Product News

ROLE REVERSAL The Arthrex Univers Revers shoulder implant accommodates patients with complex rotator cuff injuries.

Replacing a shoulder joint, like replacing a hip, involves a ball and a socket. Conventional implants replicate the head of the humerus and the glenoid it fits into. But when a patient suffers an irreparable rotator cuff tear, or when previous attempts at cuff repair have proven unsuccessful, conventional shoulder replacement might just result in pain and limited motion.

In a procedure known as reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, however, a ball is fixed to the glenoid and a socket to the humerus. This anatomical reversal shifts the work of powering and positioning the arm from the rotator cuff tendon to the deltoid muscle, returning ability and mobility to the injured patient.

Reverse shoulder implants originated in Europe in the 1980s, and the FDA has allowed the procedure for nearly a decade. Now, a new entry in the field — Arthrex's Univers Revers Shoulder Arthroplasty System (arthrex.com) — offers variations that observers say set it apart from other available implants on the market.

"The analogy is, it's as if we have more than one golf club in our bag," says Brian S. Cohen, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Adena Health System in Chillicothe, Ohio. In June, he implanted the first Univers Revers following its FDA approval for the U.S. market back in the spring.

Three advances in the implant's technology and design "make a big difference," says Dr. Cohen, who had provided Arthrex engineers with suggestions for improvement while it was in development.

1. The human angle. The humeral component can be implanted with its neck angled at either 135 degrees or 155 degrees. The former is said to deliver more stability, while the latter offers a greater range of motion. "As with all medical solutions, there's a debate in the community as to which provides the better outcome," he says. "So this implant offers both options."
2. Differences and durability. The implant's design lets the humeral component's cup be seated in accordance with each patient's differing anatomy: either directly central, or with a posterior offset. This option, which is not possible with all shoulder implants, enables a "press fit procedure," in which the body heals to the humeral component for a more durable bond than cementing the implant.
3. One size doesn't fit all. Differently sized patients have differently sized anatomies. The Univers Revers offers a range of sizes. Its glenoid component is available with base plates in small, medium and large, and with ball diameters of 36mm, 39mm or 42mm.

Dr. Cohen has done plenty of reverse shoulder replacements in his career, but he says the variations that the new implant offers surgeons can help them deliver humeral reconstruction appropriate to each patient's anatomy, and a better match can mean better outcomes.

— David Bernard

Get Biological Indicator Results in Record Time
3M's Attest Super Rapid Readout Biological Indicator System for steam sterilization cycles offers biological confirmation of a successful instrument sterilization process up to 3 times faster than previously possible, says the company — 1 hour instead of 3 hours for pre-vacuum steam sterilization cycles and just 30 minutes instead of 1 hour for gravity-displacement steam sterilization cycles. Biological indicator results are available in about the time it takes to cool a load, which means you can release instruments and implants to the OR much sooner.
go.3m.com/attestsuperrapidbi

Save Money and Give Your Surgeons a High-Performing Scissor They'll Love
Aesculap's Laparoscopic Reposable Scissors offer the convenience and guaranteed sharpness of a disposable scissor with the cost savings of a reusable. The scissors provide up to 45% cost savings over fully disposable scissors with no maintenance costs, says the company. A fully disposable shaft provides new insulation for every procedure, and minimal cleaning requirements due to no lumens to flush or inspect during reprocessing.
aesculap.com

An Intuitive Approach to Patient Vital Signs Measurement
You can configure Infinium Medical's Omni Express VS to measure any combination of non-invasive blood pressure, SpO2, rapid oral temperature and capnography (EtCO2). Weighing less than 6 lbs., the portable patient monitor can be used as a simple SpO2/NIBP monitor for continual bedside measurement or SpO2/NIBP/rapid temperature for quick vital signs spot checks. EtCO2 can also be added to use the Omni Express VS as a bedside or spot check capnograph.
infiniummedical.com