Collaborate to innovate

In 1970, Robin Ling, OBE, FRCS, an orthopedic surgeon in Exeter, England, worked with Howmedica engineers to develop the Exeter Hip. Almost 40 years later, it is one of the leading hip implants in the world both in terms of long-term clinical performance and the number of implants used.

In 1980, David Hungerford, MD, and Kenneth Krackow, MD, worked with Bob Kenna and Howmedica engineers to develop the PCA Knee. This process revolutionized instrumentation and implant design, and the impact continues to this day. Our latest-generation implants like the Gamma3 Nail, the Accolade Hip and the Triathlon Knee are among the hundreds of examples of surgeons working together with engineers to develop cutting-edge solutions at our company alone.

While you’re attending the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 76th Annual Meeting and walking around the exhibits, you may see many such products with similar histories at the various booths. All are a testament to the value of the surgeon-and-developer/engineer partnership.

We are able to understand that the success of these products depends in large part upon the incredibly hard work undertaken by surgeons, clinical researchers and developers to conduct clinical studies. Additionally, the orthopedic world obtains information about outcomes via the lectures given by the author-surgeons at meetings like the AAOS. In summary, orthopedic companies can more effectively design, study and teach when they partner with surgeons because clinical input is an integral part of the development process.

The surgeon/industry partnership in the development of orthopedic implants has led to one of the most successful surgical interventions (ie, joint replacements) for patients. Each year, patients undergoing a total hip or knee arthroplasty are given the opportunity to enjoy a much-improved quality of life. The recent oversight of surgeon/medical device manufacturer relationships presents an opportunity for all concerned to help the general public, legislators and others understand the necessity of these relationships, as well as the valuable role that team partnerships play in medical advancement and better patient care.

We continue to have a terrific opportunity to develop orthopedic implants to benefit an ever-growing population of patients. We understand that the demands of the future patient population will require us to develop more efficient instrumentation and implants.

We will also need to be ready to respond to the forecasted large increase in revisions with more-versatile but simpler and cost-effective solutions. Likewise, we have a large population of “younger” patients who are “not quite ready” for arthroplasty, but who may want a minimal intervention to extend the life of their joints.

These are all wonderful opportunities for the surgeon/engineer partnership to continue to create medical devices to promote better outcomes for patients all over the world.

For more information:
Michael Mogul is president of Stryker Orthopaedics in Mahwah, N.J.

References:
Australian Orthopaedic Association Annual Report 2008; www.aoa.org.au/Content/NavigationMenu/About/AOANJRR/Publications/default.htm.
Makela K, Eskelinen A, Pulkkinen P, et al. Cemented total hip replacement for primary osteoarthritis in patients aged 55 years or older: results of the 12 most common cemented implants followed for 25 years in the Finnish Arthroplasty Register. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2008 Dec; 90(12):1562-9.