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25 or so years ago Cobalt Chrome was one step away from unobtanium. It was all made in one facility and the competition among the up & coming implant outfits was intense to say the least. Rumors of a chunk that could make 12 small knees being used as a doorstop, with the heat papers taped to the door were an everyday topic as we nested knee profiles in 8”rounds trying to eek out as many as we could on the AGIEs with whatever approved material we got. Howmedica, Osteonics, Implex, Styker. Little variations here and there but for all intents and purposes the same form. I ran the Wire EDM shop and then we’d send the blanks over to CNC for profile and pocket milling. I remember the CNC Foreman catching two of our Russian guys squeezing a knee in a vice because the pocket was .002 over spec. ( It went to England with the rest of the rejects. )
Then there we’re the saw guides for the Femoral tip re-section. All 17-4 PH 900, but a little different for each manufacturer. Compound angles on the wire machines and the AGIEs didn’t like the angle transitions so we had to tweak each program to force the machine to do what we wanted. I still have tape cartridges with all those programs because we were required to have an off site backup copy of all that crap. The CC implant parts had to be acid washed to remove any possible trace of the EDM wire coating that may have deposited during cutting.
Cradle to grave on every medical piece with follow sheets and multiple sign offs. I wonder today with most of that being done off-shore if it all really happens as it should.
** Two different saw guides and a dog hip. I gave the knee I had to my doctor when he did me really good one time I had pneumonia.
There is no constant to these things. Procedure and fitting are in large part dependent on whoever the manufacturer rep/technician is in the OR with the surgeon during the operation. My wife’s 2nd cousin is an implant manufacturer tech in high demand and regularly scrubs in to offer advice because every one of us is unique.
Add to that the new robot assisted surgery and it’s anyones guess what really goes on.
Then there we’re the saw guides for the Femoral tip re-section. All 17-4 PH 900, but a little different for each manufacturer. Compound angles on the wire machines and the AGIEs didn’t like the angle transitions so we had to tweak each program to force the machine to do what we wanted. I still have tape cartridges with all those programs because we were required to have an off site backup copy of all that crap. The CC implant parts had to be acid washed to remove any possible trace of the EDM wire coating that may have deposited during cutting.
Cradle to grave on every medical piece with follow sheets and multiple sign offs. I wonder today with most of that being done off-shore if it all really happens as it should.
** Two different saw guides and a dog hip. I gave the knee I had to my doctor when he did me really good one time I had pneumonia.
Add to that the new robot assisted surgery and it’s anyones guess what really goes on.
JR
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