Becker's reported on four key orthopedic studies since Dec. 12.
1. Four physicians, including three orthopedic surgeons, at the University Hospitals Health System in Cleveland found that medtech company Lazurite's ArthroFree wireless arthroscopy camera cut down on assembly and disassembly time by 45 percent and 23 percent respectively.
2. Two studies support Equinoxe's planning application and the ExactechGPS shoulder navigation system. One study published in Nature’s Scientific Reports found that intraoperative navigation provided more control and precision for glenoid baseplate and screw placement in reverse shoulder arthroplasties compared to conventional instruments. Another study in Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery analyzed 16,723 cases using the ExactechGPS system and found 98 percent of procedures were completed as planned with minimal deviation.
3. Orthopedic surgeons with high surgical volume were found to have better patient outcomes, according to research from Clarify Health Institute. Researchers evaluated national health insurance claims on total hip and knee replacements from 2017 to 2020. Combined rates of post-surgical ED visits, inaptient readmissions and revision surgeries were about 14 percent lower for hip replacement patients and 19 percent lower for knee replacement patients who had high-volume surgeons. Total costs for patients with high-volume surgeons were about $2,800 lower for hip replacements and $1,500 lower for knee replacements compared to the costs for patients with low surgical volume (defined as fewer than 10 cases).