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SmartTRAK Life Sciences News and Analysis Blog

3 min read

A Novel New Implant for the Treatment of Massive, Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears

By Andy Knapik on 1/6/26 9:31 AM

Chance Leonard and R. Sean Churchill, MD, MBA, of Genesis Innovation Group and Capitan Orthopedics, discuss their SupraSpacer implant for treatment of massive irreparable rotator cuff tears in an interview with SmartTRAK. 

In an interview with SmartTRAK, Chance Leonard and R. Sean Churchill, MD, MBA, of Genesis Innovation Group and Capitan Orthopedics, discuss the innovative SupraSpacer implant for the treatment of massive irreparable rotator cuff tears and how it can provide a minimally invasive procedure that delivers stable, pain-free range of motion and helps preserve future surgical options.

To find out more about Capitan Orthopedics and the SupraSpacer implant, click on the following video (37:07 min). A link to download a complete transcript of the interview is provided below. 


Interview Transcript:

Hey everybody. It's Andy Knapik here from SmartTRAK. I am senior analyst for soft tissue fixation and arthroscopic technologies. And today I'm really excited to be joined by a couple of gentlemen who are designing what I think is a pretty unique and very much needed product right now in the rotator cuff space. So I'm joined by Chance Leonard, who's the CEO of Genesis Innovation Group. And then Doctor Sean Churchill, who is a board member of the Genesis Innovation Group. Gentlemen, thanks for joining me today. It's nice to meet you.

Chance Leonard: Very nice to meet you as well.

Dr. Sean Churchill: Thanks for taking the time with us today.

So let's just start with an introduction. So maybe, Chance, start and talk to us about what is Genesis Innovation and your background a little bit so people get to know you a little.

CL: You bet. Well, thank you, Andy, for the opportunity to connect. My name is Chance Leonard, and as you mentioned, I currently serve as Chief Executive Officer of Genesis Innovation Group. We are a medical device development company, solely focused on med tech and in orthopedics, particularly. And we basically provide ...

Click the button below to download and read the complete transcript of our interview with Chance Leonard and R. Sean Churchill, MD, as they discuss the innovative SupraSpacer implant for the treatment of massive irreparable rotator cuff tears, conducted by Andy Knapik, SmartTRAK Sr. Analyst, Soft Tissue & Arthroscopic Technologies.Get the Transcript

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2 min read

Musculoskeletal New Ventures Conference 2025

By Erin Dorgan on 12/30/25 9:30 AM

The Musculoskeletal New Ventures Conference meeting offers a glimpse into emerging and promising technologies that are shaping the US Spinal Hardware Market.

The Musculoskeletal New Ventures Conference (MNVC) took place on November 4-5, 2025, in Memphis, TN. This annual conference highlights new and emerging technologies focused on the orthopedics space, and this year alone had over 45 companies present. In this article, SmartTRAK highlights four spine-focused companies with novel technologies that will impact the broader US Spinal Hardware Market, which is projected to grow at a 5-year CAGR of +4.0% by 2029E, according to SmartTRAK estimates.  

The companies covered in this article are:

  • ZygoFix
    Since its presentation at MNVC last year, ZygoFix has begun surgeries in the US and currently has five surgeons incorporating the zLock into their practices. The company plans to expand access in ... (read more)

  • Nanohive
    Nanohive is focused on providing patient-specific interbody implants built on its proprietary soft titanium lattice platform, which has a lower modulus of elasticity than other titanium metals and is closer to ... (read more)
  • Lenoss Medical
    Lenoss Medical offers a novel biological allograft implant, Osteopearl, for the VCF market, which eliminates the need for ... (read more)

  • Synergy Spine Solutions
    Synergy Spine Solutions is currently participating in FDA clinical trials to bring its Synergy disc to the US market. This unique disc preserves motion and actively corrects alignment in the cervical spine due to ... (read more)

According to SmartTRAK Product Explorer, there are over 219 companies and approximately 1,150 products competing for market share in the US Spinal Hardware Market today. The MNVC meeting provided a glimpse into new and promising technologies for the US Spinal Hardware Market.

