4 stories this morning, for surgeons and the people who support them.
- Two bunion datasets out of AOFAS 2026 pull against each other: Treace's five-year ALIGN3D Lapiplasty results, and an HSS series where MIS Lapidus matched open Lapidus on PROMIS at one year — Both presented at the AOFAS Annual Meeting, Seattle, September 16-19, 2026. (1) Hospital for Special Surgery (Lance M. Ward, Scott J. Ellis, A. Holly Johnson et al.): retrospective review of prospectively collected data, 140 patients with moderate-to-severe hallux valgus (66 MIS Lapidus, 74 open Lapidus), all with pre- and post-op weightbearing CT, minimum one-year follow-up, enrolled June 2017-April 2024. Both groups had clinically meaningful PROMIS improvement in physical function, pain interference, pain intensity and global physical health with no statistically significant between-group differences; open achieved greater HVA and IMA correction, MIS greater Meary angle correction; nonunion, recurrence, infection and hardware removal did not differ. Ellis discloses consulting for Stryker. Published as Ward et al., Foot & Ankle International (https://doi.org/10.1177/10711007261446621, PubMed 42473753) with the AOFAS abstract at https://doi.org/10.1177/2473011426S00069. (2) Treace Medical Concepts (Nasdaq: TMCI), September 15, 2026 release (https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/09/15/3362722/0/en/treace-highlights-product-innovations-and-clinical-data-across-its-expanding-foot-ankle-portfolio-at-the-2026-aofas-annual-meeting.html): five-year ALIGN3D Lapiplasty data, 137 of 173 patients analyzed, radiographic recurrence 0.8% at HVA >20 degrees and 5.3% at HVA >15 degrees, return to weightbearing in a boot at a mean 8.4 days; plus MTA3D Adductoplasty and SPRINT SpeedPlate studies. New products shown: Lapiplasty Lightning (next-generation instrumentation with SpeedTMT, limited market release midyear 2026, full commercialization expected before year end), Tailorplasty MIS for tailor's bunion, SuperBite fully-threaded compression screws, HyperPlate XM, CartiBlaster, VitaFuse, and a cloud X-ray measurement app. Also covered by ODT (https://www.odtmag.com/breaking-news/treace-unveils-5-year-lapiplasty-data-new-findings-at-aofas/) and Orthopedics This Week (https://orthotw.com/2026/09/treace-highlights-product-innovations-and-clinical-data-across-its-expanding-foot-ankle-portfolio-at-the-2026-aofas-annual-meeting). Source
- Zimmer Biomet takes the both-sides ROSA Shoulder System to ICSES 2026 in Vancouver, where Stryker and Enovis are the other top-tier sponsors — Announced September 18, 2026: Zimmer Biomet will show its shoulder portfolio at booth 404 at the 16th International Congress of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (ICSES 2026), September 22-25, 2026 at the Vancouver Convention Centre, hosted by ASES (https://icses2026.org/). Products: the updated ROSA Shoulder System, Signature Vision mixed-reality navigation, Signature ONE 3D CT-based planner, Identity and Comprehensive shoulder systems, and the OsseoFit stemless system. ROSA Shoulder first received FDA 510(k) clearance in February 2024 for anatomic and reverse total shoulder (https://www.healio.com/news/orthopedics/20240223/zimmer-biomet-receives-fda-510k-clearance-of-robotic-total-shoulder-replacement-system); the expanded clearance came in May 2026 and, per Zimmer Biomet, makes it the industry's first robotic system supporting both glenoid and humeral preparation for anatomic and reverse techniques (https://bonezonepub.com/2026/05/27/zimmer-biomet-earns-510k-for-updated-rosa-shoulder-system/ ; https://www.massdevice.com/zimmer-biomet-expanded-fda-nod-rosa-shoulder/). Quote from Brian Hatcher, President of Sports Medicine, Extremities, Trauma. Zimmer Biomet cites 96.6% ten-year survivorship for Comprehensive Reverse from the AOANJRR 2025 Annual Report (a company-cited registry figure). Stryker and Enovis are listed among the congress's highest-level industry partners with spotlight presentations, and Exactech is also a supporter (https://ases-assn.org/meetings/icses-2026/ ; https://www.stryker.com/us/en/sports-medicine/c/icses.html). No published head-to-head comparison establishes a clinical benefit for humeral-side robotic preparation. Source
- Fusion Orthopedics launches the FibFix fibula nail into AOFAS and OTA, going after a small intramedullary category held by Acumed and Arthrex — Announced September 17, 2026: Fusion Orthopedics USA, LLC (Mesa, Arizona) launched the FibFix Fibula Nail System for distal fibula fractures, shown at the AOFAS Annual Meeting (Seattle, September 16-19) and at the Orthopaedic Trauma Association Annual Meeting (Nashville, September 23-26). Specifications from the release: Dual Helix Tornado Thread proximal fixation, a 'FlexZone' titanium shaft section, diameters 3.7 mm / 4.7 mm / 5.7 mm, lengths 150 mm / 190 mm / 230 mm, four 2.8 mm low-profile distal interlock holes, three syndesmosis hole options compatible with screws or the Fusion Bolo Button Syndesmosis Rope System, and end caps from 0 to 15 mm. Surgeon quotes from Thomas McDonald, DPM and Joshua Sebag, DPM. The release does not state an FDA clearance number. Competitive context: Acumed's Fibula Rod System was the first intramedullary fibular nail marketed in the US, and the FibuLock nail (originally Sonoma Orthopedics, now sold by Arthrex) is the better-established competitor; both offer syndesmotic fixation and interlocking (https://www.acumed.net/products/foot-ankle/fibula-rod-system/ ; https://www.arthrex.com/foot-ankle/intramedullary-nails ; https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com/site/podiatry/practical-pearls-utilizing-fibular-nails-athletes). Also reported by ORTHOWORLD (https://www.orthoworld.com/fusion-orthopedics-launching-fibfix-fibula-nail/) and in Orthogate's September 18 industry briefing (https://www.orthogate.org/medtech-innovation/industry/84764-orthopaedic-industry-daily-briefing-2026-09-18). Source
- Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research publishes a methodological audit finding the synovial leukocyte count and differential are poor standalone rule-in tests for PJI, against the 2025 meta-analysis behind the Unified PJI Criteria — Reported September 17, 2026. Parthasarathi A, ... Deirmengian CA, 'Synovial Fluid Leukocyte Count and Differential Are Poor Standalone Rule-in Tests for Periprosthetic Joint Infection: Results of a Methodological Audit and Reanalysis of the 2025 Meta-analysis Underpinning the Unified Periprosthetic Joint Infection Criteria,' Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 2026, DOI 10.1097/CORR.0000000000004002 (https://www.ovid.com/jnls/clinorthop/abstract/10.1097/corr.0000000000004002~synovial-fluid-leukocyte-count-and-differential-are-poor). The audit re-examined the 74 primary studies in the 2025 meta-analysis that supports treating synovial WBC >3,000 cells/microliter or PMN >75% as individually sufficient rule-in tests at claimed specificity >95%. Errors identified: false-positive and false-negative columns transposed in the data extraction; a threshold-selection rule that excluded studies not reaching 95% sensitivity or specificity, which biases the pooled estimate; and universal threshold recommendations despite high heterogeneity (specificity heterogeneity 85% for WBC count, 93% for PMN percentage). Reanalyzed at 20% PJI prevalence, positive predictive value was 67% for the WBC count and 73% for the PMN percentage — roughly one in three positives occurring in uninfected patients. Authors' conclusion as quoted: 'These can be used along with other tests...but neither should be used to rule in PJI alone.' Source
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