4 stories this morning, for surgeons and the people who support them.
- Shoulder Innovations Q3 2026: net revenue $16.2M (+38% from $11.8M); 2,126 implant systems (+~34%); ASP $7,616 (+2%); gross margin 78.5% (vs 76.2%); net loss $7.0M (vs $8.7M); adjusted EBITDA loss $5.5M; R&D $3.2M (+107%) incl. InSet Neo robot; cash and securities $92.3M; FY26 revenue guidance raised to $68-70M (+44-48%) from $67-69M; first InSet Go cases; InSet Neo FDA submission planned — Shoulder Innovations reported 38% third-quarter revenue growth on November 5, driven by implant volume from new and existing surgeons, and raised its full-year revenue guidance for the second time. Source
- Spine RCT, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University: 120 thoracolumbar fracture patients randomized to 5G remote robot-assisted vs conventional robot-assisted pedicle screw placement; clinically acceptable screws 98.2% vs 98.0%, proximal facet joint violation 11.1% vs 12.2%, no differences in operative time, blood loss, VAS, ODI or complications — A single-center Chinese randomized trial published November 9 in Spine found 5G remote robot-assisted pedicle screw placement comparable to conventional robot-assisted placement on accuracy, facet violation and clinical outcomes; FDA's discussion paper on remote teleoperation takes comments until January 5, 2027. Source
- J Arthroplasty, 2025 International Consensus Meeting definition of success for PJI treatment: no clinical failure after reimplantation, no revision or reoperation attributable to PJI, no suppressive antibiotics beyond one year from surgical intervention, no PJI-related mortality; assessment starts at the index intervention regardless of procedure; any later revision must be worked up for infection with serology, aspiration and intraoperative cultures; reported success rates in the literature range 54.2-88.9% — A multidisciplinary ICM 2025 workgroup published a consensus definition of treatment success for periprosthetic joint infection, intended to reduce reporting variability and allow comparison of emerging interventions across institutions. Source
- Clin Orthop Relat Res RCT, Martini Hospital Groningen: 128 THA patients randomized to direct anterior (65) vs posterolateral (63) approach; no difference in HOOS PASS at 3 months on any subscale (e.g., pain 48% vs 53%, ADL 68% vs 65%) and no differences in symptoms, function, participation or QoL at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months or 1 year; complications 8% vs 2% (OR 3.05, p=0.21) — A Dutch single-center randomized trial published November 10 found no patient-reported or functional advantage for the direct anterior approach over the posterolateral approach in the first year after THA; the authors say surgeons should not tell patients the DAA speeds or improves recovery. Source
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