Monthly orthopedics and trauma bulletin — September 29, 2026

Period covered: August 30 to September 29, 2026. Note for the month: it was a thin month for clinical data we could confirm at the original source, and several items come from manufacturer press releases. We publish 7 verified items rather than filler. Curated by Aura Celeste Vascular.

Arthroplasty and reconstructive surgery

1. FDA clears Smith+Nephew's LANDMARK total knee system

[Regulatory FDA] [United Kingdom / Canada]
On September 22, Smith+Nephew announced FDA 510(k) clearance of the LANDMARK total knee system, with a fully 3D-printed femoral component (CONCELOC technology) designed to work with the CORI handheld robot. The first case was performed by design surgeon Steven MacDonald in London, Ontario (Canada). The company plans a phased launch, with broad availability through 2027.
Why it matters: this is a manufacturer press release citing internal reports and meeting abstracts, with no published clinical data; the quoted surgeons are implant designers. It does not change practice, and availability in the Dominican Republic is not imminent.
https://orthospinenews.com/2026/09/22/natural-design-amplified-smithnephew-announces-fda-510k-clearance-and-first-surgical-case-of-landmark%E2%97%8A-total-knee-system/

This month we could not confirm at source any new clinical study in primary or revision arthroplasty or periprosthetic joint infection.

Trauma and fractures

This month we could not confirm at source any new trial or study with numbers in hip fracture, fracture fixation or polytrauma. There is coverage of a randomized trial comparing intramedullary nailing with dual-mobility total hip arthroplasty for pertrochanteric fracture, but we could not access the data, so it is not included.

Spine, shoulder, sports medicine and arthroscopy

2. Oral contraceptive use at the time of ACL reconstruction and lower risk of repeat reconstruction

[Publication] [Country not stated in the coverage reviewed]
A study published in Sports Health analyzed more than 26,000 anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions in female athletes. Patients with documented oral contraceptive use at the time of surgery had a 25% lower risk of repeat ipsilateral reconstruction at five years. The coverage reviewed does not report confidence intervals or absolute rates.
Why it matters: this is an observational database association open to confounding (activity level, age, adherence); it raises a hormonal hypothesis about graft maturation that needs a prospective study. It does not justify prescribing contraceptives for orthopedic purposes.
https://doi.org/10.1177/19417381261477256
https://orthotw.com/2026/09/could-oral-contraceptives-help-protect-an-acl-reconstruction

3. Accuracy of OnPoint augmented reality for pedicle screws

[Publication] [United States]
The Journal of Spine Surgery published a study in 5 cadaveric specimens (including osteoporotic anatomy) in which 3 surgeons placed 80 thoracic and lumbosacral pedicle screws using open and minimally invasive techniques. On postoperative CT graded by a blinded radiologist, positional error was 1.1 mm (SD 0.5) and angular error 1.3° (SD 0.5), with 100% acceptable placement and no medial or inferior breaches. The company claims errors 2 to 5 times smaller than those published for robotic and navigation systems.
Why it matters: a cadaver study promoted by the manufacturer, with the robot comparison drawn from published figures rather than head-to-head; clinical performance and learning curve in patients remain to be shown.
https://jss.amegroups.org/article/view/8037/html

4. NB1 (rhNELL-1 plus demineralized bone matrix) in lumbar fusion expands Australian sites

[Industry] [Australia]
Bone Biologics announced on September 8 that it doubled to 6 the Australian hospitals in its multicenter, prospective, randomized pilot trial of NB1 in up to 30 adults with single-level degenerative disc disease (L2–S1) undergoing transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. Endpoints are fusion at 12 and 24 months and change in Oswestry Disability Index; the company expects enrollment to be completed by the end of 2026.
Why it matters: an enrollment update with no results, from a small company, with the comparator not specified in the release; of interest as a possible orthobiologic alternative to rhBMP-2, but there are no clinical data yet.
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/09/08/3357635/0/en/bone-biologics-expands-trial-sites.html

