Stryker Launches Computer Assisted Surgery For Hip Fractures

KALAMAZOO -- Stryker Corp. announced Thursday that it has launched a computer assisted surgery system, Stryker Adapt for the Gamma3 Locking Nail System.

Gamma3 nails are used to treat hip fractures, which are breaks in the upper end of the femur, the thighbone. There are approximately 300,000 hip fractures a year in the United States, and they are most commonly caused by falls or from direct impact to the side of the hip.

The Gamma3 Locking Nail System consists of a cephalomedullary nail, a lag screw and a distal locking screw. The cephalomedullary nail is placed into the canal of the femur, and then the lag screw is placed through the nail and into the neck and head of the femur. The lag screw and nail together help unite the fracture, allowing it to become more stable to help promote proper healing.

Studies have shown that proper positioning of the lag screw in the femoral head is an important aspect of achieving positive patient outcomes. Failure of a cephalomedullary nail may occur if the lag screw has not been properly placed within the femoral head.  A "cut out" of  the lag screw in the femoral head is one potential result, which may necessitate a revision surgery.

During conventional hip fracture surgery, surgeons use mechanical instruments and x-ray images to place the nail and lag screw. Stryker Adapt is a computer assisted surgery system designed to assist surgeons in lag screw positioning by using Stryker's proprietary Adaptive Positioning Technology. The system automatically identifies the Gamma3 Locking Nail relative to the patient's anatomy and provides computer guidance to assist the surgeon with implant alignment, lag screw length and lag screw positioning.

Jim Bruty, senior director of marketing for Stryker Navigation, said the system "assists surgeons to more accurately position the lag screw, with no significant difference in procedure time. In addition, the number of x-ray images taken during the procedure can be reduced, which could potentially reduce the radiation exposure for the patient and the operating room staff."

Stryker Adapt for Gamma3 has been proven to assist surgeons in more accurately positioning the lag screw, regardless of their level of clinical experience.

"The Gamma System of implants and instruments has a 20-year history of continuous innovation to help surgeons achieve positive patient outcomes for hip fracture care," said Ken Gavlick, senior director of hip fracture marketing, Stryker Trauma & Extremities.

Stryker Adapt was designed specifically for use with Stryker's Gamma3 Locking Nail System and does not work with any other device.

More at www.stryker.com/navigation.