A conviction, collaboration and product consents drove ODT website traffic this past week.

Garnering the most page views was the conviction of four Texas and Arkansas orthotic brace suppliers for a $6.5 million illegal kickback scheme that included federal Anti-Kickback Statute violations. Bruce Stroud, 40, Bobbi Stroud, 39, husband and wife and residents of Prosper, Texas, and Kenric Griffin, 52, of Frisco, Texas, face up to 55 years in prison. The defendants jointly owned and operated four orthotic brace suppliers: New Horizons Durable Medical Equipment, Striffin Medical Supply, 4B Ortho Supply, and Grace Professional DME. Evidence showed between January 2017 and April 2019 the parties caused about $12.5 million to be billed in Medicare claims for unnecessary braces, based on order received in exchange for illegal kickbacks. Medicare paid the defendants about $6.5 million for the claims. The trio concealed the scheme through numerous sham agreements with alleged marketing companies that called the illegal payments for orders “marketing” expenses. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 7.

Also attracting cybervisitors was GE Additive’s partnership with Orchid Orthopedic Solutions, and FDA authorizations for DePuy Synthes and Exactech.

GE Additive and Orchid are teaming up to continue driving the adoption of additive manufacturing to their suite of technologies through the development of electron beam melting (EBM) solutions in the medical implants sector. Orchid is making a significant investment to enable scalability and full production support for its customers by purchasing GE Additive EBM Spectra L systems, service agreements, AP&C metal powders, and AddWorks consultancy services. Installation of the first machines will begin sometime this year. Following machine installation and validation, Orchid expects to be ready for production in 2024 to meet its customers’ requirements.

The FDA granted DePuy Synthes 510(k) clearance to use its INHANCE Shoulder System in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty procedures. The system has already been cleared for use in anatomic shoulder arthroplasty, and provides surgeons with interoperative flexibility. Features of the reverse system include: a 135-degree neck shaft angle with lateralized options; sizing options to address a full range of patients; 3D laser printed R/SPEED Baseplates and Modular Baseplates with Central Screw and Central Post options; advanced cross-linked Vitamin E polyethylene for desired wear characteristics and oxidative stability; and one Step Prep Glenoid Reamers.

Exactech earned FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for JointMedica’s Polymotion hip resurfacing system. Exactech is a minority JointMedica shareholder, and is partnering with the U.K.-based orthopedic device maker to exclusively distribute its next-generation hip resurfacing. The researchers designed the Polymotion system from clinically successful principles of their previous hip resurfacing devices, now with advanced polyethylene and titanium manufacturing tech. Polymotion offers hip resurfacing’s biomechanical benefits but eliminates metal-on-metal articulating surfaces.

1. Orthotic Brace Suppliers Convicted in $65M Fraud Scheme

2. GE Additive and Orchid Partner to Advance Scalable Metal 3D Printing

3. DePuy Synthes’ INHANCE Shoulder System Cleared by FDA for Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty

4. Exactech Earns Breakthrough Status for JointMedica’s Polymotion Hip Resurfacing

5. Paragon 28 Launches Grappler Suture Anchor System