Other Articles

No Hypertension for Orthopedics in Final 2008 IPPS Rule
CMS issued its final 2,141-page rule for inpatient hospital services (IPPS) for 2008 this week. The news for orthopedics remains positive.

Image Guided Surgery: Its Status and Future
Like a car’s GPS system, image guided surgery allows surgeons to move instruments, navigate around the spine, and know exactly where they are. Indeed, navigation can result in increased speed, safety, and efficiency.

Stryker Spine’s Rise
Stryker spine is gobbling up market share and has been for over a year now. For the trailing twelve months Stryker Spine grew 3x faster than the market and its larger rivals at Medtronic and JNJ. Leading the way is the quiet big man, Tim Scannell. Which products are delivering the goods and where does Tim take his company from here?

Zimmer’s New Cast Gets Christened To Wall Street With $2 Billion Conference Call Debut
The new cast at Zimmer had to deliver so-so financial results to analysts in their debut quarterly conference call. By the time the call was over, Zimmer’s market cap dropped by over $2 billion. The new team has its own style and philosophy of disclosure. Read all about it here.

The Cervical Zone: Fusion In Another Dimension
You are traveling to another dimension—a dimension not only of sight and sound but of spine. There’s a signpost up ahead. Your next stop—The Cervical Zone. Cross over into the cervical zone and explore a world of codes, fusion, charges, and PearlDiver data.

Stress in the OR: Origins and Solutions
What kind of situations provoke the most anxiety? And what can you do about it? Wayne Sotile, Ph.D., stress expert and consultant to the medical profession, discusses his work with orthopedic surgeons and how one can decompress and create positive experiences.

DJO’s Sale - Pending
With this sale, private equity firms will control 8% of the output of the orthopedic industry. DJO’s management has until September 4th to find a better deal. One investor, who owns 9.4% of the firm, has a history of agitating for better prices. Will they revert to form or quietly take a 33% gain and look for other pots to stir? As always, it’s about the people. Read on.

MacMillan and Stryker in Nirvana Quarter
We’re soooo tired of syncophantic analysts on calls. What saved Stryker’s call were the numbers and the Macster’s announcement that Stryker had acquired a "level of consciousness" monitor. Given the hot numbers (15th consecutive 20% quarter), the level of consciousness at Stryker must be at an all time high. Is Steve MacMillan Ortho’s new Zen Meister? Ohmmmm. Stars may be aligning.

Does CMS Coverage Guarantee Private Coverage? Surprise!
CMS coverage doesn’t have the impact on private coverage that many device manufacturers think it does. Read what the Deciders at private insurers find important in making their coverage decisions.

The AAOS Patient Safety Committee: An End-of Term Interview With Dr. David Wong
From wrong-site surgery to near misses, patient safety is a hot issue. Dr. David Wong, former chair and now consultant to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Patient Safety Committee, knows the work involved in bringing this important issue to the forefront of orthopedics.

American Society of Orthopaedic Physician’s Assistants
Whether helping to irrigate and close during surgery or working with a patient post-op, orthopaedic physician’s assistants add value in the OR. Supporting, instructing, and educating professionals in this field is the American Society of Orthopaedic Physician’s Assistants (ASOPA).

An Endoscopic Band of Brothers
For 20 years, this particular band of brothers has explored the frontiers of surgical endoscopy. These are the industry’s outliers. Can their work ever become the mainstream? Or even should it? Sometimes an industry needs the outsider to push the envelope—take nucleus regeneration, or endoscopic scoliosis treatment. There are lessons for all surgeons and companies here.

Does FDA Approval Preempt Getting Sued? Supreme Court to Decide
Are medical device makers preempted from being taken to court because FDA has approved their device? The Supreme Court will decide. Read what the contestants have to say.

"Can you see me clearly now?"

Stryker Communications and Rivulet Communications have entered into an agreement whereby the Stryker unit will resell Rivulet's internet protocol (IP) video networking products.

The agreement allows Stryker to make medical-grade video available on-demand to doctors throughout medical center campuses. Stryker has been utilizing baseband networks, which run parallel to the hospital's network to maximize image resolution. Previously, IP networks have not been able to offer medical-grade quality video. Rivulet's networking technology, according to a Rivulet statement, is the first to guarantee baseband-quality video over a hospital's existing IP network.

The company also says that the increase of video-based endoscopic surgery techniques and the need for more caregiver access to patient information are driving rapid inclusion of video into the standard of care. Hospitals use video during procedures as well as for interactive meetings such as consultations and grand rounds. Surgical teams can demonstrate new procedures in real time to a room full of specialists or medical students. Video can further improve surgical techniques by allowing doctors to review cases stored in an online video library using the PCs in their offices.

"Stryker introduced integrated, video-enabled operating room suites to the market in 1992. We are pleased to join Stryker in taking integrated ORs to the next level," said Steven Rogers, CEO and founder of Rivulet Communications. He added "Stryker understands the doctors' need to have video communications and records available on demand throughout the hospital campus, and recognizes that only medical-grade video will be acceptable to them."

"Doctors are relying more and more on real-time communication during surgical procedures, as well as during grand rounds and in teaching applications," said Kevin Unger, VP and general manager of Stryker Communications. "Rivulet's internet protocol video networking products let us deliver uncompromised video throughout the medical facility, including our existing installed base, while taking advantage of the hospital's existing IP network."

Implants, medical surgical equipment, smart tools, and now communications. What's next for Stryker? Hmmmmm ... bionic spare parts?