CHESTER, PA – Orthopaedic instrument and implant manufacturer Synthesis recently introduced a new product line that has quickly become the most coveted product line in the company’s history. Brainchild of the new Synthesis-DoYouEvenLiftÔ series, product representative Brian Cook explains the genesis of these revolutionary tools.
“It was just an average day in the OR with the trauma guys, and there was typical ortho talk. Who’s 911-Turbo is the fastest, who drinks the most rare and expensive Scotch, who can bench the most, etc. etc. Then it hit me. If we could somehow combine the mindless, near-constant bragging with the use of our products, THAT could be a hit.”
Synthesis-DoYouEvenLiftÔ was born overnight. While implant technology is rapidly evolving, with focus on decreasing weight while increasing structural integrity, the tools used for these implants have not changed significantly in the last few years.
“Mallets are mallets and always have been, but these new DoYouEvenLiftÔ tools are a game changer,” says Dr. Steele Gunz, attending orthopaedic trauma surgeon at Maryland Medical Center. “I’ll never go back to my normal tools again.”
So how do the new Synthesis-DoYouEvenLiftÔ tools differ from standard tools?
Most orthopaedic instruments are made of surgical steel, an excellent material that even when molded into large tools such as Heath mallets or bolt cutters maintains significant strength without significant mass. “This was the exact issue. These tools are too easy for these guys to lift and use, so they end up droning on about nonsense. If we could somehow make these tools really, really heavy, they’d use them to show off, shifting focus to the products while decreasing Porsche and Dalmore talk. Win-win,” says Brian.
Synthesis-DoYouEvenLiftÔ products use a proprietary alloy of surgical steel, depleted uranium and osmium, which increases product weight by 6700% without sacrificing size or function. Depleted uranium is commonly used in military projectiles to increase kinetic energy, while osmium is the most dense naturally occurring element, being 22 times more dense than lead. Just 1mm3 of the new alloy weighs 340 grams, making it the ideal metal for DoYouEvenLiftÔ tools.
“I love using these new DoYouEvenLiftÔ Gelpis! They weigh 56 lbs., so I can get a SIIIIIIIIICK curl in before I use them to retract,” says Dr. Luke McStash, orthopaedic trauma surgeon at Harlorside Hospital in California. “During a case I asked for a new DoYouEvenLiftÔ-depth gauge. It was 10lbs, not too bad. A Bennett was 38lbs… that was better, but then I asked for my go-to: Large Rongeur. I use that bad boy for everything from shaping bone to clamping off small bleeders. I was so happy that Synthesis made a DoYouEvenLiftÔ version, 134 lbs.!”
“Its great,” Brian Cook says. “The surgeons love the new tools. You should have seen them with our new 244-lb. DoYouEvenLiftÔ-Reamer. They were all bragging about who could ream the longest, how long they could hold it for. They seem so much happier now.”
Synthesis-DoYouEvenLiftÔ series is currently available for trauma products only. It remains to be seen whether the company will expand to the spine product line as spine product rep Samantha Gray comments, “Yeahhhh, spine surgeons… Everyday I just hope they can get done with the case as fast as possible. Sometimes I just tell them all the parts look right, just so they will close.”
