Written by Laura Dyrda
A Portland-based start-up, Implant Medical, aims to disrupt the orthopedic and spine device field with less costly implants and screws, according to a Portland Business Journal report.
The company isn’t the first device start-up to tackle the high-cost of orthopedic and spine implants. Companies like Orthopaedic Implant Company and OrthoDirectUSA have been manufacturing and selling implants directly to surgeons at a lower cost for years. “Generic” or “wholesale” orthopedic and spine implants are often produced at the same manufacturing plants as the big name implants but sold at a fraction of the price because overhead at the smaller companies is so low.
Many of the “value-based” companies also cut out the sales representative, which can significantly drop the price. The implant representative is often in the operating room to aid surgeons if they have questions about the technology and provide supply chain management support. However, for commoditized implants some argue the reps aren’t necessary in the OR, especially for departments on a budget.
The Portland Business Journal reports a significant savings — around 76 percent for a three-millimeter headless compression screw — when surgeons use Impact Medical. Company CEO E.J. Duffy previously worked for Synthes before founding the company, which has customers in several west coast states…
