New Technologies and Products for Orthopedic Surgeons

A new business initiative will explore and develop breakthrough technologies, products, and services designed to enhance and extend the skills and experience of orthopedic surgeons. The initiative, called "Intelligent Orthopedics,” (iOrthopedics), was announced at the annual meeting of the Academy of Orthopedics in San Francisco (CA, USA) in March 2004 by DePuy Orthopedics (Warsaw, IN, USA).

The first offering of the new initiative will be the Ci System, a totally integrated surgical package for total knee replacement that provides proprietary hardware, software, and instruments designed to work together for minimally invasive procedures. The system will be showcased in DePuy's "iOrthopedics Operating Room of the Future,”an integrated theater where future computing, imaging, and visualization technology are fully integrated to give surgeons an unsurpassed level of accuracy and control.

Among the advances planned in addition to the Ci system are proprietary technology that will eliminate wires and cameras for an unrestricted operating environment; anatomic imaging technology that will allow surgeons to see a patient's bony anatomy through the skin; visualization technology that will give surgeons a full view of computer images in their face shield, eliminating the need for a computer screen in the operating theater; and advanced cutting tools and surgical instruments that will allow the potential for greater accuracy while enhancing the control of the surgeon.

"iOrthopedics represents a unique promise to surgeons and their patients,” said Kevin Sidow, worldwide president of DePuy, Inc. "Initiatives are selected based on their potential to improve products in three distinct areas: implant functionality, implant survivorship, and the surgeon's ability to perform less-invasive procedures for patients.”




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