Archive for the ‘Orthopedic’ Category
Bones Catching on Fire? You may have Defective Bone Putty
On July 5, 2012, Synthes, a Johnson and Johnson Company, initiated a voluntary Class 1 recall on its hemostatic bone [...] Read More »
FDA Roadmap to Innovation
The FDA recently published a roadmap with the goal of promoting innovative new technology in healthcare. This is excellent news [...] Read More »
Robotic Spinal Surgery
Since Dr. Moll first demonstrated the advantages of the da Vinci Surgical System, engineers have developed a variety of robotic [...] Read More »
Intelligent Implants: Next Revolution in Personalized Medicine
A lot comes to mind when you talk about MEMS technology and orthopedic implants. No, they arent developing a robotic joint for mainstream use, at least not yet. But, intelligent implants basically involve incorporating pressure, temperature, vibration, alignment, and strain sensors in with the implant. Read More »
New Incentives for Arthroscopic Hip Surgery
For 2011, CMS issued three new arthroscopic CPT codes: 29914 (arthroscopic, hip surgery w/ femoroplasty), 29915 (arthroscopic, hip surgery w/ acetabuloplasty), and 29916 (arthroscopic, hip surgery w/ labral repair). These new codes are now assigned to APC 0042 (Level II Arthroscopy), which has a payment level of $3,290. Prior to 2011, arthroscopic hip surgery was coded under CPT 29999 (unlisted procedure, arthroscopy). This catch-all code falls under APC 0041 (Level I Arthroscopy) and is reimbursed at $2,069. Read More »
CMS Restores Osteoporosis Scan Payments
According to the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 44 million Americans over age 50 are at risk for fracture due to osteoporosis, and most people do not know they have osteoporosis until a fracture occurs. This makes screening all the more important. Although ultrasound and CT are capable of diagnosing osteoporosis, DEXA scans are currently the gold standard. However, the declining reimbursement over the last few years has made it difficult for providers to prescribe DEXA as a routine screening technology. Now, with the 2011 increase, both patients and providers will see the benefits of the technology. Read More »
Injectable glue made up of recombinant protein hydrogels is being studied as an option to slow the process of DDD. Several companies have developed technologies to function either as a standalone therapy or as an adjunct to microdiscectomy. The technology intends to keep a patients natural disc intact and to preserve the normal motion of the spine. Read More »
Injectable Glue – The Next Generation in Spinal Repair
Injectable glue made up of recombinant protein hydrogels is being studied as an option to slow the process of DDD. Several companies have developed technologies to function either as a standalone therapy or as an adjunct to microdiscectomy. The technology intends to keep a patient's natural disc intact and to preserve the normal motion of the spine. Read More »
Value Analysis of a Happy Knee
This brings me back to the knee and what you get for $800,000? Alignment errors greater than 3% when putting in an artificial knee are associated with implant failures. In one study, the misalignment of greater than 3° occurred in only 9.0% of cases when an image-guided computer system (IGS) was used. Conventional manual techniques had almost a 32% chance of a greater than 3° misalignment. Surgical orthopedic robots were able to achieve consistent alignment with 1.6°. Read More »