Exactech has announced the transition of its Equinoxe® Stemless Shoulder to a 3D laser printing manufacturing process.
The Medical Technology company firstly leveraged electron beam melting (EBM) to create the Stemless Shoulder, which is a bone-conserving anatomic total shoulder prosthesis. The team will now use direct metal printing to create its porous bone cage.
“We have been incredibly pleased with our original EBM Stemless Shoulder implant and the early positive clinical feedback we received from our surgeon customers. The new laser-printed device is built on this solid foundation while also giving us the ability to ramp up production to serve even more patients, which drives us and fulfills our mission,” said Exactech Vice President of Extremities Chris Roche.
Orthopaedic surgeons Curtis Noel, of the Crystal Clinic in Akron, Ohio, and Stephanie Muh, MD, of the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Mich., were the first to perform the surgeries with this leading-edge implant earlier this month.
“As a member of the design team, I am very proud to be one of the first to implant the laser-printed Stemless Shoulder,” Dr. Noel said. “The bone conserving design, along with its compatibility to the Equinoxe Shoulder System, make this a great solution for both patients and surgeons.”
Here is the post-operative X-ray showing the laser printed Stemless Shoulder and Equinoxe Cage Glenoid. Image provided by Dr. Stephanie Muh. 
Here is the pre-operative X-ray. Image provided by Dr. Stephanie Muh.
“One of my favorite features of the Stemless implant is its bone cage structure that is designed to provide initial press-fit fixation while also allowing for bone-through growth. That intentional design element, along with the porous structure being designed to mimic the trabecular nature of cancellous bone, differentiates it from competitors,” said Dr. Muh.
Exactech plans to transition all U.S. Stemless Shoulder procedures to its laser-printed devices throughout the rest of the year.
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