To learn more about MNVC 2025 and the companies presenting, click the button below to download the complete article by Erin Dorgan, SmartTRAK Sr Analyst, Spine & Bone Replacement.Get the Article

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3 min read

Automating Cartilage Repair and the Road to Commercialization: Octane Biotherapeutics

By David Shepard on 12/16/25 9:30 AM

The high costs and complexity involved in manual manufacturing hinder the commercial viability of regenerative cell therapies. Octane Biotherapeutics seeks to remove these barriers by integrating its automated "Cocoon" production system with the well-established Novocart 3D and Novocart Inject platforms. SmartTRAK interviews Dr. Robert Spiro, CEO of Octane Biotherapeutics, to explore the company's strategic acquisition of assets from Aesculap Biologics and TETEC AG, and their plan to make a significant entry into the US Cartilage Repair Market. 

Click on the following video to learn more (09:37 min). A link to download a complete transcript of the interview is also provided below.

 

SmartTRAK: Hi, this is David Shepard with SmartTRAK, and I'm here with Dr. Robert Spiro, the CEO of Octane Biotherapeutics. Thank you for taking the time, really appreciate it.

Robert Spiro: Good to see you, Dave. Thank you.

Yes, good to see you as well. Tell me a little bit about Octane and the acquisition of Novocart 3D and Novocart Inject by Octane.

RS: Sure. It's a journey. It really started about 2010, '11, when I first started with Aesculap Biologics in this space. And having been in the cartilage regenerative space through several companies, really knowing that the scale-up of any type of manual culture, cell culture system was a big challenge from a commercial standpoint. We have always been looking for ways to automate this process. We started some on our own, but I encountered this technology with Octane, which was back in 2011—started that collaboration to transfer our manual autologous chondrocyte culture process to an automated system. They had already really started on this Cocoon technology, but we started to marry it to the Novocart program that long ago.

The relationship was there, all along, with the divestiture away from B. Braun Aesculap as they restructured all of their portfolio. It was really a natural progression for Octane to step in and acquire the company, not only Aesculap Biologics, but our sister company in Germany, TETEC AG, that developed the same technology. Octane Biotherapeutics is fully global, both German as well as US. And so, the Cocoon technology is an important step for us to commercialize both Novocart 3D and Novocart Inject for a number of reasons, and anyone in the cell culture space understands that scale up, scale out of those kind of manual process is expensive. It's one of the things that drives the cost of these products so high. So, it's been a great collaboration, and the fact that they stepped in through the acquisition just made a lot of sense for everybody.

RS: The hallmark of this is why it's really ideal for autologous cells. It's this ...

Want to learn more about how integrating the automated "Cocoon" cell production system with Novocart 3D and Novocart Inject platforms will disrupt the complexity and costs of the US Cartilage Repair Market? Click the button below to download and read the complete transcript of our interview with Dr. Robert Spiro, CEO of Octane Biotherapeutics, conducted by David Shepard, SmartTRAK GM/Sr Analyst, Orthobio & Regen.Get the Transcript

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3 min read

Deep Dive into Foot & Ankle: Lance Silverman, MD, on Practice, Technology and the Path Forward

By Natasha Weeks on 12/9/25 9:30 AM

Dr. Silverman discusses key takeaways from the AOFAS meeting, along with insights into his practice's shift to ASC settings and the major hurdles of fair reimbursement and staff recruitment.

Lance Silverman, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and foot and ankle specialist at Resurgens Orthopaedics in Roswell, GA, discusses trends and technologies in the Foot & Ankle Market in an interview with SmartTRAK.

Dr. Silverman discusses key takeaways from the recent American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) Annual Meeting 2025, including the critical focus on avoiding revisions in total ankle replacements. He also addresses the role of technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI) surgical planning tools and the instrumentation and jigs used in foot and ankle procedures. Dr. Silverman provides insights into the current landscape of his practice, including his most common procedures, his shift to ambulatory surgery center (ASC) settings, and the benefits and biggest challenges he faces—such as securing fair reimbursement and the struggle to recruit and retain talented team members amid rising living costs and salary expectations.

