Last year, we wrote a blog article about The Introduction of the Hansson Pin and the Olmed Screw, describing a pin and a screw that would improve the lives of patients suffering from femoral neck fractures. As you probably know, the development moves fast in the medtech industry. Since then, the Hansson Pin has gained further improvements, resulting in the Hansson Pinloc system. In this blog article, I will describe the Hansson Pinloc system and Elos Medtech’s involvement in the development process.
Swemac offers solutions for fracture treatment and joint replacement
Swemac is a Swedish-based company, providing the medtech market with innovative and practical solutions for fracture treatment and joint replacement. The company dates back all the way to 1968 and has been developing and selling orthopaedic implants and medical equipment ever since. In addition, Swemac provides orthopaedic simulation training systems, as well as orthopaedic training programs that focus on surgical techniques and the characteristics of different orthopaedics implants. Swemac’s products aim to benefit the patients as well as professionals working with the implants. Quality, high performance and innovative competence were Swemac’s features in the past and most certainly will be in the future.
The Hansson Pinloc System is an evolution of the Hansson Pin System
The Hansson Pin system was designed to offer secure, stable fixation for femoral neck fractures with reduced risk of healing complications, as well as to minimise surgical trauma to the patient. The Hansson Pin consists of two parts, an outer pin, and an inner sliding tongue. Fixation in the femoral head is achieved by pushing the inner sliding tongue out through the window of the outer pin. However, in some cases, the femoral head tilts back again to the same position it had during the fracture. This is the result of the screws not having the mechanical stability to allow the fracture to heal in its reduced position. To overcome the problem of fracture displacement after internal fixation, and still maintain the same features as the Hansson Pin System, Swemac designed the Hansson Pinloc System.
“When launching a new medical device, a successful cooperation with a development and production partner is crucial. To avoid bottlenecks and failure in deliveries, an optimal flow is required between the development phase, production phase and marketing phase. Basically, it all comes down to trust between the companies, says Lars Öster, responsible for Research and Development at Swemac.“
High rotational stability with the Hansson Pinloc System
Swemac identified the need to further develop the Hansson Pin and make it even better, to provide the patients with even more benefits. Instead of the two isolated pins constituting the Hansson Pin, The Hansson Pinloc System consists of three Hansson Pins and a plate creating a dynamic unit, which has the ability to recreate the stability of an unbroken hip. The pins in the Hansson Pinloc System can not rotate in relation to each other, as often is the case when independent screws are used. This means that the femoral head can only rotate if the bone cuts through all pins simultaneously, which is very unlikely. Thus, the Hansson Pinloc System reduces the occurrences of complications during fracture healing and increases the quality of life for the patient.
Femoral neck fracture is a common fracture type,where around 30 to 40 % of the fractures are treated with osteosynthesis. The other 60 to 70 % are treated with arthroplasty. The surgery could result in symptoms like pain, limited ability to walk as well as tenderness. The Hansson Pinloc System aims to limit these symptoms to a minimum.
Elos Medtech started offering its expertise in the development phase
Swemac started collaborating with Elos Medtech early on in the development of the Hansson Pinloc System. Elos Medtech supported with production improvements to achieve an efficient and cost-effective manufacturing process. In addition, Elos Medtech was responsible for producing all the components, sterile validation, packaging and labelling the products. Elos Medtech was also Swemac’s development and production partner when manufacturing the Hansson Pin. Consequently, when manufacturing the Hansson Pinloc System, Elos Medtech contributed with an extensive understanding of the product, experience in producing similar devices as well as a unique know-how concerning the mounting, which was highly appreciated by Swemac.
Swemac puts high demands on a development and production partner
There were a lot of parameters Swemac took into consideration when choosing a development and production partner. High quality was on top of the agenda, as well as the prize, flexibility and delivery precision.
“I feel very safe letting Elos Medtech produce our products, and I have great confidence in them as our development and production partner. The manufacturing process was built on an open and tight dialogue between Swemac and Elos Medtech. Not all partners live up to the high level that Elos Medtech does, says Lars Öster, responsible for Research and Development at Swemac.“
Elos Medtech is responsive to customer requirements
The medtech industry is characterised by tough competition and high-quality demands. Elos Medtech is an experienced and confident development and production partner, responsive to the customers’ requirements and market demands. On short notice, we manufacture products based on given specifications. We offer a unique flexibility during the design phase, which is highly appreciated by our customers. We provide valid and reliable instruments and products for clinical situations, and we take responsibility for your products throughout their entire lifecycles.
Are you more curious about the Hansson Pinloc System, or want to know more about Elos Medtech? Contact me directly or visit our website for more information. Don’t forget to visit Elos Medtech’s Blog for more interesting blog articles.
