Smith & Nephew Launches Modular Hip System

       Smith & Nephew’s Orthopaedic Reconstruction division announces the launch of the EMPERION^TM Modular Hip System for primary and revision total hip arthroplasty. This system will be available in the United States, Europe, Australia, and Canada.
       A modular hip system offers optimal sizing of the joint implants and allows for greater flexibility to more accurately match the implant to a patient’s anatomy as compared to other systems. The EMPERION implant uses a titanium press-fit stem. It is the only modular hip system that can be used with Smith & Nephew’s proprietary OXINIUM^TM femoral heads.
       The EMPERION system builds on the clinical success of older implant designs while providing surgeons with enhanced performance during surgery. Easy-to-use instrumentation and color coding improves efficiency during the procedure. Innovative features of the implant, such as the Smith & Nephew circulotrapezoidal neck design, allow for a greater range of motion, and the bullet-tip shape of the stem reduces thigh pain and makes insertion of the device easier.
       “The EMPERION system provides me the versatility to reconstruct the hip joint in a simple, straightforward manner, while still employing less invasive or tissue-preserving surgical techniques,” says Dr. Bertrand Kaper of the Yavapai Medical Center in Prescott, Arizona. “It takes the evolution of hip replacement surgery to the next level of clinical success.”
       For more information, visit www.smith-nephew.com.

Foot Brace Mimics Natural Foot and Ankle Movement

       Swede-O, Inc., introduces an off-the-shelf drop foot brace, the Step-Smart^TM, with an exclusive joint design to absorb shock at heel strike and push the foot into gentle dorsiflexion. Designed with the proper dynamics to mimic natural foot and ankle movements, the brace may be adjusted to match each person’s shock absorption requirements and foot/calf angle.
       The Step-Smart brace comes complete with multiple compression components to allow the practitioner to set the Jacob Joint^TM at each of 5 different degrees of dorsiflexion assistance. A compression component guide is also provided, as is a sizing chart.
       The Step-Smart device was designed by Ian Engleman, a certified orthotist and prosthetist, who has fitted numerous patients over the years with drop foot devices and felt a better brace could be developed. His goal was a brace design that not only looks better but functions better. Patients will appreciate the relief of improved gait efficiency.
       Drop foot is an abnormal neuromuscular disorder that affects the ability to raise the foot at the ankle. It is also characterized as an inability to point the toes toward the body (ie, dorsiflexion) or move the foot at the ankle inward or outward. Pain, weakness, and numbness may accompany the loss of function.
       For more information, visit www.swedeo.com.

Topical Anesthetic Spray Reduces the Risk of Benzocaine Overdosing

       A 2006 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory about the dangers associated with possible overdosing and erroneous administration of benzocaine products highlights the value of a product that may be a safer dosing alternative for physicians and their patients—HEALTHPOINT’s EXACTACAIN^TM (benzocaine 14%, butamben 2%, tetracaine hydrocholoride 2%) Spray Topical Anesthetic.
       According to HEALTHPOINT Surgical, a subsidiary of DFB Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which distributes EXACTACAIN, the spray controls pain and suppresses the gag reflex during endoscopy via a precise, metered-dose application. It is indicated for the production of anesthesia of all accessible mucous membranes except the eyes.
       The product’s proprietary, patent-pending delivery system can reduce risks mentioned in the FDA advisory, including a potentially fatal side effect known as methemoglobinemia—a condition whereby critical amounts of hemoglobin in red blood cells can no longer bind and carry oxygen to living tissues.
       Unlike other benzocaine products, EXACTACAIN’s dosage and administration are both metered and clear. This patent-pending delivery system can help ensure accurate dosing via a precise spray that provides effective anesthesia, controls pain, and suppresses the gag reflex.
       For more information, visit www.exactacain.com.