BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CurvaFix, Inc., a developer of medical devices to repair fractures in curved bones, today announced participation in the Industry Sessions of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) 38th Annual Meeting, Oct. 12-15 in Tampa, Fl, highlighting the expanding use of the CurvaFix® IM Implant by industry-leading surgeons for both fragility and high-impact fractures of the pelvis. The Industry Session will take place on Thursday, Oct. 13, 7:00 am – 7:50 am ET in room 118 at the Tampa Convention Center. The company will also showcase the CurvaFix procedure in its booth #626 and provide updates on recent U.S. cases.
The educational Industry Session titled “Expanding MIS Fixation Options for both Fragility and High Impact Fractures of the Pelvis,” features noteworthy case reviews, an overview of the CurvaFix technology, and panel discussions led by Amir Matityahu, M.D., professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, UCSF Medical Center Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and chief of Orthopaedics at Regional Medical Center of San Jose, Calif. Dr. Matityahu will share details of his experience with the novel device for high-impact trauma. Panelist Matthew P. Gardner, M.D., an orthopaedic trauma surgeon at the Springfield Clinic, Springfield, Ill., will discuss the multiple patients he has treated using the CurvaFix IM Implant, highlighting surgical utility and potential benefits. In addition, panelist Prof. Dr. Pol M. Rommens, a retired head of the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Germany, will review Fragility Fractures of the Pelvis (FFP), which is an often underappreciated and growing problem due to an aging population worldwide.
“The CurvaFix Implant has incredible flexibility, enabling me to follow the natural curves of the corridors of the pelvis, filling the space and achieving strong, stable fixation,” said Dr. Matityahu. “One of my patients presented with an unstable pelvis with a dysmorphic upper sacral segment. I used the CurvaFix Implant in Trans-Sacral-Trans-Iliac fashion over the guidewire within the dysmorphic S1 corridor to stabilize the patient. This repair would have been much more difficult to do with a straight implant. The patients treated using the new device have done better than expected with the CurvaFix Implant.”
Clinical case reports have indicated that the CurvaFix Implant achieves strong, stable fixation that follows and fills the natural curvature of each patient’s anatomy, which may immediately reduce pain, allow for earlier mobility, and improve patient recovery. Specifically, the novel implant enables surgeons to address challenges such as dysmorphic sacra, curved superior rami, and FFP in geriatric patients with a fast, easy and minimally invasive procedure.
“I have had multiple geriatric fractality fracture patients that were unable to ambulate; however, within five days of placing the CurvaFix Implant, they were all walking,” said Dr. Gardner. “Placing a non-linear implant into curved corridors is easy, safe and stable. I think this new implant will change the way we approach pelvic injuries.”
“We’re honored to be participating in the Industry Sessions at the OTA Annual Meeting this year, as we highlight simplifying pelvic fracture repair with strong, stable pelvic fixation that follows and fills the natural curvature of each patient’s anatomy,” said Steve Dimmer, chief executive officer. “CurvaFix offers a simpler, fast, minimally invasive procedure that gives surgeons a new method to repair pelvic fractures in even the most challenging anatomy. For FFP treatment, CurvaFix provides strong fixation for fragile bones. We are delighted to help surgeons share their data about its potential to immediately reduce pain, allow for earlier mobility and improve patient recovery compared to traditional methods for geriatric patients.”
As multiple case studies have demonstrated, the CurvaFix IM Implant has the potential to overcome the limitations of existing implants used for pelvic fracture fixation in both high-impact trauma and fragility fracture patients. There are over 186,000 hospitalizations for pelvic fractures in the U.S. every year. Due to an aging population, the incidence is growing at 9% per year. Of those hospitalized, over 108,000 are due to FFP injuries in geriatric patients.
FFPs can dramatically change the quality of life for geriatric patients and their families due to a loss of patient autonomy, significant disability, and even death. Despite recommendations that surgical treatment should be considered for most pelvic fragility fractures, only 10% receive surgery today. For non-operative patients, conservative treatment generally consists of bed confinement, pain control, and mobility assistance while tolerating weight-bearing. Often, conservative treatment leads to lengthy hospitalizations, high nursing home admittance, and a high one-year mortality rate. In contrast, decades of innovation in hip fracture repair have enabled strong, stable surgical fracture fixation to become the standard of care. Ninety-five percent of hip fracture patients receive surgery today, which can greatly reduce pain and often allows geriatric hip fracture patients to mobilize soon after surgery.1
About CurvaFix, Inc.
CurvaFix, Inc. is a privately held medical device company headquartered in Bellevue, Wash. CurvaFix is developing implantable products to improve fracture repair in curved bones. The company is focusing on Fragility Fractures of the Pelvis and high-impact pelvic fractures. The CurvaFix IM Implant has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
CurvaFix is a trademark of CurvaFix, Inc., registered in the U.S.
1 Orthopedic News Network, Vol 32, No 2, May 2022
