AOFAS 2023 Buzz Report
As the curtains fall on another inspiring chapter of the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS 2023) Annual Meeting, we find ourselves amidst a wealth of groundbreaking discoveries, cutting-edge technologies, and passionate discussions. The AOFAS 2023 Annual Meeting in Louisville, KY, brought together the brightest minds in the field of orthopedic foot and ankle surgery for a week-long exploration of innovation and excellence.
This year’s gathering was not just a meeting; it was a convergence of expertise, a fusion of ideas, and a celebration of the remarkable progress that has shaped the landscape of foot and ankle healthcare. From pioneering robotic-assisted surgeries to advancements in regenerative therapies, the event illuminated the future of patient treatment. Check out our top AOFAS 2023 takeaways and the innovators leading the way in each category.
Innovative Technologies
Ossio is revolutionizing orthopedic care, aiming to supplant traditional metal implants in the massive 10-billion-dollar fixation market. Their groundbreaking approach involves intelligent bone regeneration technology, OSSIOfiber. Unlike typical implants, it mirrors natural bone minerals but is stronger, integrating seamlessly into bone tissue. At the meeting, witnessing their success stories firsthand was awe-inspiring, showcasing a future where all-natural strength and healing redefine orthopedic treatments.
MiRus is a trailblazing startup that disrupted not just one, but multiple medical domains. Their proprietary alloy, a marvel in the spine industry, has now expanded into Foot & Ankle and structural heart spaces. Witness the future with their Atlas MoRe foot and ankle plating system, a groundbreaking innovation setting unprecedented industry standards. This system combines unmatched thinness, strength, and flexibility, redefining what’s possible in implant technology. MiRus’ superalloy material introduces a paradigm shift, offering unparalleled strength, ductility, durability, and biological safety. This groundbreaking MoRe® superalloy heralds a new era, enabling the creation of smaller, stronger, more durable, and biologically friendly implants. Less soft tissue disruption, faster recovery, and superior outcomes await patients in this groundbreaking new frontier.
The future of orthopedic innovation is bright with Artelon’s FlexBand, a marvel of advanced technology and meticulous design. The product’s material exists quietly in the body, quickly integrating into healing tissue in the short term. Over the longer term, FlexBand slowly dissolves while being replaced by healthy new tissue in a process that takes 4-6 years. Crafted from state-of-the-art materials, FlexBand offers unparalleled flexibility, allowing for natural joint movement while ensuring stability and support. Its revolutionary composition integrates cutting-edge biocompatible polymers, engineered to mimic human tissue, fostering seamless integration within the body.
Customized Solutions
Restor3d isn’t just a company; it’s a revolution in the making. As they blend cutting-edge technologies, individualized approaches, and a vision for a healthier future, they are paving the way for a new era in orthopedic excellence. Restor3d understands the individuality of healthcare needs, and that’s why their solutions are as unique as the patients and surgeons they cater to. At AOFAS, we were enthralled by their total ankle system, featuring tidal technology. This isn’t just another implant; it’s a biomechanical masterpiece. Restor3d’s ankle system stands as a trailblazer, replicating the natural movement of a healthy ankle with unparalleled precision. It’s not just about replacing, but about restoring natural motion, setting a new standard in orthopedic excellence. Their cutting-edge technology seamlessly melds the advantages of 3D printing, AI, biomaterials, biomechanics, and personalized digital health platforms.
Exactech is making history by showcasing the world’s first option for navigated total ankle replacement surgery. Imagine surgeries guided with unprecedented precision, leading to quicker recovery and superior outcomes. With a customized fit for every patient, Exactech doesn’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Their system offers a spectrum of implant sizes and components, empowering orthopedic surgeons to tailor surgeries according to each patient’s unique needs. This meticulous customization ensures a perfect fit, reducing complications and ensuring long-term success.
Enovis’ STAR PSI System is a pinnacle of surgical innovation tailored for the utmost precision. With a profound commitment to personalized healthcare, STAR PSI stands as a beacon of customized surgical solutions. In the realm of surgery, one size does not fit all. This system embodies meticulous customization, ensuring that each procedure is meticulously adapted to the unique anatomy and needs of the patient. STAR’s modular components and positional forgiveness allow for 225 patient matched configurations with just one surgical technique.
Minimally Invasive
In the realm of orthopedics, Treace Medical has emerged as a trailblazer, reshaping bunion correction with their revolutionary 3D technology. Their innovative approach took center stage, emphasizing a minimally invasive solution that garnered widespread attention. Treace’s 3D bunion correction method stands as a testament to precision. By utilizing advanced imaging and cutting-edge technology, surgeons can now address bunions with unparalleled accuracy, ensuring optimal results with minimal invasiveness. Traditional bunion surgeries often involve lengthy recovery periods and discomfort. Treace’s minimally invasive technique, however, minimizes tissue disruption, leading to swifter recoveries and reduced post-surgical discomfort. Patients are now embracing a new era of bunion correction, thanks to this groundbreaking approach. Their latest advancement, micro-lapiplasty, offers the same incredible outcomes, now through 2-centimeter incisions.
Forma Medical is going toe-to-toe against the common hammer toe condition by offering surgeons and patients the world’s first minimally invasive instrumented procedure, Optimal HT. Their groundbreaking technique, the world’s first minimally invasive instrumented procedure for hammertoe conditions, stands as a beacon of progress. Gone are the days of traditional, painful surgeries – Optimal HT offers advanced precision, accelerated recovery, and elevated patient well-being. With Optimal HT, surgical outcomes are enhanced, recovery times are accelerated, and overall patient well-being is significantly improved.
Precise Solutions
Paragon 28’s Apex 3D Total Ankle and Total Talus labs represent the epitome of medtech precision. Their Smart Technology provides surgeons with a comprehensive hindfoot continuum of care solutions, empowering them to address isolated ankle or TTC pathologies with unparalleled accuracy. With Paragon 28’s PRECISION Guided set, surgeons embark on a journey of precision, ensuring tailored solutions for each patient’s unique condition. Furthermore, they proudly showcase the industry’s sole FDA cleared Total Talus System, setting a new standard for safety and efficacy.
Avitus Orthopaedics had a groundbreaking leap in bone grafting on display with ArchiMIS – an industry first, offering precise solutions in autograft procedures. This innovative system introduces percutaneous controlled delivery, a gold-standard experience in bone grafting. With dual delivery cannula options, versatility meets excellence. Now, surgeons can control the graft amount they deliver, reload without repositioning, and elevate surgical precision to unprecedented heights.
The LapiPrep Lapidus Correction and Preparation System and the StealthFix Fixation System from Medartis mark a significant stride in orthopedic innovation. The Lapidus system, a groundbreaking advancement, empowers surgeons to correct and adjust deformities in multiple planes, ensuring precise joint preparation and compression. On the other front, StealthFix represents a paradigm shift in small bone fixation, offering a fully intraosseous solution. Unlike traditional devices causing soft tissue irritation, StealthFix minimizes complications with its complete integration within the bone. Currently in limited commercial release, these innovations promise transformative changes in orthopedic procedures.
