TRUMPF Adds Traction Device for Anterior Total Hip Replacement

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Through an exclusive marketing agreement with Innovative Orthopedic Technologies Inc. (IOT) of Houston, Texas, TRUMPF Medical Systems Inc. has announced the ARCH Table™ Extension will immediately be available through TRUMPF representatives across the U.S. and Canada. The ARCH, a traction device that works with any manufacturer’s surgical table, facilitates anterior total hip replacement surgery through easy, safe and controlled leg positioning. Anterior total hip replacement is an approach gaining popularity due to reduced hospital stays and improved patient recovery times. The ARCH has drawn interest from surgeons and hospitals as an efficient and extremely economical solution. The ARCH offers added value with possible applications in hip and femur fracture cases and hip arthroscopy.

“This is an important addition to the TRUMPF line,” said Charly Dalbert, TRUMPF’s director of business development and professional services. “The ARCH is not only a logical compliment to our full line of modular surgical tables, but since it is less expensive than alternative solutions in facilitating anterior total hip replacement surgery, more hospitals will be in a position to offer their patients the significant benefits of this procedure, regardless of the brand of surgical table they are currently using.”

Ease of use is another significant benefit according to Stefan Kreuzer, a noted orthopedic surgeon and principal of IOT. “The ARCH is easy to use and there are few moving parts: this is a huge benefit,” he said. “The intuitive design guarantees easy handling and a short learning curve for the surgeon and OR staff.” Kreuzer has performed more than 600 anterior total hip replacement procedures. He has used the ARCH in 150 of those cases, since its development by Michael Memminger of Piacenza, Italy.

Easy and Controlled Leg Positioning
“The ARCH allows the leg to be placed in the exact position desired by the surgeon, with constant safe traction, and precise reference points,” according to Kreuzer. The ARCH is positioned at the foot end of the table. The patient’s foot is placed in the device’s traction boot, which is connected to and moves along the frame of the ARCH. The ARCH greatly facilitates anterior total hip replacement by achieving optimal leg positioning and maintaining constant safe traction on the patient’s leg throughout the procedure.

Anterior Total Hip Replacement
“Anterior total hip replacement provides definite advantages for patients, even those in need of bilateral procedures,” says Kreuzer. The procedure requires only a small incision, reduces soft tissue damage, and results in faster recovery for the patient with a significantly shorter hospital stay.

The ARCH facilitates rotating the leg, extending the hip and lowering the foot towards the floor. The hip is approached and replaced through a natural interval between muscles. The most important muscles for hip function, the gluteal muscles that attach to the posterior and lateral pelvis and femur, are left undisturbed. The ARCH allows unobstructed intra-operative imaging to control position of the components, accurate placement, and proper sizing of the implants. The ARCH enables the surgeon to reposition the leg to its starting point to allow correct limb length measurement. The stability of the hip is immediate and there is a reduced risk of dislocation because the dynamic stabilizer of the hip joint (short external rotators) is maintained. Patients are commonly discharged two to three days after the procedure depending on their degree of disability prior to surgery and overall capabilities.

For the hospital and the surgical team, the ARCH makes the procedure more efficient, predictable and easier to replicate. Additional economy may be realized as one less assistant is required on the surgical team.
 
Source: TRUMPF Medical Systems Inc.