To listen to the interview, click on the following video (17:46 min). A link to download a complete transcript of the interview is also provided below.


Interview

SmartTRAK: Hi, this is Natasha Weeks General Manager of Trauma and Extremities for SmartTRAK, and I'm here with Dr. Lance Silverman. We're going to take a deep dive into the foot and ankle segment. Dr. Silverman, thanks for being here and talking with me. And it was great to meet you at AOFAS in Savannah last month.

Dr. Lance Silverman: Nice to meet you there too, Natasha. It's a pleasure reconnecting.

Great. So reflecting on AOFAS and the meeting, for you, what was the most impactful message, whether that was clinical discussions you had, any specific posters or symposium talks or even products that you saw displayed? What did you believe coming off of that conference would really be most influential in the surgical management of foot and ankle?

LS: Well, there were a lot of conversations that people had both in lectures and outside of lectures on total ankle replacement. And total ankle replacement has been a growing increasingly performed procedure. And we have now started to see...

Want to learn more about the trends and technologies in the Foot & Ankle Market? Click the button below to download and read the complete transcript of our interview with Lance Silverman, MD, conducted by Natasha Weeks, Managing Editor/Sr. Analyst Trauma & Extremities.Get the Transcript

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3 min read

Cartilage Repair and Regeneration: Innovative Use of Hydrogel

By David Shepard on 11/25/25 9:30 AM

Leo Smit, CEO of Hy2Care, discusses the company's innovative hydrogel platform for articular cartilage repair in an interview with SmartTRAK at ICRS World Congress 2025.

In this interview with SmartTRAK, Hy2Care CEO Leo Smit discusses the company's innovative technology. Hy2Care, a Dutch spin-off from the University of Twente, is developing a new hydrogel platform to address focal cartilage defects. Smit explains their "joint-mimicking" hydrogel, which is applied arthroscopically as a liquid, enzymatically cross-links in place within one minute, and bonds strongly to surrounding tissue. The product could represent a new generation of acellular, off-the-shelf scaffolds that aim to close this gap by offering a simpler procedure that regenerates high-quality, durable tissue.

To find out more about the Hy2Care procedure and what makes it so revolutionary, click on the following video (12:43 min). A link to download a complete transcript of the interview is also provided below.

 

SmartTRAK: Hi, this is David Shepard with SmartTRAK. And I'm here with Leo Smit, the CEO for Hy2Care. Thank you for taking the time.

Leo Smit: Pleasure.

Excellent. So, if you could, tell me a little bit about your technology and your interest in getting into the cartilage space.

LS: Sure.  Well, first, maybe a little bit about Hy2Care, we are a Dutch spin-off from the University of Twente. The group of Professor Marcel Karperien, he is a decades-old, experienced professor in the field of osteoarthritis and cartilage research. He came up together with a bunch of his co-workers with a new technology to repair cartilage. And that's a really unique technique. It's a hydrogel platform. It's a platform that is based on what we call joint mimicking composition, joint mimicking polymers. We use dextran and hyaluronic acid in a somewhat modified way and then make them... Allow them to be cross-linked during the surgery.

So, what we do is we take...

Want to learn more about Hy2Care and its unique hydrogel platform that addresses focal cartilage defects? Click the button below to download and read the complete transcript of our interview with Leo Smit, CEO of Hy2Care, conducted by David Shepard, SmartTRAK GM/Sr Analyst, Orthobio & Regen.Get the Transcript

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3 min read

OSET 2025: Spotlight on Conmed and BioBrace

By Andy Knapik on 11/13/25 6:06 PM

Conmed’s Lisa Donnelly, VP of Marketing for US Orthopedics, and Jeff Ott, Director of R&D, discuss their BioBrace technology in an interview with SmartTRAK at OSET 2025 in Las Vegas. 

Conmed’s Lisa Donnelly, VP of Marketing for US Orthopedics, and Jeff Ott, Director of R&D, sat down with SmartTRAK at the Orthopaedic Summit (OSET) 2025 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas (September 18–25, 2025) to discuss BioBrace and how its bioinductive technology sets it apart from the competition.

