Arthroscopic surgical repair of torn anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) or meniscal cartilage injuries in the knee does not decrease the chances of developing osteoarthritis, according to a new study published in the online edition and August print issue of the journal Radiology. A decade after the initial injuries were diagnosed using MRI, localized knee osteoarthritis was evident in patients, regardless of whether or not the injuries had been surgically repaired.

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Saint Agnes Medical Center gave a demonstration of a $2 million state-of-the-art da Vinci Si HD robotic surgical system that should reduce hospital stays from weeks to days in certain cases. Robotic surgery is not a new advancement, but the da Vinci Si differs from the current straight-armed varieties by the way the machine mimics the human wrist. The da Vinci Si’s mechanical hands can bend and twist in a full 360-degree field of motion.

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Micro Power Electronics, Inc. has announced the capability to manufacture rechargeable lithium-ion battery packs that can be sterilized via hydrogen peroxide gas without performance degradation. These battery packs provide surgical instrument manufacturers with the maximum power for a cordless surgical device. The sterilization of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries with hydrogen peroxide gas enables hospitals to utilize a popular sterilization process while providing surgeons with the most power for their surgical tools.

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PolyTouch Medical Ltd. has announced that it has received broad FDA 510(k) clearance to commercialize PatchAssist(TM). PatchAssist is an innovative laparoscopic surgical instrument that enables accurate and rapid delivery and placement of soft tissue prosthetics for a variety of procedures, including laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR). PatchAssist enables surgeons to rapidly deliver and position soft tissue prosthetics over the defect potentially reducing operation time by 30% – 50%.

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Wright Medical Group, Inc. has announced the commercial launch of the XPANSION(R) Micrografting System for split-thickness skin grafting via a minimized donor site. The XPANSION(R) System is a single-use disposable instrument kit for harvesting, expanding, and applying split-thickness skin micro-autografts for the treatment of chronic and acute wounds. The current standard of care for skin grafting procedures is usually performed in the operating room under general anesthesia.

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American company Ethicon Endo-Surgery (EES) has launched two surgical staplers aimed at boosting efficiency and compression during open surgery. These two devices are the newest arrivals in the surgical instruments specialists’ range of colorectal surgery equipment. The Ethicon Endo-Surgery Linear Cutter 55/75, designed with new staple technology and variable staple heights in a single cartridge, offers improved haemostasis for patients and greater efficiency for nurses and health managers as well as surgeons.

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Researchers have found that less bone loss is experienced in an oral implant when a two-stage approach to surgery is used. Simultaneously inserted implants, which require one operation to transplant bone tissue and to insert implants into the jawbone, have shown excellent results. However, when the implants were inserted in a second operation about six months after the bone tissue grafts, crestal bone loss was reduced.

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Smokers who refrain from using tobacco during the six-week period following emergency surgery for an acute fracture heal more quickly than patients who continue to smoke during the healing process, according to a study published in the June 2010 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS). The study was conducted at three hospitals in Stockholm. Patients included in the program were offered one or two in-person meetings.

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