The Role of the Orthopedic Table in Anterior THA
Dr. Joel Matta continues to recount his anterior total hip journey. He describes the crucial role that the orthopedic table plays and the path to developing the Hana table we know today.
Over time, I became increasingly convinced that the anterior approach to hip replacement was a superior method. I was however, consciously not in a rush to start advocating the technique. This was in part because I already enjoyed a positive international reputation for acetabular and pelvic fracture expertise.
On reflection, I realized that I had advocated for both good and bad ideas during my career and I wanted to make sure that anterior approach to THA was among the good ideas before I risked my reputation.
The Importance of the Orthopedic Table for Anterior Total Hips
The other reason was that I felt the orthopedic table was an important part of the procedure and the best table, the Judet table was no longer produced. I had observed the Keggi anterior THA technique on a standard table however this further convinced me of the importance of the orthopedic table.
On one of my visits to Letournel in Paris I was introduced to Mr Axelrod, the president of the Tasserit Company, producers of the most recent Judet type orthopedic table. I hoped that he might restart production of the table but he told me that the table had been a commercial failure. He had only sold a few to selected locations in France and was not interested in further production.
That’s what led me to discussions with OSI in Union City, CA regarding the design and production of a new orthopedic table.
Of course, designing and manufacturing a special table for a procedure, the anterior THA – that hardly any surgeons in the US performed was a tough sell. That’s why the first table we created, the ProFx, was a multi-purpose table which could be used for not just anterior total hips, but also general trauma and pelvic and acetabular fractures. In fact, anterior hips were the “wild card”.
Enter OSI and the ProFx table
Soon after the first ProFx table was produced in 2003, I held a course at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles. We had just one table and one cadaver. Twenty surgeons attended, including Stephan Kreuzer and Anthony Hedley.
The ProFx table was also shown at the Letournel course, “Fractures of the Acetabulum and Pelvis”.
Following these first courses however it became evident that this “wild card” – the anterior THA – was actually driving the sales of the ProFx table.
OSI then saw the opportunity to create a table designed specifically to facilitate anterior total hip surgery and the Hana Table was born. This table of course, was a clinical and commercial success thanks to its dedicated features including the femoral hook – very similar to those first used on “Coach“.
As for the ProFx table – it is today considered the gold standard for pelvis reconstruction and trauma surgery.
