Dive Brief:
- Stryker has introduced a new minimally invasive system for treating bunions, expanding the portfolio of devices it acquired in its $4 billion takeover of Wright Medical.
- Wright, which became part of Stryker in 2020, received Food and Drug Administration clearance for a medical device that enables the surgical reduction of hallux valgus deformity early this year.
- Stryker is debuting its device at the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society Annual Meeting, where it will make the case that the system reduces recurrence, scar size and opioid use.
Dive Insight:
Buying Wright gave Stryker control of lower extremities devices, including a line of Prostep products that won 510(k) clearance in 2019. Wright developed the Prostep devices to enable minimally invasive foot surgeries, an approach that researchers have linked to improved outcomes compared to the traditional open approach. Stryker expanded the portfolio with the addition of a procedure guide last year.
The latest addition to the foot portfolio is Prostep MIS Lapidus, an internal fixation system that came to market on the basis of a filing that cited a Wright device cleared in 2017 as a predicate. The new device has a similar design and is made from the same titanium alloy, but is available in longer lengths.
Patrick Fisher, vice president and general manager for Stryker’s foot and ankle business unit, said in a statement that the company is continuing to expand its surgery options to support a commitment to advancing minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery.
The product slots into a portfolio that is driving growth at Stryker. U.S. trauma and extremities sales rose 14% in the second quarter, a jump that CFO Glenn Boehnlein said was driven by “very strong growth” in the foot and ankle business.