To find out more about Conmed and BioBrace, click on the following video (16:30 min). A link to download a complete transcript of the interview is also provided below. 

 

Hey everybody, it's Andy Knapik with SmartTRAK, here at Ortho Summit in Las Vegas, and I'm happy to be here at the ConMed booth, and joined by a good friend of mine, Lisa Donnelly, who's VP of Marketing for US Ortho for ConMed, and then also Jeff Ott, who is a director of R&D. Why don't you just start by talking to us about how you started with the company? I'm just going to let you go with the intro part.

Jeff Ott: 
Yes, happy to do that. I joined a small company called Biorez about six or seven years ago as a small startup. We were focused on trying to find ways to help with tendon and ligament healing, and we developed a product called the BioBrace, which now is a part of ConMed.

So, when was that acquired? That was about a year…

Lisa Donnelly: 
August of 2022.

Okay. So a few years now. Wow. It's flown.

JO: 
Yes, time has flown by. So the BioBrace, which we developed, we designed a product that is a bioinductive scaffold with strength. What we did is we created a product that can both reinforce a tendon or ligament repair, and it also can ...

Want to learn more about the BioBrace technology? Click the button below to download and read the complete transcript of our exclusive interview with Conmed’s Lisa Donnelly, VP of Marketing for US Orthopedics, and Jeff Ott, Director of R&D, conducted by  Andy Knapik, SmartTRAK Sr. Analyst, Soft Tissue & Arthroscopic Technologies.Get the Transcript

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2 min read

A Unique Perspective on Orthopedics/Sports Medicine: An Interview with ESPN Writer/Analyst Stephania Bell

By Andy Knapik on 11/6/25 9:00 AM

Stephania Bell, a licensed physical therapist, ESPN senior writer, and renowned sports injury analyst, brings together her clinical expertise and media experience, exploring how sports injuries in professional athletes intersect with those seen in the general population.

In a recent interview with SmartTRAK, Stephania Bell, a licensed physical therapist, ESPN senior writer and renowned sports injury analyst, brings together her clinical expertise and media experience, exploring how sports injuries in professional athletes intersect with those seen in the general population.

Click on the following video to watch the interview (43:14 min). For more details, interview topics by timecode and a link to download a complete transcript of the interview are provided below.

 

Interview Topics By Timecode:

02:00 Stephania’s background.

11:15 Work with Arthrex on the education side.

18:50 Where do med device companies fit in with prevention?

21:51 Patient insistance on being treated like the pros.

29:24 Public perception of sports injuries.

The connection between sports injuries in professionals and those in the broader population offers valuable insight into treatment and recovery trends. Click the button below to download and read the complete transcript of our interview with Stephania Bell, ESPN senior writer and renowned sports injury analyst, conducted by  Andy Knapik, SmartTRAK Sr. Analyst, Soft Tissue & Arthroscopic Technologies.Get the Transcript

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3 min read

What's Next in Orthopedic Trauma?

By Nick Fitzpatrick on 10/21/25 9:45 AM

SmartTRAK reviews the evolving trauma startup landscape in 2025, spotlighting five innovators, followed by a comparative chart mapping 19 emerging companies.

The Trauma Market is undergoing a subtle but significant evolution. Amid growing pressure on hospitals to improve outcomes, reduce costs, and avoid complications like surgical site infections, a wave of early-stage companies is rethinking the fundamentals of fracture care. From infection-mitigating implants to ultra-low-profile nails and percutaneous plating systems, these startups are betting that innovation in surgical efficiency, implant design, and value-based care will ultimately reshape the trauma landscape.

Historically seen as a commoditized space dominated by legacy original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), trauma is now attracting mission-driven founders, surgeons and academic engineers building platforms with real clinical intent, whether to reduce the burden of open fractures, address fragility fracture under-treatment, or to simplify procedures that have seen little change in decades. While most remain pre-commercial, several are advancing toward regulatory milestones, clinical validation, or meaningful early traction.

