Smith & Nephew Launches New Hammer Toe Fixation System

Smith & Nephew plc has entered the forefoot market with the launch of its Hat-Trick Lesser toe repair system. Comprised of three separate repair options, the Hat-Trick system includes products for metatarsophalangeal (MTP) ligament repair and reconstruction, a metatarsal osteotomy guide, and a revisable, all-PEEK implant for proximal Inter-phalanges (PIP) fusion, also known as hammer toe correction.

With the new Hat-Trick system, surgeons have access to:

• The Hat-Trick MTP joint repair system, which provides a complete repair of the lesser MTP joint that is less invasive and more anatomic than current standard of care techniques¹;
• The Hat-Trick Osteotomy guide, which allows for a controlled, precise and reproducible approach that maintains the biomechanical axis of the metatarsal²; and
• The Hat-Trick PIP fusion system, which is an all-inside fusion of the PIP joint that is less invasive than other standard of care options.³

“We are excited to expand our successful foot and ankle portfolio into the forefoot,” said Mark Waugh, vice president of Extremities and Limb Restoration for Smith & Nephew. “In addition to being a high-growth area, we believe there are tremendous opportunities for us to enhance the surgeon experience, simplify the procedures and, most importantly, improve patient outcomes.”

Current market analysis shows that procedures such as lesser toe correction surgery are experiencing double-digit growth in the United States.⁴ However, patient satisfaction research suggests that as many as 46 percent of hammer toe patients are unsatisfied with the outcome of their surgery using existing methods and technologies.⁵

“Although treating lesser toe deformities is extremely common, getting consistently predictable outcomes has eluded surgeons worldwide,” explained orthopaedic surgeon Charles Saltzman, M.D., chairman of the system’s scientific advisory board. “Current standards of treatment are known to have unacceptably high complication rates.

The Hat-Trick system is a new three-part approach designed to not only treat the deformity, but also the underlying problem that led to the deformity in the first place.”

References:
¹ Saltzman C. “The Development of a Novel Repair Technique for Metatarsophalengeal Instability Utilizing Cadaver Validated Computer Modeling: A Comparison with Current Techniques” International Foot & Ankle Conference. 2012 Sydney, Australia.
² Internal testing, data on file.
³ Angirasa AK, Barrett MJ, Silvester D. Smart Toe® Implant Compared with Kirschner Wire Fixation for Hammer Digit Corrective Surgery: A Review of 28 Patients. J Foot Ankle Surg 2012; 51:711-713.
⁴iData Research. “US Market For Small Bone & Joint Orthopedic Devices.” 2013.
⁵ Barg A, Courville XF, Nickisch F, Bachus KN, Saltzman C. Role of Collateral Ligaments in Metatarsophalangeal Stability: A Cadaver Study. Foot Ankle Int 2012; 33:877-882.