 Surgeons look over the Margron, a new type of hip joint invented by Australian surgeon Ron Sekel. The joint screws together, which the inventor says makes it more adjustable. |
The hip is adjusted (in the operating room) with a torque wrench and bull-nose punch tool and hammer.
An Australian orthopedic surgeon, Ron Sekel, realized eight years ago that there had to be a better artificial hip for his patients than what was currently on the market.
With a degree in engineering in addition to being a medical doctor, Sekel designed a new hip replacement system called "The Margron."
From the 1960s through the early 1990s, the 300 to 400 standard hip replacements were "wedge-and-nail systems," Sekel said. In those, a channel is cut into the bones and a new joint is wedged into those cuts.
The Margron is screwed in, not wedged, and it is also adjustable. The forged chrome cobalt device can be tailored to fit the individual, while in the operating room, according to the height and width of the patient.
An artificial hip is surgically implanted when the joint between the pelvis and the thighbone is damaged, a problem seen more frequently in older people and accident victims.
Sekel and his partner from Portland Orthopedics in Sydney, Australia, came to the United States this summer to begin marketing the Margron.
Sekel and John Green, who is his vice president of sales and marketing, have shown doctors how to use the appliance in 14 surgeries in Texas, West Virginia, Maryland and Arizona.
On Thursday, they did their 15th surgery in the United States, in Plymouth.
Green had met Rod Mayer of Warsaw, an independent consultant for orthopedic procedures. Mayer knew that Dr. Tony McPherron of Plymouth had specialty training for patients who needed more than one replacement knee or hip surgery.
Mayer introduced McPherron to Green, and McPherron had a perfect candidate for the Margron.
These "repeat patients," McPherron said as he was about to perform the surgery at Saint Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Plymouth, need replacements for their artificial replacements.
Australian surgeon Ron Sekel examines the X-ray of Mike Campbell of Monterey before he operates to implant a new type of hip joint, which he invented. Sekel was in Plymouth to teach the technique to Dr. Tony McPherron of Plymouth.
Mike Campbell, 65, of Monterey, has already had four surgeries on his hip. Two months ago, when doctors tried to replace his artificial hip, they realized they needed to wait until an infection in the joint had healed.
 Australian surgeon Ron Sekel examines the X-ray of Mike Campbell of Monterey before he operates to implant a new type of hip joint, which he invented. Sekel was in Plymouth to teach the technique to Dr. Tony McPherron of Plymouth. |
"I want to see it work," he said.
He wasn't nervous about the actual device: That's gotten full approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
With a screwed-in device, Sekel said, there's limited possibility that the replacement hip will dislocate or wear out. That's been a problem with the older style hip.
With the Margron one piece is screwed into the upper femur (thighbone) and a second one attached to the pelvic girdle. In between those pieces is a ball joint. The connecting screws turn in different ways so repetitive motions (such as standing up from a seated position) won't permit it to unscrew.
The Margron has extensions that can go down into long leg bones, or to strengthen bones that may have been damaged or broken.
The actual device costs $3,000 to $5,000 depending on what extensions are used, Mayer said. Campbell, a veteran, has insurance to cover the surgery.
The Margron, Sekel said, is as different from other replacement hips "as an automatic (transmission) is from a manual (transmission)."
Mayer said of The Magron, "I don't think it solves all the problems, but is has the potential to reduce a lot of problems because of the adjustability."
After Campbell recovers from his surgery, Green said, "ten others can see this" and consider it for themselves.
Mayer said, "it's very exciting for this community. Usually, patients are sent to major centers, like Chicago, to get a procedure like this."
Now, they can go to Plymouth, where McPherron hopes to expand his "Indiana Center for Adult Reconstruction," or the "ICARE" network.
Green said that McPherron will likely become the reference the company uses in this area for future customers. "Now we have someone on the ground here," he said.
McPherron is happy to play the role. "I saw these implants and they were very intriguing," he said.
By LINDA MULLEN, South Bend Tribune, December 1, 2000
Tribune Photos by JIM RIDER