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COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — A new medical invention that's helping shoulder surgery patients has roots in Nebraska, thanks to an orthopedic surgeon from Columbus.
Dr. Edward Fehringer at Columbus Orthopedic and Sports Medicine wanted to have a device that was small, simple to implant and able to preserve bone better than the options already on the market, the Columbus Telegram (http://bit.ly/1O5Q0No ) reported.
Fehringer and a team of other surgeons and engineers came up with a shoulder replacement prosthesis called the Tornier Simpliciti Shoulder System that was officially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March. Fehringer said it has been used in around 100 patients nationwide, including in six procedures he performed.
The titanium device is different from other devices mainly because of its shorter stem, or the part that's inserted into the bone of the upper arm during shoulder replacement surgery.
The stem is only 2 centimeters, which Fehringer said will help preserve bone in the case of infection or if additional surgeries are needed down the road. A smaller stem also might mean less pain for the patient after surgery.
"In 2000 and 2001 during my internship in Seattle, one of the other fellows and I began talking about how we could improve shoulder replacement," he said. "Those conversations continued for 15 years. Our goal was to always ultimately have something that would make a big difference."
Fehringer is a 1987 graduate of Scotus Central Catholic and has worked in Columbus for about three years.
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Information from: Columbus Telegram, http://www.columbustelegram.com
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