Article preview reprinted from IN VIVO - September 2008
Amedica says its high-strength silicon nitride-based ceramic could be the answer to some of the more vexing problems in spine, hip and knee surgeries. But can this materials science expert become a real orthopedics company?
Article preview reprinted from IN VIVO - September 2008
Dr. Aaron Hofmann literally got caught with his pants down. A decade or so ago, the Salt Lake City orthopedic surgeon had made a habit out of ducking a "friend-of-a-friend" who insisted on pitching a new idea to him. Hofmann, busy with his surgery and consulting work, didn't want another project. But Ashok Khandkar didn't want to take no for an answer. "He literally would not go away," Hofmann says.
Khandkar, a ceramics specialist, finally cornered Hofmann as he was dressing for surgery and earned 30 seconds of the surgeon's time. After the half minute, Hofmann agreed to witness a rudimentary, but telling, test of a ceramic that Khandkar wanted to develop for medical use. The pair met later outside the surgeon's home where Khandkar presented a small ceramic ball—"very impressive material. It looked like a black diamond," Hofmann recalls—and challenged the surgeon to break it. "We sent that black ball bouncing up and down my driveway," Hofmann says. "And my driveway was chipping. There wasn't a scratch on it."
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Companies mentioned in this article:
Amedica Corp.
Biomet Inc.
CeramTec AG
Johnson & Johnson
DePuy Orthopaedics Inc.
Myriad Genetics Inc.
ReAble Therapeutics Inc.
DJ Orthopedics Inc.
DePuy Orthopaedic Technology
Smith & Nephew PLC
Smith & Nephew Inc.
Stryker Corp.
Wright Medical Group Inc.
Zimmer Holdings Inc.
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