Zimmer Biomet touts first surgery of new tibia

By Reed Parker | Inside INdiana Business

Warsaw-based Zimmer Biomet Holdings Inc. is touting the first surgical case of its Persona Trabecular Metal Tibia. The surgery was performed in Idaho on March 20 after the product received U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance in January, and approval in April.

The tibia is a component of the company's cementless total knee arthroplasty solutions. The tibia is combined with the company's Persona TM Femur and TM patella to provide the whole knee solution. The tibia is made from tantalum, a porous biomaterial similar to bone. Dr. Richard Moore performed the surgery and says "The TM tibial tray and pegs fit beautifully to the bone. I believe the instruments for trial prep and implant placement were a clear improvement and an advantage. I also appreciate the time efficiency of using cementless implants.  "The clearance of the Persona TM Tibia represents a significant step forward for those patients who can benefit from completely cementless total knee replacements that better integrate into the natural bone anatomy for durability, while possibly offering greater patient satisfaction." 

Zimmer Biomet plans a limited launch of the tibia early this year, followed by a full commercial offering in the second half of the year.