It’s been a year like no other. And it’s almost over.
 
Historians will likely regard 2020 as a pivotal year, one that irrevocably changed our lives through a smorgasbord of defining events. American politics, racial unrest, and extreme weather all made for life-altering moments this year, but they nevertheless paled in comparison to the societal transformation achieved by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
No one evaded the changes wrought by a virus so new to human hosts, especially those in healthcare. Doctors and nurses became patients, hospitals became congested, elective surgeries were cancelled or postponed, and the medtech supply chain became strained.
 
Orthopedic Design & Technology’s November/December feature, “Life, Interrupted,” details the pandemic’s impact on the orthopedic industry. In the brief Q&A below, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Second Vice President Felix H. “Buddy” Savoie III, M.D., FAAOS, discusses the challenges brought on by the virus and the lessons the orthopedic sector learned during a difficult year.
 
Michael Barbella: What was the pandemic’s biggest impact on the orthopedic industry?
Dr. Felix H. "Buddy" Savoie: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented global impact on the way healthcare is delivered. The decision by the CDC and U.S. Surgeon General to postpone elective procedures in an effort to limit exposure to the virus, preserve PPE and reduce the burden on health care facility resources and personnel created a radical shift in how orthopaedic surgeons provided routine planned care. The halt on elective surgery was far reaching, affecting physicians, hospitals and orthopedic implant companies. 

Separate from surgeries, the COVID-19 travel ban forced the cancellation of meetings, which affected peer-to-peer communication and learning. The AAOS pivoted to a virtual format to offer our members educational webinars and information about how to access government assistance to prevent elimination of jobs for health care workers.

Perhaps most important, however, was what we all learned – more than we ever wanted – about this viral disease, its transmission and how to care for very sick patients.
 
Barbella: What lessons will the pandemic teach the orthopedic industry? What operational or supply chain changes (if any) will be instituted going forward as a result of the virus? 
Dr. Savoie: Across the orthopedic industry, surgeons are much more aware of supply of PPE and how it affects everything we do. Most institutions now have a much longer “storage” or access to PPE than ever before. In some cases, including here in New Orleans, local businesses are stepping up with “homemade” PPE. Several New Orleans hospitals have obtained back-up cloth gowns, hats, masks, among other supplies, should another shortage occur again.
 
Barbella: COVID-19 has upended financial outlooks for most medtech companies. How were orthopedic manufacturers in general impacted (financially) by the pandemic and what kind of effect will the pandemic have on their operations going forward - i.e., R&D investment, hiring, product development, outsourcing, etc.?
Savoie: No industry has gone untouched as the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. But I believe that medtech companies found themselves playing a critical role in both helping detect the virus and supplying frontline workers – many of whom included orthopedic surgeons serving in new capacities – with the equipment needed to fight it. 

As the world’s largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists, the AAOS has seen some of our medtech partners initiate their own webinars aimed at educating physicians in a new way. I anticipate this effort from medtech companies will continue alongside that from academic societies even as the pandemic abates.