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Value Add
TTK Healthcare Forays into Ortho Segment
The company has plans to take up the development of hip,
ankle and shoulder replacements in a phased manner
TT Raghunathan, Group Vice Chairman, TTK, Dr Frederick F Buechel and Dr
Michael J Pappas |
The Chennai-based TTK Healthcare Limited, part of the Rs1500
crore TTK Group has ambitious plans to manufacture and market Orthopaedic implants
under the brand name 'Altius' with American collaboration. To consolidate its
presence in the medical devices segment, TTK Healthcare recently acquired a
company in Ortho Business.
Addressing the media TT Raghunathan, Group Vice Chairman said, "TTK Healthcare
has ambitious plans to manufacture and market various Orthopaedic implants including
the Total Knee Replacement System. TTK's ortho division uses state-of-the-art
software for 3D modeling of complicated profiles and for accurate generation
of articulating surfaces of knee implants. In fact, this is the only knee surgical
implant manufactured in India with a US FDA cleared design."
TTK Healthcare is already present in the medical devices segment through its
TTK Chitra Heart Valves. The technology originally developed by Sree Chitra
Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences & Technology, Trivandrum was successfully
commercialised by TTK Healthcare and so far around 45,000 Heart Valves have
been implanted.
According to K Vaidyanathan, Executive Director, TTK Healthcare, "TTK's
ortho division has a technical collaboration with M/s B P Trust, USA which is
controlled by Dr Frederick F Buechel, the world renowned orthopaedic surgeon
and Dr Michael J Pappas who is an internationally recognised expert in advanced
design."
Vaidyanathan, further added, "With the younger generation getting prone
to arthritis and rising number of road accidents, there is an increase in the
number of patients requiring knee replacements. In India, the concept of knee
and hip replacement is gaining momentum and with new technology and latest implants,
the longevity factor is bound to get many more patients to try this and live
a normal life."
These implants are a result of over 25 years of development, clinical investigation
and use. The licensed third generation knee currently manufactured and marketed
by TTK Healthcare is a refinement of the two earlier versions designed by Dr
Beuchel and Dr Pappas.
TTK 'Altius' Hi-flex knee is superior in terms of its better congruence, longevity,
etc. Explaining the salient features Dr Frederick F Buechel and Dr Michael J
Pappas said that the third generation New Jersey Knee is the best product available
in the market today.
The features which make this New Jersey Knee special are: Easy to implant. Hi
flexion angle - designed for 162 degrees. No dislocation. Lowest contact stress.
Maximum product life. Finest congruence. Optimum flexion and extension with
long life. Axial rotation of + / - 45 degree is sufficient to take care of normal
activity.
The company has also plans to take up the development of hip, ankle and shoulder
replacements in a phased manner.
| Dr Vivek Yadkikar, Hi-Tech Institute of Imaging
& Research, Latur, Maharashtra
"I am an old customer of Sanrad. I am using
refurbished CT scanners of Toshiba, supplied and maintained by Sanrad
since last eight years. About eight months back, I have purchased MRI
machine from them.
Currently, I have two spiral CT scanners and one MRI
machine supplied by Sanrad. It has got fast acquisition time and very
good image quality. The examination time is short and the open design
is quite comfortable for the patient. The image quality is exceptionally
excellent. The diffusion weighed images are excellent and are best in
the permanent magnet category.
The machine is very cost-effective for its performance.
We are doing all routine and advanced imaging work on this machine since
last eight months. We are very happy with its performance. The other most
important aspect is the most reliable service of Sanrad. Overall, we are
happy with the machine. The area of improvement according to me is in
few musculoskeletal studies."
Dr Kedar Bhate, Megavision Scan Centre, Pimpri-Chinchwad,
Pune
"I would say, it's a very good machine. It is an
open magnet 0.45 tesla. Other machines are closed, this is an open one.
It makes the patients very comfortable. They don't feel claustrophobic.
It is comparable to 1.5 tesla supercon machines. I bought this machine
about a year-and-half ago.
It is cost-effective. It doesn't need helium. So far,
there has been no breakdown, the power con is also very low. One can run
the entire machine on a single point. It is also user friendly.
The only disadvantage or the area of improvement is lack
of new studies like Perfusion and CE-Angio which sanrad promises in near
future."
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