AAOS 2023 Round-up: Key Takeaways from Invibio

Team Invibio recently joined world-leading physicians to exhibit at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, USA.

AAOS is one of the most highly anticipated events in the field of orthopaedics. The meeting brought together experts from around the world to discuss the latest advancements in research, technology, and clinical practice.

We were delighted to welcome so many key customers, friends and partners to our booth; seeing everyone together learning, networking and catching up again was incredible and we’d like to share our experience of the show and highlights with you here.

LAUNCH New: 3D Printable PEEK-OPTIMA Filament

We launched our new Invibio PEEK-OPTIMA™ AM Filament at the show. This 3D printable filament enables point of care manufacturers such as OEMs, clinics and production systems to custom-make medical devices in-house, at the point of care, with Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) compatible machines. This offers numerous potential advantages to patients and healthcare professionals, where precision design and manufacture at speed is critical for example in CMF (cranio-maxillofacial) devices that manufacture patient specific implants using implantable grade materials.

FDM/FFF additive manufacturing offers a new way to develop parts at speed in a cost-efficient way, and with less wastage than traditional processes. Additive manufacturing methods provide technical advantages, such as the ability to build complex geometries during fabrication and easily integrate several components into one part.

In response to the growing trend for 3D-printed medical devices, the FDA has published a discussion paper for medical device designers and manufacturers. Invibio is able to support device OEMs with navigating regulatory pathways for PEEK-OPTIMA™ manufactured devices, providing customers with supporting documents and facilitating workshops between our customer and the authorities, including the FDA.

INVIBIO’S KEY AAOS 2023 TAKEAWAYS

After a busy, engaging and exciting four days, the following key themes from AAOS 2023 emerged, and have continued since we returned.

1. Patient reported outcomes

The foot and ankle session featured a very interesting talk on the use of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) at New Foot and Ankle Clinic Visits and if they Improve Patient Satisfaction and Experience. This was very relevant to our own work in understanding patient perspectives towards composite extremity devices Patient perspective on the use of carbon fibre plates for extremity fracture fixation - PubMed (nih.gov) and also our work in developing new PROMs in relation to changing materials in trauma and in knee devices.

2. 3D printing of porous devices for bone in-growth

We discussed some of our initial findings in a study assessing bone ingrowth into 3D printed porous spinal fusion cages made from PEEK-OPTIMA™ structures using the proprietary technology at BOND3D (Spinal Cage - Bond3D - High Performance 3D Technology). The development of this technology has seen great promise including pleasing in-vivo studies.

3. Distal femur trauma

In the trauma session on Wednesday, one specific talk focussed on distal femoral fractures - trying to compare the outcomes from Locked Lateral Plating, Retrograde Nailing, Nail Plate Combination, and Dual Plating for Distal Femur Fractures, emphasising the challenges that current technology has with these fractures especially in high risk patient populations.

Our research interest here is understanding the benefits that a carbon fibre composite plate that lowers construct stiff9ness but provides much higher fatigue performance following some promising results from Jahangir Early Comparative Outcomes of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Plate in the Fixation of Distal Femur Fractures - PubMed (nih.gov).

4. Metal allergy

A number of posters researched the impact of metal ions with clinical outcomes in total joint replacement and interest in this topic continues to grow. Invibio are currently working on a PEEK-OPTIMA™ femoral knee component for primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in collaboration with Maxx Orthopaedics. In total 33 patients have been treated, of which 12 are past 1 year follow up and we continue to explore this option in response to concerns being raised.

5. Robotic assisted surgery in total knee arthroscopy (TKA)

The advances in this field mean that, although not appropriate for every patient or procedure, robotic assisted surgery is increasingly used in orthopaedics. The advantages can include improved accuracy, better implant alignment, customization, reduced trauma and reduced risk of complications.

6. AI for the OR

AI (artificial intelligence) is increasingly being used in the operating room to enhance surgical decision making, improve patient safety and optimise surgical workflows.