Biomet Gains Hinge on Old Standby

He calls dislocation an "awful" experience for the surgeon as well as the patient. But, he says, at least one surgeon who uses his implants has stopped worrying about the problem at all. Indeed, he says, all of his customers have welcomed the company's new -- if less hyped -- design.

"The doctors who use it regularly -- although there are not very many -- say they wouldn't change back," he says.

To be fair, Cipolletti says that other companies have relied on biomechanics to design sound implants as well. However, he is still waiting for the big players to follow suit and bring about real change.

"If a Stryker (SYK) or a DePuy sold a device like this, the adoption rate would be much faster," he says. "But 10 years from now, I really think that people will be asking, 'How did I ever recreate hips properly before?'"

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