Osteoporosis, rehabilitation and pediatric orthopedics

5. Marrow-homing cell therapy for severe osteoporosis: fractures down 94% in a phase 1 trial

[Clinical trial] [Published in Cell; country not detailed in the coverage reviewed]
A first-in-human phase 1 trial published in Cell treated 10 women aged 51 to 72 with severe osteoporosis and prior fractures with a single intravenous infusion of autologous mesenchymal stromal cells engineered to bind marrow E-selectin (CD44 fucosylation). Fragility fractures fell from 8 to 0.5 per year over the first two years (−94%), with histologic improvement at 4 months and improved CT trabecular quality at 2 years; DXA density did not improve at the group level. No serious adverse events were attributed to the infusion, over a median follow-up of about 6 years.
Why it matters: ten patients, no control group, most on concomitant conventional therapy with medication changes, and the senior author holds intellectual property rights on the technology. An interesting biological signal, not a treatment option; a randomized trial is needed.
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/a-new-living-medicine-for-osteoporosis-cut-fractures-by-94-percent/

6. One thousand PNP pediatric tibial nails implanted

[Industry] [United States]
OrthoPediatrics reported on September 22 that it has passed 1,000 implants of its rigid pediatric tibial nail (7 to 12 mm diameters, physis-sparing fixation, traditional or suprapatellar approach). Nearly 20% were 7 mm nails; the system is available in five markets, with a European launch planned for 2027.
Why it matters: a commercial milestone with no healing, limb-length or complication data; rigid nailing in adolescents with open physes still needs its own safety data.
https://orthotw.com/2026/09/orthopediatrics-surpasses-1-000-pnp-tibia-nail-implantations

We found no new verifiable studies this month on developmental dysplasia of the hip, scoliosis or rehabilitation protocols.

Cross-cutting

7. Early-September U.S. clearances and payment decisions

[Regulatory FDA] [United States / United Kingdom / Switzerland / Taiwan]
Medtronic's INFUSE bone graft (rhBMP-2) for transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) became eligible for CMS new technology add-on payment (NTAP) from October 1, 2026. Stryker received a De Novo authorization (DEN240032) for SportSuite Vision, its arthroscopy system on Apple Vision Pro. The FDA also granted 510(k) clearance to the Corin Icona hip stem (K261576), Spineart's BAGUERA C cervical disc instruments (K262639) and a spine navigation system from Remex Medical of Taiwan (K262506).
Why it matters: these are equivalence clearances or payment decisions, not proof of clinical superiority; NTAP may accelerate U.S. use of rhBMP-2 in TLIF, with its known risks (ectopic bone, radiculitis) still to be watched.
https://www.orthogate.org/medtech-innovation/industry/84705-orthopaedic-industry-daily-briefing-2026-09-03
https://www.orthogate.org/medtech-innovation/industry/84699-orthopaedic-industry-daily-briefing-2026-09-01

Regional coverage: we searched in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Turkish, German and Portuguese; this month we found no items from Asia, Russia, the Middle East, Latin America or the Dominican Republic that we could verify by date and data within the period, apart from the Australian trial and the Taiwanese navigation system above.

Upcoming meetings and dates

• October 2026: 41st North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting; confirm dates at https://www.spine.org/am
• October 8 and 22 and November 5, 2026: online Hip Surgery Masterclass from the European Hip Society, BHS and BOA.
• November 5 to 8, 2026: AAHKS Annual Meeting, Dallas (USA).

Monthly orthopedics and trauma bulletin — September 29, 2026

7 verified items this month, from Cell, Sports Health, the Journal of Spine Surgery and FDA regulatory notices. A thin month for clinical trials: fewer items, all checked.

Three worth your time:
• Marrow-homing cell therapy for severe osteoporosis (Cell, phase 1): 10 women, single infusion, fractures fell from 8 to 0.5 per year over 2 years (−94%). No control group; concomitant therapy.
• Oral contraceptives and ACL reconstruction (Sports Health): more than 26,000 reconstructions in women, 25% lower risk of repeat ipsilateral reconstruction at 5 years. Observational association.
• Augmented reality for pedicle screws (J Spine Surg): 80 cadaver screws, 1.1 mm and 1.3° error. Cadaver study promoted by the manufacturer.

Full bulletin, with a critical reading of each study and links to primary sources:
https://boletinesmedicos.com/en/ortopedia/2026-09-29.html

#Orthopedics #OrthoTwitter #Osteoporosis #ACL #Spine

Ortho, Sept 2026: marrow-homing cell therapy cut fractures 94% in severe osteoporosis (phase 1, n=10, no control). Oral contraceptives linked to 25% fewer repeat ACL reconstructions in >26,000 women (observational). https://boletinesmedicos.com/en/ortopedia/2026-09-29.html