Shouldering the pain:
Joint replacement innovation puts local firefighter back to work
by Lucinda Breeding
Denton Record Chronicle
August 27, 2017

As a firefighter, Brian Shackelford has to be able to lift both objects and people. This includes his heavy firefighter gear and transporting people when doing EMS work. He went to Dr. Ian Wilkofsky of Orthopedic Associates in Flower Mound, Texas who suggested a shoulder replacement. In May 2016, Shackelford underwent a new surgery called a stemless shoulder replacement. This both helped relieve his chronic pain and keep him at his job.

“Before I got the surgery done, I had gotten to the point where it was hurting all the time,” Shackelford said. “A deep aching. To me it felt like the pain was on the inside of my bone. … It got to where doing anything would increase the pain. It was really limiting me on my job.”

Shackelford was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory arthritis that typically affects the spine and the large joints.

“The anatomic replacement is, ‘I’m just going to put this back how God made it,’” Wilkofsky said. “The reverse total shoulder replacement, that’s a newer implant to the United States. It’s a technology that we started using when you’d go in to replace the joint and find that the patients didn’t have much of a rotator cuff.”

Much smaller than its predecessor, the stemless joint is an egg-shaped, coated titanium object with ridges on it — Wilkofsky describes them as “fins” — that are reminiscent of a Phillips screwdriver head. The ridges are coated with a special material.

No long rod has to be inserted down into the bone to keep the new joint in place. The stemless joints are less invasive, and involve less bone.

“I’m glad I did it,” Shackelford said. “It isn’t the easiest recovery in the world, but it’s not the worst either. But it got me back to work, and it was worth it.”

Brian was implanted with the SIMPLICITI™ Stemless Shoulder Replacement in May 2016.

The opinions of Brian Shackelford and Dr. Ian Wilkofsky are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.

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Local doctor talks about less invasive form of shoulder replacement
Texas
The Leader
June 09, 2017

After years of renovating houses and working on a farm, Tommie’s shoulder had worn out, causing her to struggle to do household chores or to write on the board in her classroom. She received injections to help the pain, but they lasted only a short time, leading her to seek a long-term solution.

Tommie went to see Dr. Ian Wilkofsky of Orthopedic Associates in Flower Mound, Texas, who recommended she receive the SIMPLICITI Shoulder System. He explained it is a less painful option than traditional shoulder replacements for those with severe arthritis or shoulder pain, and Tommie decided to undergo the procedure.

Dr. Wilkofsky highlighted how advancements in shoulder replacement surgery involve less pain and a quicker recovery. He explained that traditional shoulder surgery used a stem that went halfway down the arm, unlike SIMPLICITI, which only sits at the top of the humerus or arm. Dr. Wilkofsky said patients can resume certain activities like playing golf and lifting weights by three months after the surgery.

Only three days after Tommie underwent the canal-sparing shoulder arthroplasty procedure, she no longer needed pain medication. After a 12-week recovery period, she no longer had any limitations, and now only experiences muscle soreness from physical therapy. She is glad the new surgery is available.

The opinions of Tommie and Dr. Ian Wilkofsky are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.

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My Name Is: Nellie Sparks Recipient of total shoulder replacement
Lakewood Sentinel
December 21, 2016

Retired Lakewood resident Nellie Sparks started having problems with her left shoulder about four to five years ago. She first noticed the problem when she tried to take a pose in yoga, and realized she wasn’t as flexible as she should have been. Putting stress on it caused a lot of pain, but Nellie put it off getting addressed for a while, using cortisone shots to get her by.

Finally, unable to deal with the pain which kept her from doing the activities she loved, and struggling to complete everyday tasks like put on her seatbelt, Nellie went to see Dr. Armodios Hatzidakis at Western Orthopedics. He recommended a total shoulder placement with the SIMPLICITI™ Shoulder System and after getting her questions answered, Nellie decided it was time to move forward.

Nellie had her left shoulder replaced on September 23, 2015 and took advantage of all seven weeks of physical therapy to get her mobility back. She is now able to do everyday activities pain-free and she is back to the active lifestyle she enjoyed previously, including biking and hiking whenever she can.

The opinions of Nellie Sparks are hers alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.

New Device Improves Shoulder Replacement Procedure
Washington DC
NBC 4 Washington
November 14, 2016

John Bowling of Hollywood, Maryland, suffered from serious shoulder pain for years and in 2015, it started to interfere with his everyday activities as a farm owner. When the pain escalated to where he could no longer perform simple tasks, such as dressing himself, his wife made an appointment for John with Dr. Peter Johnston of the Southern Maryland Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center.

Dr. Johnston found that both of Bowling’s shoulders had deteriorated due to arthritis and bi-lateral replacement was the only option. He recommended a new stemless shoulder replacement procedure. Dr. Johnston explained that shoulder replacement historically used a metal spike which runs halfway down the arm, however newer stemless devices are an eighth of that size. The newer procedure also results in less blood loss than previously-available procedures, and preliminary evidence suggests there may be lower risk of infection.

Bowling now lives pain free after both shoulder replacements and his only regret is that he waited so long to do something about the pain. .

The opinions of Dr. Johnston and John Bowling are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Wright Medical.

Anatomy of the small-joint sector: small devices, big growth
Orthopedic Design & Technology
May 31, 2008

This article addresses how large medical technology companies have been slow to pick up the ball with regard to small joints and replacements. This has left an opening that small and mid-size companies like Wright Medical Technologies have been able to fill while helping aid patients with joint distress in the extremities caused by arthritis, obesity, and other problems.

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Wright steps to forefront in foot, ankle device field
The Commercial Appeal
April 04, 2008

This article from The Commercial Appeal discusses Wright’s drive to become the top firm in the foot and ankle surgery market, and it also addresses how growth in the market benefits both the company and patients. Acquisitions of other providers and savvy selling have allowed Wright to shore up market share in a critical field that’s been comprehensively overlooked for a long time.

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Minimally invasive wrist treatment provides fast recovery
The Dispatch
June 26, 2007

This article profiles Ricky Rummage, who was tired of wearing casts when he broke his wrist. Rather than deal with a cast, which would leave him immobilized for weeks, Rummage opted to try Wright Medical Group’s minimally invasive wrist treatment, MICRONAIL® Fixation. Rather than wrapping the wrist to heal, MICRONAIL® Fixation lets the wrist heal from inside, allowing the patient mobility much sooner, with smaller scars – and with much less pain than with traditional techniques.

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Group of Cape Girardeau doctors using new method to heal fractured wrists that reduces healing time
Southeast Missourian
April 03, 2007

Dr. Brian Schaefer of Orthopaedic Associates in Cape Girardeau relates and how he has embraced Wright’s MICRONAIL® Fixation system for many broken wrists, allowing patients to heal faster and have a greater range of motion. The MICRONAIL® implant uses an internal fixation technique and results in little more than a removable splint for the patient to wear after the surgery. Schaefer sees many benefits to the new procedure that outweigh those of traditional bone-setting techniques like casts.

New procedure fixes broken wrist on the spot
Times Herald-Record
February 14, 2007

Although many wrist fractures are treated with a cast or a combination of cast and pins, such treatments can fail to maintain the bone alignment. By some estimates, 70 percent of patients experience pain and/or decreased wrist function because of alignment problems. Dr. Samir Sodha has been using the Wright MICRONAIL® implant, thus allowing his patients immediate use of their wrist with minimal scarring and mobility loss.

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