DePuy Synthes launches single use instrument kits for wrist fractures

DePuy Synthes, part of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, has introduced the Distal Radius Sterile Kit, a pre-sterilised, single-use kit of instruments and implants to treat wrist fractures.

The announcement was made to the health care community during the combined congress of the Federation of European Societies for Surgery of the Hand and European Federation of Societies.

The kits provide customers with the company’s market-leading plate and screw implants as well as pre-sterilised, single-use instrumentation that helps improve operating room efficiency, streamlines the procedure and eliminates sterilisation costs. In fact, the Distal Radius Sterile Kit was designed to eliminate more than 60% of steps associated with processing reusable sets.¹

Wrist fractures are one of the most common fracture types, accounting for up to 18% in the elderly, and rates of surgery to fix them are increasing.² With this rise in demand for surgical procedures, surgeons and providers want a solution that enables high-quality treatment for patients while improving efficiency, reducing costs and minimising delays associated with instrumentation and sterilisation. One study demonstrated that surgical delays as brief as 10 minutes may cost a hospital more than $130,000 per year.³

The Distal Radius Sterile Kit consists of one Variable Angle LCP Two-Column Volar Distal Radius Plate, a distribution of screws, and the required instrumentation— commonly what is needed for up to 80% of distal radius fracture cases currently treated with plates and screws.⁴ The simplified composition of the kit is designed to drive repeatable, more consistent procedures.

The Distal Radius Sterile kit brings value to healthcare systems by eliminating costs and time for sterilisation. In fact, the Distal Radius Sterile Kit was designed to eliminate more than 60% of steps associated with processing reusable sets. An industry report cites that single-use kits may save approximately $285 per procedure for sterilisation, transport, and handling.⁵

“The Distal Radius Sterile Kit is an example of how we are responding to customer needs by providing value beyond the implant,” said I.V. Hall, Global Franchise Leader, DePuy Synthes Trauma. “By combining our market-leading plate and screw solution with single-use instrumentation, we are supporting our customers ranging from academic medical centers to community hospitals in providing high-quality care in an efficient, cost-effective way.”

References

1. Ethnography study  – data on file at DePuy Synthes
2. Nellans, Kate W., et al. The Epidemiology of Distal Radius Fractures. Hand Clin. 2012 May; 28(2): 113–125.
3. Wong J, Khu KJ, Kaderali Z, Bernstein M. Delays in the operating room: signs of an imperfect system. Canadian Journal of Surgery. 2010;53(3):189-195.
4. 2015 Global Sales Analysis – data on file at DePuy Synthes
5. Goldrein T, Locsei T, Craigwood, A. DYQ06 – Costs of Orthopaedic Surgery. Innovia Technology Report. 2010. Note: costs were converted from GBP to USD using 2010 conversion rates.