Frost & Sullivan Commends OrthAlign for Developing an Advanced Technology Platform for Implant Alignment in Arthroplasty
OrthAlign has been successful in positioning its products as cost-effective alternatives to computer-assisted surgery devices without compromising accuracy
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — September 21, 2015 — Based on its recent analysis of the orthopedic alignment market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes OrthAlign, Inc. with the 2015 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Technology Innovation. OrthAlign is dramatically improving the success rates of arthroplasty by incorporating its cutting-edge navigation and sensor technology platform into its two implant alignment solutions, OrthAlign Plus® and KneeAlign®. These two palm-sized products seamlessly integrate into the surgeon’s workflow and meet alignment benchmarks, while being extremely cost competitive.
Building on a powerful and sensitive navigation platform, KneeAlign® and OrthAlign Plus® not only outperform conventional mechanical guides, but also match the precision of computer-assisted surgery (CAS) devices, which are considered the industry standard. While CAS devices are space-consuming and cost millions of dollars, OrthAlign’s products are single-use, hand-held devices that do not require huge capital investments.
“OrthAlign’s products are elegantly designed, reflecting the company’s advanced technology architecture. They address the key market demands of portability, manageability and user-friendliness in surgical navigation devices,” said Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Bhargav Rajan. “OrthAlign’s technology combines the accuracy of the large-console CAS equipment with the convenient form-factor of conventional mechanical guides.”
As the design eliminates visualization support, the products do not require large processors or display modules; instead; they employ novel navigation and missile-guidance technologies used in aerospace and defense industries. The platform leverages accelerometers and optical sensors to guide surgeons in accurately registering implants and obtaining feedback on implant alignment.
KneeAlign® has received the 510(k) market clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for single use during total knee replacement surgeries. It combines tibial and femoral replacement navigation, and easily enables surgeons to locate the center of the femoral head. OrthAlign Plus®, on the other hand, is used for both knee and hip replacement procedures, and is expected to emerge as the company’s flagship product. OrthAlign Plus® has received FDA clearance as well as the CE mark for clinical use in Europe, Australia and various countries in Asia.
OrthAlign’s platform is robust, flexible and reproducible and hence, is eminently scalable. The devices enable more than 18 niche applications and/or features during femur, tibia and hip arthroscopy procedures. For example, they provide information on the flexion angle of the joint, knee stability, inclination angle and cup placement target. Even though OrthAlign is focused on consolidating its market leadership in knee and hip arthroplasty, it is aware of the products’ application potential both within and outside the domain of orthopedic surgery.
“Steadfast commitment to technology innovation is the one surefire way to stay ahead of competition and drive future business value. OrthAlign has evinced such a commitment with the development of its leading edge implant alignment technology, thereby raising the bar for innovation in the orthopedic industry,” said Krishna Srinivasan, Global President and Managing Partner, Frost & Sullivan.
The company’s visionary innovation is underscored by the efficient performance of its products in various clinical studies. Approximately 96 percent of patients that used OrthAlign’s products had tibial alignment within two degrees of a neutral mechanical axis, while mechanical guides showed comparative results in only 66 percent of patients. In some cases, OrthAlign’s devices even outperformed the highly efficient CAS devices in total knee replacement procedures.
In January 2015, OrthAlign recorded the 25,000th clinical use of KneeAlign® in total knee replacement procedures. This represents a year-on year sales growth of more than 46 percent, far outstripping the industry’s average growth rate.
For having developed a highly accurate and affordable alignment technology platform to aid surgeons in arthroplasty procedures, OrthAlign has rightly earned the 2015 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Technology Innovation.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated uniqueness in developing and leveraging new technologies, which significantly impacts both the functionality and the customer value of the new products and applications. The award lauds the high R&D spend towards innovation, its relevance to the industry and the positive impact on brand perception.
Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.
About OrthAlign, Inc.
OrthAlign is a privately held medical device and technology company, committed to providing orthopedic surgeons with cutting edge, user-friendly, surgical navigation products for precise alignment and positioning. OrthAlign’s orthopedic implant alignment products, OrthAlign Plus® and KneeAlign®, are hand-held devices that combine the precision or computer-assisted devices, with the convenient form factor of conventional mechanical guides.
