As I outlined in my last Editor’s Letter, if this year’s ODT Forum had a theme, it would have been the transformation of the orthopedic industry. Virtually every session centered around the change happening within the sector, from disruptive “smart” products to the regulatory landscape. Whether the panel discussions or the solo presentations, the ODT Forum captivated attendees with the topics and information they wanted to hear most about. (In case you missed it, we will make it available for on-demand viewing at www.odtforum.com.)

One of the panel sessions (Design Considerations: Developing Products for the ASC Environment) centered around the changes happening due to more procedures taking place in ASCs rather than hospital ORs. Or, as panel moderator Paul Bryant, CTO at MicroPort Orthopedics Inc., stated, “things have been migrating to the ASC over time, it’s just accelerated since the COVID period.” As such, it’s critical device manufacturers consider the specific demands for instruments and technologies used in this setting.

In addition, there’s good reason for this type of focus at the ODT Forum. At the end of 2023, there were 6,300 CMS-certified ASCs, according to data cited by Beth Roach, director of data strategy at SmartTRAK. She added that represented an increase of over 200 facilities from the 2022 total. She also noted orthopedics represented the largest focus for ASCs at 35%.

Melanie Prevost, associate director of ASC Solutions at Zimmer Biomet, explained the primary buzzword for the ASCs was “efficiency,” whether with regard to running the business aspect of the ASC or in the delivery of care. She also provided insights about the importance of collecting clinical data and communicating post-operatively with patients. Prevost mentioned her company’s digital solutions, including the mymobility app—a tool for the care team to remain in contact with patients and keep them engaged in their care, while the surgeon and staff track their recovery—and OrthoIntel—a digital platform that combines pre-, intra-, and post-operative data from the ZBEdge Connected Intelligence Suite, which enables surgeons to discover clinical insights. She explained how tools like these help both patients and surgeons get ahead of potential challenges or begin rehabilitation earlier, improving the overall care journey.

Lisa Hiller, commercial leader of forming and coating at Orchid Orthopedic Solutions, spoke to the approach to this transition from the contract manufacturer’s (CM) viewpoint. She explained CMs need to address a number of questions about how to develop products for the ASC: “What solutions are needed from a product standpoint, so both on the instruments and implants standpoint? Thinking about different materials to use; we don’t want to have as many trays in ASCs. How can we change some things we’ve done in the past to make that possible today? Is there a way to make instrumentation where there is more than one purpose for it so you don’t need as many…in those environments where there is not as much footprint available as a storage facility?”

This led to hearing from the company that calls itself “the single-use arm for the OEMs.” Lane Hale, president and CEO of ECA Medical, mentioned how he’s heard from OEMs that one of their core strategies is to transition to a sterile, single-use delivery system (identified as “surgery ready” at ECA). Hale revisited the discussion regarding the importance of efficiency: “As you look at the data…on the comparison of reusable to single-use and you do a value-stream map of that, there is significant savings from a financial perspective for the surgery center [with] single use.” He highlighted that there was no waiting for reprocessing and surgeons could stack cases back-to-back without concern over not having the right instrumentation due to it going through cleaning/reprocessing.

In addition to covering these topics, the panel discussed important factors such as speed to market, partnering earlier for better designs and products, keeping a patient focus, and communication with those patients and their families. While many of these design considerations are universal, how they are addressed for the ASC environment makes the responses unique.

This only outlines a portion of this fantastic discussion from the 2024 ODT Forum. If you’re interested in hearing more from this panel or want to review other sessions from the event, visit the ODT Forum site soon for the On Demand page under the About menu tab. You’ll have access to the ASC design session along with those focused on the growing role of additive manufacturing, the impact of consolidation in the industry, the increase in disruptive enabling technologies, and how MDR changes will impact orthopedics. 

Sean Fenske, Editor-in-Chief
sfenske@rodmanmedia.com