OrthAlign Completes Limited Release of OrthAlign Plus

Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based OrthAlign Inc., a medical device company developing precision technologies, has completed the limited release phase of OrthAlign Plus for total hip arthroplasty use in the direct anterior hip approach. The product will commercially launch at this year’s AAOS meeting in Orlando, March 2, 2016.

Recent statistics have shown that the direct anterior approach, despite being a more difficult surgery, is growing in popularity amongst surgeons, worldwide. OrthAlign Plus was designed to help surgeons more easily make that transition to direct anterior, while providing more clinically relevant positioning. It fits within the surgeon’s normal workflow and does not require preoperative planning or imaging, as the proven landmarks of the anterior pelvic plane are directly accessible with the patient supine.

“In my first few cases using OrthAlign Plus, it became very evident that overall fluoroscopy time can be diminished by 70-80 percent. No fluoroscopy time is required with acetabular component insertion when using OrthAlign Plus and overall flow is not significantly disrupted by surgical technique. I’ve found that the overall accuracy of acetabular component placement is as good, if not more reliable then C-arm image intensification, without beam radiation,” said William B. Lutes, D.O., Aurora Medical Center, Kenosha, Wis. “I think OrthAlign Plus for direct anterior total hip replacements can revolutionize the technique and ensure accuracy that is unheard of, by today’s standards.”

“I’m very impressed with what OrthAlign has developed in addressing acetabular cup placement for direct anterior hip replacements,” said E. Matthew Heinrich, M.D. of Orthopaedic Specialists of Austin, Texas. “It’s extremely user friendly, does not add additional time to the case compared to conventional navigation, and the increased level of accuracy is undeniable, based on my experience. I felt very comfortable with it, even after my first case. OrthAlign is definitely onto something.”

“When we started development of OrthAlign Plus for use in total hip arthroplasty using the direct anterior approach, we set out to replicate the characteristics which have made KneeAlign® so successful: precise, simple, easy-to-use,” said Nick van der Walt, OrthAlign’s vice president of engineering. “We are delighted at the response from the first set of surgeons to use the product clinically. Their feedback to date confirms that the system is easy to use from the very first case and may reduce procedure time and dependence of fluoroscopy. This is a win for the patient, surgeon, staff and hospital.”