Smith & Nephew launches modular, mini hip stem for minimally invasive and anterior-approach hip replacement

At last week’s annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Smith & Nephew’s Orthopaedic Division introduced its Short Modular Femoral (SMF) Hip System, a modular total hip replacement stem system that exceeds the versatility and neck strength of a standard, full-size primary hip stem, while providing the stability of the traditionally longer, more invasive implant, according to a company press release. With this new design technology, surgeons can more efficiently implant Smith & Nephew’s proprietary VERILAST advanced bearing material via the full range of surgical techniques.

The SMF Hip is 20% shorter than conventional hip stems while also allowing less healthy bone to be removed from the femoral neck. This bone-conserving design delivers a wider range of options should future surgeries be required. Further, due to its reduced size, surgeons can implant it through smaller incisions or through an anterior incision, which minimizes soft tissue trauma and speeds patients’ return to active mobility, the company noted.

The SMF hip system modular neck options give the surgeon the opportunity to more closely replicate their patients’ natural anatomy. Made from cobalt chrome, these modular necks exceed the fatigue strength of other modular neck hip implants, which are most often made from titanium.

Prior to its launch, Smith & Nephew performed a radiostereometric analysis (RSA) on the SMF stem, a study that measures the relative position of tiny metal markers in the implant to the surrounding bone in order to assess the stem’s movement and stability post-operatively. The results indicate that the SMF stem had comparable post-operative stability during the crucial first year of fixation as Smith & Nephew’s clinically proven, full-size Synergy hip stem.

“The SMF Hip System combines in one implant many of the leading trends in total hip replacement surgery—less invasive and anterior approach surgical techniques, bone conservation, and advanced bearing options,” Joseph M. DeVivo, president of Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics, stated in the release. “The SMF hip illustrates our drive to deliver new technology for active patients who suffer from osteoarthritis hip pain.”