Exactech Accelerates Access to Equinoxe® Stemless Shoulder by Transitioning Manufacturing to 3D Laser Printing

Exactech announced today the transition of its Equinoxe^® Stemless Shoulder to a 3D laser printing manufacturing process.

The Stemless Shoulder, a bone-conserving anatomic total shoulder prosthesis, is now being manufactured using direct metal printing with high precision lasers to create its porous bone cage. The implant previously was created through 3D printing through electron beam melting (EBM) and originally released in 2018.

“We have been incredibly pleased with our original EBM Stemless Shoulder implant and the early positive clinical feedback we received from our surgeon customers. The new laser-printed device is built on this solid foundation while also giving us the ability to ramp up production to serve even more patients, which drives us and fulfills our mission,” said Exactech Vice President of Extremities Chris Roche.

Orthopaedic surgeons Curtis Noel, of the Crystal Clinic in Akron, Ohio, and Stephanie Muh, MD, of the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Mich., were the first to perform the surgeries with this leading-edge implant earlier this month.

“As a member of the design team, I am very proud to be one of the first to implant the laser-printed Stemless Shoulder,” Dr. Noel said. “The bone conserving design, along with its compatibility to the Equinoxe Shoulder System, make this a great solution for both patients and surgeons.”

“One of my favorite features of the Stemless implant is its bone cage structure that is designed to provide initial press-fit fixation while also allowing for bone-through growth. That intentional design element, along with the porous structure being designed to mimic the trabecular nature of cancellous bone, differentiates it from competitors,” said Dr. Muh.

The design team includes Dr. Noel, Felix “Buddy” Savoie, MD, of Tulane University in New Orleans, La.; Pierre-Henri Flurin, MD, of Clinique du Sport in Bordeaux-Mérginac, France; Ryan Simovitch, MD, of HSS Florida in West Palm Beach, Fla.; Thomas Wright, MD, of the University of Florida., in Gainesville, Fla.; and Joseph Zuckerman, MD, of NYU Langone Orthopaedic Hospital, in New York City.

Exactech plans to transition all U.S. Stemless Shoulder procedures to its laser-printed devices throughout the rest of the year.