Healthcare Industry News: osteochondral defects
News Release - August 1, 2013
First U.S. Cases Using KARL STORZ RECON Diamond TwInS Instruments for Ankle Surgery
Advanced Joint Reconstruction Solutions Speed Patients’ Return to Regular ActivitiesEL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(Healthcare Sales & Marketing Network)--KARL STORZ Endoscopy-America, Inc., a leader in endoscopy and operating room integration solutions, is pleased to announce that Dr. Robert C. Olson successfully performed the first osteochondral transfer for OCD repair of the talus in the United States, as well as the first cases in the world performed for reconstruction of the 1st and 2nd metatarsal heads, utilizing the Twin Diamond instrumentation/techniques for osteochondral transfer and dowel grafting in the foot. The procedures were performed at Caromont Regional Medical Center in Gastonia, North Carolina. Dr. Olson, a reconstructive foot and ankle surgeon at Carolina Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center, has used the Twin Diamond technique for the treatment of osteochondral defects of the talar dome and 1st metatarsal head, as well as for non-union repair and autogenous dowel graft augmentation for arthrodesis procedures.
The milestone procedures used technologies and methods developed originally by Prof. Dr. Klaus Draenert in Germany, who applied them with outstanding results and follow-up for nearly 20 years. These instruments and materials are now part of the KARL STORZ Endoscopy RECON product line in the U.S. and include Diamond TwInS® instruments for gentle, autologous bone and joint reconstruction, as well as Synthacer® and Syntricer® ceramic reconstruction materials.
Commenting on the procedures and the method, Dr. Olson said, “The sizes available and controlled precision of these instruments will change the approach and treatment of several problems seen in the foot and ankle. Although other systems have been available for quite some time that may look similar to the KARL STORZ RECON, there are not any other systems that I have used that are as precise or available in a range of sizes nearly as broad as this set.”
The Diamond TwInS instruments are diamond-coated cutters and extractors mainly used to remove bone and cartilage cylinders while reducing damage to microanatomic bone structures. Synthacer and Syntricer are synthetic ceramic bone void fillers composed of pure hydroxyapatite and biodegradable ?-tricalcium phosphate ceramic and produced in a variety of highly porous, yet mechanically stable shapes and forms, including spheres, blocks, cylinders and more. The new joint reconstruction solution helps promote pain relief while enabling patients to return to full weight-bearing within weeks and to participation in competitive and even impact sports. Patients also benefit from shorter hospital stays.
With their broad applicability, such as autologous joint and bone reconstruction, bone harvesting, and doweling of fractures without having to use metalware, the Diamond TwInS instruments are surgical multi-tools. They are also suitable for pseudarthrosis, arthrodesis and overdrilling of broken metal screws. According to Hosam Afifi, Executive Director of the KARL STORZ RECON Division, USA, “We are very excited that, similar to knee surgeons, foot and ankle surgeons in the U.S. like Dr. Olson see the significant potential that the TwIn Diamond technique can provide. We envision this press-fit technique using the Diamond TwInS becoming the new gold standard for reconstruction of the knee, foot and ankle, shoulder and hand, and the preferred method of treatment for cartilage defects and joint reconstruction. The technique may also aid in the repair of non-unions, pseudoarthroses and arthrodesis procedures by providing autogenous cancellous grafts and improving healing while increasing the stability of the fusion site with a press fit graft. These can be harvested from multiple locations including the iliac crest, femur, tibia or calcaneus, with hydroxyapatite plugs available for backfilling of the donor site, which has proven to decrease donor site morbidity dramatically over the past 20 years of use in Germany.”
According to Charlie Wilhelm, President and COO, KARL STORZ Endoscopy-America, “KARL STORZ is an established market leader in the broad range of market segments we serve, from laparoscopy to neurosurgery, ENT and more. RECON is a new product line for KARL STORZ and the response we are getting from foot and ankle as well as knee surgeons is encouraging. The company fully intends to assume the same leadership role in the sports medicine field.”
About Caromont Regional Medical Center
CaroMont Health, the parent company for Caromont Regional Medical Center, has more than 3,800 employees, 43 medical practices, and eight affiliates. A Magnet hospital for nursing excellence and quality patient care, Caromont Regional Medical Center is a 435-bed acute care facility supported by a medical staff of more than 300 physicians. CaroMont Health is located at 2525 Court Drive in Gastonia, N.C., and can be reached at (704) 834-2000. Additional information is available at www.caromonthealth.org.
About KARL STORZ
KARL STORZ Endoscopy-America, Inc., is an affiliate of KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG, an international leader for more than 65 years in reusable endoscope technology, encompassing all endoscopic specialties. Based in Tuttlingen, Germany, KARL STORZ GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned company that designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets all its products with an emphasis on visionary design, precision craftsmanship and clinical effectiveness. For more information, call (800) 421-0837 or visit the company’s Web site at www.karlstorz.com.
Source: KARL STORZ Endoscopy
Issuer of this News Release is solely responsible for its
content.
Please address inquiries directly to the issuing company.
