The 5th annual Orthopedic Design & Technology (ODT) Conference & Exhibition will showcase a live surgery broadcast featuring the new Evolution Medial-Pivot Knee System from Wright Medical Technology Inc, the organizers have announced. The programme will be held on September 22 & 23, 2010 and the surgery will be performed on the second day (Sept 23) of the conference at Grand Wayne Convention Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The procedure will be performed by C. Lowry Barnes, MD, of the St. Vincent Orthopaedic Center of Excellence in Little Rock, Ark. Dr. Barnes commented, “Often, total knee replacement patients complain that their replaced knee does not feel normal, citing noises or sensation of the joint slipping, especially as they descend stairs. The Evolution implant’s more refined medial-pivot design may feel more normal to patients.”

According to officials from Arlington TN-based Wright Medical, the arthroplasty will showcase the new knee system’s enhanced instruments, improved sizing options and posterior stabilization.

“Our expectation is that this next generation medial-pivot design will deliver an even higher level of patient and surgeon satisfaction compared to that of traditional total knees,” said Alex Winber, Wright Medical’s Director of OrthoRecon-Knees.

Howard Revitch, group publisher of Orthopedic Design & Technology magazine, commented, “The live surgery broadcast will be part of an enhanced experience for attendees that includes robust educational sessions, extensive supplier exhibits and valuable networking opportunities. We look forward to celebrating our fifth year anniversary as the only true orthopedic manufacturing event in the Fort Wayne and Warsaw area.”

This year’s ODT Conference & Exhibition also will include expert panel discussions titled “Barriers to Entry Into the Orthopedic Market” and “Perspectives on Reimbursement and Pricing Pressures.” Attendees also will benefit from key engineering-focused presentations , such as “Project Management and Workflow Analysis for Orthopedic Manufacturers -- Tactics for Engineers to Improve Efficiency.”