Product Focus: INFINITY™ with ADAPTIS™ Technology

Product Focus: PROstep™ Minimally Invasive Surgery

Product Focus: PROstep™ Minimally Invasive Surgery

Product Focus: CARTIVA® Synthetic Cartilage Implant

Product Focus: MOVEWRIGHT™ Total Ankle Replacement System

Product Focus: MOVEWRIGHT™ Total Ankle Replacement System

Product Focus: PROstep™ Minimally Invasive Surgery

Product Focus: CARTIVA® Synthetic Cartilage Implant

Product Focus: PROstep™ Minimally Invasive Surgery

Product Focus: CARTIVA® Synthetic Cartilage Implant

Product Focus: CARTIVA® Synthetic Cartilage Implant

Product Focus: CARTIVA® Synthetic Cartilage Implant

In September, an update to CMS’s Inpatient Prospective Payment System increased the reimbursement bundle for primary and revision total ankle replacement procedures. The change will begin at the start of the 2018 fiscal year and will “move total ankle replacement from a broad, lower-paying joint category that includes total hip and total knee replacement that yielded thin margins and lower utilization into a higher-paying Medicare code, “ says Greg Berlet, MD, Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Berlet further explains that, “this announcement and change is most significant on the facility level, not the provider level and it also doesn’t apply to outpatient centers. The change reflects that people who are changing the regulations are hearing us.”

The alternative surgical option to replacement, ankle fusion, is a good option for pain relief for such patients, but replacement ideally restores functionality of the joint, while fusion generally reduces joint function. Berlet says the update is needed because knee replacements by comparison are more predictable, and usually needed because of normal wear and tear and age. Ankle replacement, by contrast, is more complex, requires longer operative times, and may need other work such as ligament repair that is uncommon in knee replacements.

Berlet believes the business impact of the decision is that hospitals will be much more willing to embrace total ankle replacement in their musculoskeletal service line, and be more willing to partner with physicians. He further expects the reimbursement decision to remove the financial barriers in place when accessing ankle replacement.

“Executives should make sure they surround themselves with physicians who embrace this innovation and can bring this skill to their facility,” he says. “They will find a rewarding service line to invest in.”

The opinions of Philip Betbeze and Dr. Greg Berlet are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.

Gary Sayles broke his ankle in a 1980 hunting accident. Years later, it became unbearable and he went to Dr. Jason Nowak of Shasta Orthopaedics in Redding, California for a total ankle replacement. Gary was implanted with the INFINITY™ Total Ankle System on April 8, 2015. Dr. Nowak is one of a few physicians in the Redding area that routinely performs total ankle replacements. New technology allows Dr. Nowak to align the ankle replacement pre-operatively on a computer, which saves time in the operating room.

Dr. Nowak says that the ideal patient for an ankle replacement is 55 or older who has a low impact lifestyle (i.e.; walking, biking and swimming). Since Gary’s replacement surgery, he has been able to get back to walking regularly and is no longer suffering from pain in his ankle.

According to Dr. Nowak, 10 years after the ankle replacement surgery 90% of patients are doing well.

The opinions of Gary Sayles and Dr. Jason Nowak are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.

Any results are specific to this particular individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.

Cynthia Pittman-Osula has suffered from hammertoe since 1997. The pain was bearable until 2013, when she noticed the bottom of her toes were becoming callused. Cynthia decided to see her physician, Dr. Berkowitz, who suggested she get the MITOE™ procedure versus a K-wire procedure.

Dr. Hodges Davis, a leading expert in foot and ankle orthopedic surgery at OrthoCarolina’s Foot & Ankle Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina, explained the MITOE procedure and its advantages. He pointed out that the surgery involves taking out one of the joints, straightening the toe, and inserting an implant inside the bone. The implant has a screw on one side and a spike on the other to hold the toe straight and is designed to stay in permanently.

An advantage of the MITOE implant for a hammertoe surgery is a quicker recovery time, allowing a faster return to work and open toe shoes. There have been over 10,000 MITOE procedures completed in the U.S. and complications are very rare. Cynthia, who received the MITOE implant, was able to travel on an airplane and wear open toe shoes in just five weeks after surgery.

The opinions of Cynthia Pittman-Osula and Dr. Hodges Davis are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.

These results are specific to this particular individual only. Individual results and activity levels after surgery vary and depend on many factors including age, weight and prior activity level. There are risks and recovery times associated with surgery and there are certain individuals who should not undergo surgery.