who reported "immediate pain relief" within 24 hours of surgery.

The PyroTITAN Humeral Resurfacing implant is the first commercially-available shoulder arthroplasty prosthesis made of pyrocarbon in the world, according to the company.

"This was a young patient with severe intractable pain not responsive to oral medication. His pain interfered with sleep and was combined with a significant loss of range of motion. Traditionally in a patient of this age, you would be concerned about performing a total shoulder arthroplasty due to his activity level and functional expectations. On the other hand, with damage to his glenoid as a consequence of a fracture dislocation 15 years previously, you would also have significant concerns performing a metal hemiarthroplasty. The promise of pyrocarbon hemiarthroplasty is the potential for preservation of the native glenoid, even when the cartilage is not perfect," stated Mark Ross, MB, BS, FRACS(ORTH), the orthopedic surgeon who performed the surgery.

Jerome Klawitter, PhD, chief science officer of Ascension Orthopedics, commented in the release, “Ascension's commitment to research with pyrocarbon technology is based on the material's enhanced wear resistance and biocompatibility against native bone and cartilage compared to other bearing surfaces such as cobalt chrome, titanium and ceramic. Native joints have been shown to lubricate through the adsorption of surfactant to cartilage, providing boundary layer lubrication. Similarly, adsorption of surfactant onto graphitic surfaces aids in lubricating joints, offering favorable wear characteristics against native cartilage."

Ascension Orthopedics reports it has more than 35,000 pyrocarbon extremity joints implanted. Other currently marketed devices include pyrocarbon implants for the finger joints and base of the thumb, a lunate implant for the wrist, and an interpositional implant for the tarsometatarsal joint of the midfoot. Ascension plans to expand its range of shoulder offerings with a modular total shoulder system that includes a pyrocarbon hemiarthroplasty option and has several other pyrocarbon-based extremity products at various stages of development, according to the release.