What’s New in Foot & Ankle? News to Know Before ACFAS 2026

The American College of Foot & Ankle Surgeons (ACFAS) is once again bringing together the leading clinicians, researchers and manufacturers to the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas for the ACFAS 2026 Annual Meeting, to be held February 23-27.

SmartTRAK will be represented at ACFAS 2026 by Natasha Weeks, SmartTRAK GM & Senior Analyst, Trauma & Extremities, Dave Shepherd, GM & Senior Analyst Orthobio & Regen Med and Thom Clark, Sr Director, Enterprise Strategy & Solutions. If you would like to meet with us, please reach out to natasha.weeks@smarttrak.com, david.shepherd@smarttrak.com, or just click the link below.

To get you up to speed before the meeting, SmartTRAK has put together highlights of recent foot & ankle news. The following is just a small sampling of recent foot & ankle-related news and updates from around the world compiled, reviewed and posted in real-time every day by the expert analysts at SmartTRAK.

Market

• SmartTRAK estimates full-year US Foot & Ankle revenues for 2025 will grow in the high single-digit range YoY, in line with SmartTRAK’s US Foot & Ankle Market Overview projection of +8.8% YoY growth. SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard.
• Based on Foot & Ankle Fixation revenue YTD 2025, the US Foot & Ankle Fixation segment is driving growth in the overall US Foot & Ankle Market, growing +9.1%, in line w/ SmartTRAK’s original Foot & Ankle Fixation Market projection of +8.8% YoY growth. SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard
• The Total Ankle Replacement Market is also propelling the US Foot & Ankle Market, up +8.8% YTD in line w/ SmartTRAK’s original Total Ankle Replacement Market projection of +9.0 YoY growth. SmartTRAK Financial Dashboard
• Strategic product launches across fixation and replacement segments with a focus on surgeon engagement supported growth in the Extremities segment in Q325 and beyond. Q325 Extremities Market Recap Article
• Stryker’s (SYK) Foot & Ankle business was soft in 2025, but management is excited about the new Incompass Total Ankle launch that will receive much better reimbursement from CMS. SYK anticipates seeing an impact from the Incompass launch in Q226. SYK Q425 Earnings Transcript on Seeking Alpha
• Zimmer Biomet CEO Ivan Tornos addressed US sales restructuring, confirming the company does not plan to move fully to a W-2 model. He emphasized that ~1,000 dedicated CMF and foot and ankle reps, though largely 1099, operate in a highly dedicated structure. LinkedIn
• Forma Medical announced a strategic focus on its OptimalMTP MTP fusion procedure as commercial adoption accelerates. Since launch, OptimalMTP has demonstrated clinical success in more than 650 pts. Forma also appointed Aaron Smith, former CEO of Artelon, to its BoD.

Clinical/Regulatory/New Products

• ZBH and subsidiary Paragon 28 announced the commercial launch of the Phantom Curved TTC Nail System, engineered to match the hindfoot’s circular arc for improved alignment, fixation strength and soft-tissue preservation in primary and revision TTC fusion cases.
• restor3D announced the Ossera AFX Ankle Fusion Cage System is now commercially available. Designed to address complex ankle fusion cases w/ standard off-the-shelf configurations and made-to-order options, as well as sterile-packed implants and reusable instrumentation.
• Enovis Foot and Ankle announced the availability of Arsenal Foot Sterile Instrument Kits, featuring the new Duotome instrument w/in the Joint Prep Kit. The dual-purpose instrument includes an osteotome cutting face and a peeler-style edge for cartilage removal. LinkedIn
• Toetal Solutions received 510(k) clearance for its ZipToe Hammertoe Fusion System, a titanium intramedullary implant w/ deployable nitinol claws for fixation of the proximal interphalangeal joint. The device is indicated for toe fusion procedures.
• Extremity Medical received 510(K) for the MetaFore Small Screw System consisting of implantable screws and accessories for use in arthrodesis procedures of the hand and forefoot.

Patents

• Paragon 28 was granted US Patent “Bone Fixation Device And Method Of Use” describing an implant comprised of a plate portion on the first end and an intramedullary stem portion at the other, used during bone correction in orthopedic and podiatric surgery.
• Treace Medical’s US Patent Application “INTRA-OSSEOUS PLATE SYSTEM AND METHOD” was published describing a system including a bone plate that may be in compression and an intra-osseous support structure that is in tension under load in situ.
• Globus Medical’s US Patent Application “EXPANDABLE COTTON AND EVANS IMPLANTS” was published describing an expandable implant capable of being inserted into an osteotomy incision to reposition and stabilize a portion of bone.
• Arthrex was granted US Patent “Devices For Generating And Applying Compression Within A Body” describing devices made of a shape memory material used to fix injured bones, including the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints of the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th toes or fingers.

Deals/Financing

• The Philadelphia Business Journal reported that Toetal Solutions is exploring a potential sale following FDA clearance of its ZipToe Hammertoe Fusion System. SmartTRAK notes that Toetal has raised multiple rounds of equity since its founding in 2021.
• Stabiliz Orthopaedics announced the acquisition of the QuikZip wound closure platform from Foot Innovations, LLC. The move expands Stabiliz’s surgical solutions portfolio w/ a novel closure system designed to enhance wound management and procedural efficiency. LinkedIn
• Horizon Technology Finance Corporation, together w/ Monroe Capital LLC, announced the closing of an initial $40MM senior credit facility for OSSIO, w/ an additional $10MM available to support future growth.
• Entirety Biomedical announced the close of a $1.2MM seed round led by NuFund Venture Group to advance first-in-human trials of its Curasorb bioabsorbable magnesium implant systems for lower extremity and CMF fixation.

Studies

• Management of medial malleolar fxs w/ plate fixation comes w/ a significantly higher risk of complications, including deep infection, compared to screw fixation, screw fixation w/ wire and tension band wiring concluded a study of 82 ankles in 80 pts. J Foot Ankle Surg
• Failed total ankle arthroplasties can be salvaged w/ tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis w/ a retrograde IMN w/o subtalar joint preparation, which leads to favorable outcomes and no complications associated w/ the subtalar joint according to a study of 18 pts. Clin Orthop Surg
• External fixation in hindfoot Charcot Neuroarthropathy is associated w/ higher incidences of amputation, while internal and hybrid fixation leads to higher rates of fusion but w/ more hardware-related reoperations according to a meta-analysis of 957 pts (970 feet). Foot Ankle Int
• Fourth-generation fixed-bearing cementless designs of TAR systems, w/ a survival rate of 98%, usefully address mechanical failure and cemented-related issues leading a targeted analytic review to conclude they are recommended as the primary choice of implant. Eur J Orthop Surg

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