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Orthopedic devices manufacturer FH Ortho, headquartered in Chicago, has received US Food and Drug Administration approval to market the ARROW Reverse Shoulder “long keel” and “short keel” glenoid base plate in the United States. The long keel base plate has been used abroad especially for complicated cases, according to a media release from the company.

The ARROW Reverse Shoulder long keel and short keel glenoid base reportedly is indicated for patients with severe shoulder arthropathy and a grossly deficient rotator cuff or a previously failed shoulder joint replacement with a grossly deficient rotator cuff. A functional deltoid muscle and adequate glenoid bone stock are necessary to use this device. The humeral stem is intended for cemented or cementless application while the metal-back glenoid baseplate is intended for cementless application with the addition of bone screws for fixation.

An innovation by FH Orthopedics, the ARROW Total Shoulder Joint Replacement System is the first universal system for shoulder arthroplasty, allowing surgeons to implant a reverse or anatomical prosthesis using the same set of instruments. Approved by the FDA in November 2010, the ARROW shoulder system is a simple technique that allows patients greater range of motion and a faster recovery.

Surgeons benefit from maximum flexibility in preoperative and intraoperative implant selection because of a universal instrument set, according to the FH Ortho media release. Furthermore, the ARROW Shoulder System allows for conversion of a hemi prosthesis into a total shoulder or a reverse shoulder without switching out the stem, which prevents incremental trauma and saves surgical time.

“With the FDA’s approval to add the long keel glenoid base plate to the ARROW System, we can now give the surgeon additional options for patients with severely compromised glenoids,” Hook adds. “The strength of fixation, as well as an outstanding fixation base for bone grafting, provides the shoulder surgeon with a new tool in treating the patient with debilitating conditions associated with glenoid deformities.”

[Source: FH Ortho]