12 New Research and Development Projects Announced by Orthopedic Companies

Here are 12 orthopedic and spine technology research and development projects.
DePuy Orthopaedics recently announced its plan to spend $7 million on research and development equipment for its company by 2014. At the same time, it announced plans to spend $20 million on manufacturing equipment.
Eminent Spine, a Georgetown, Texas-based medical device company, has recently completed and released the results of a study of its King Cobra Anterior Cervical Plate in which none of the 25 patients experience complications.
Israel-based medical device company Expanding Orthopedics has launched a post-market study in Europe to assess its XPED Expanding Pedicle Screw System for spinal fusion. The study will enroll up to 50 patients and test the usability of the products for 24 months postoperatively.

Surgeons at the Hospital for Special Surgery are working on studying the outcomes of joint replacements for patients over the age of 50 after they return to regular activity. The study is looking at long-lasting joint implants, including a “30-year knee” implant approved by the FDA which withstood the simulation of 30 years in use.
Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute has partnered with the Cleveland-based medical device companyImageIQ for joint replacement research using three dimensional imaging analytics to enhance orthopedic implant wear studies. The data generated from the research will be used to reduce the frequency of joint replacement implant failures and improve the quality of life for patients.
InVivo Therapeutics recently released data supporting the use of its technology for treating spinal cord injuries in rodent models. The company’s proprietary biopolymer scaffold showed positive preliminary data indicating a therapeutic effect in the rodent model. The company has proposed a 10-patient pilot study in humans with acute spinal cord injury, which could begin as early as next year pending approval from the FDA.
Atlanta-based orthopedic device company MedShape Solutions has received the Small Business Innovation Research Phase I grant from the National Institutes of Health to support research and development with its compliant shape memory device for meniscal repair. Paired with potential additional funding phases, the grant could total more than $1.5 million if the company achieves target Phase I development milestones.
The United States Army Telemedicine & Advanced Technology Research Center has given Semprus BioSciencesa $1 million grant for orthopedic device research and development. The company will develop the first orthopedic devices designed to reduce biofilm formation after implantation.
Stryker recently announced a partnership with OrthoSensor to study the company’s technology with the Triathlon Knee. The OrthoSensor Knee Trial is an intelligent trail design to provide quantitative, intraoperative feedback, which allows surgeons to balance the joint during total knee arthroplasty.
Spine device company Synthes has partnered with Eli Lilly and Company to develop site-specific osteoinductive products based on Synthes’ biomaterials and Lilly’s biologics or pharmaceuticals business. The companies will also fund and conduct evaluation of additional orthopedic uses for Lilly’s osteoporosis drug Forteo.
German medical device company Ulrich is now using Zwick GmbH to test servo-hydraulic fatigue for quality control and development of its spinal implants. The testing will make sure implants are strong and reliable, with tests that can simulate the effects of posture change on implants.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have been using a wireless chip they patented to track and monitor surgical implants. The chip is attached to orthopedic devices and tells the surgeon about the pressure of the implant, chemical balance, temperature of the surrounding tissue and nearby harmful organisms.