The British orthopedic and sports medicine device giant designed Catalystem to meet the evolving demands of primary hip surgery, including the increased adoption of anterior approach procedures. The system’s features include a triple-taper stem with uniform proximal loading. According to S+N, the reduced distal stem geometry and shorter lengths make the Catalystem ideal for the anterior approach but suitable for all approaches.
Smith+Nephew said yesterday that three prominent orthopedic surgeons — Dr. Thorsten Seyler of Duke University, Dr. George Haidukewych of Orlando Health, and Dr. Ran Schwarzkopf of NYU Langone Health — completed the first Catalystem procedures last week.
“Smith+Nephew’s new Catalystem primary hip system with RI.HIP navigation represents the beginning of a new era combining advanced technology and patient personalization that will, without doubt, enhance patient outcomes,” Seyler said in a news release.
Catalystem also uses proprietary, patent-pending Accubroach technology that S+N says delivers reproducibility between broach and implant. The goal is to provide confidence in predictable and reproducible stem seating.
“The instruments were exceptionally user-friendly and ideal for the direct anterior approach,” Haidukewych said. “The broaches showed a significant improvement in performance, offering superior cutting and a more precise feel for rotational stability. In comparison to other implants I’ve used in recent years, these stand out as markedly better. Overall A-plus…it could not have gone better.”
Schwarzkopf added: “The case went smoothly and exceeded all my expectations. It’s the best anatomically fitting stem I’ve ever seen — it fit the patient’s anatomy perfectly. The advantage of the broaches giving exact stem-to-broach positioning is unmatched in the industry.”
The news comes about two months after Smith+Nephew announced the FDA’s clearance of Catalystem.