In this article, SmartTRAK highlights 19 companies with trauma-specific implants and technologies, categorized by platform/product, commercial stage, latest funding round, regulatory status and relevant activity callouts. Of these, SmartTRAK also provides a deep dive on five companies to watch in the Trauma Market in 2025 and beyond.

Company Spotlights: Five to Watch in Trauma

  •  CURVAFIX
    Curvafix is redefining pelvic fracture fixation with a novel intramedullary (IM) implant system designed specifically for curved bone anatomy. The company’s flagship device, the CurvaFix IM Implant, is the first and only FDA-cleared implant that ... (read more)

  • Endeavor Orthopedics
    Endeavor Orthopaedics is a trauma-focused medical device company pioneering implant systems for complex avulsion fractures. Its flagship product, the Summit Patella Plating System, addresses a critical need in the treatment of ... (read more)

  • Meduloc
    Meduloc is an early-stage orthopedic startup advancing intramedullary fixation solutions for small, long-bone fractures. The company’s proprietary system combines ... (read more)

  • OrthoXel
    OrthoXel is an orthopedic trauma company developing advanced intramedullary nailing systems designed to optimize healing biomechanics and surgical workflow. Based in Cork, Ireland, the company has commercialized two flagship platforms ... (read more)

  • Reselute Medical
    Reselute Medical is a pre-commercial orthopedic startup developing a novel class of intramedullary implants capable of localized antibiotic delivery for the treatment of severe traumatic long bone fractures. The company’s lead product is ... (read more)

Curious about what's next in Orthopedic trauma and the companies that are rethinking the fundamentals of fracture care? Click the button to get the full article by Nick Fitzpatrick, SmartTRAK Associate Market Analyst – Orthopedics.Get the Article

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3 min read

OSET 2025: Spotlight on OSSIO Kneebar Procedure

By Andy Knapik on 10/2/25 9:53 AM

Dr. Brian Cole discusses the novel OSSIO Kneebar procedure in an interview with SmartTRAK at OSET 2025 in Las Vegas. 

Brian Cole, MD, orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Rush Health System, discussed the OSSIO Kneebar procedure for the management of subchondral insufficiency fracture of the femur and tibia, utilizing the bio-integrative OSSIOFiber 4.0mm Cannulated Trimmable Fixation Nail, in an interview with SmartTRAK at the Orthopaedic Summit (OSET) 2025 Annual Meeting held September 18-25, 2025 in  Las Vegas, NV.

To find out more about the OSSIO Kneebar procedure and what makes it so revolutionary, click on the following video (11:49 min). A link to download a complete transcript of the interview is also provided below. 


Interview Transcript

Hi everybody, it's Andy Knapik with SmartTRAK. I'm here at the OSET meeting in Las Vegas and I'm joined with Dr. Brian Cole. Thanks for joining me today.

Dr. Brian Cole: 
Thanks for having me, Andy.

Yes. I've talked a lot in the past about OSSIO. They have some really great products and one of the products that's out now, it's called KneeBar. It's a very unique product. So I thought it'd be great if you, being so involved with the product, you could walk through it and tell us about it.

BC
: Yes, so for clarity, KneeBar is probably what we would say the procedure, I guess is a KneeBar procedure.

Okay.

BC
: The device itself is OSSIO fiber, so it's their core technology, which is I'd say bio-talented, bio-replaceable and gets replaced and/or turns into bone over time. So we know that's the construct for OSSIO fiber, and the device itself is a cannulated trimmable fixation nail.

So the KneeBar procedure basically is a procedure that will address ...

Want to learn more about the novel OSSIO Kneebar procedure? Click the button below to download and read the complete transcript of SmartTRAK's interview with Brian Cole, MD, conducted by  Andy Knapik, SmartTRAK Sr. Analyst, Soft Tissue & Arthroscopic Technologies.Get the Transcript

Topics: Orthopedics
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2 min read

Navigating Tomorrow's Foot and Ankle Market

By Natasha Weeks on 9/23/25 9:30 AM

Gregory Berlet, MD, shares insights on trends in foot and ankle surgery, including MIS, ASCs, orthobiologics, and AI planning, in an interview with SmartTRAK.

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