Field Orthopaedics (FO) is a rapidly growing Australian Orthopaedic devices company that focuses on the design and manufacturing of orthopaedic devices to address the shortcomings in the trauma, extremities and biological markets. With their team of surgeons, engineers and researchers, FO has created a range of orthopaedic devices that provide evidence-based solutions for longstanding concerns in extremity surgery.
Founded by engineer, doctor and CEO Dr Chris Jeffery and orthopaedics surgeons Dr Greg Couzens and Dr Libby Anderson in 2016, FO is now valued at over $100 million. FO was created from within the medical community, with the founders forming a significant collaboration with surgeons and physicians to identify their greatest industry problems and work alongside them to create innovative solutions.
FO gained FDA approval for its first product – the Field Micro Screw, which is the world’s smallest cannulated compression screw - in July 2018 and have launched it in the US. The product has been created to improve efficiency with the fixation of small fragments in the hand, wrist and foot. The Micro Screw is 12% smaller and can generate compressive strength twice the magnitude of existing products.
Thanks to its cannulation that facilitates precise insertion and its improved mechanical features, the Micro Screw provides exciting innovation to an area of surgical practice where every millimetre of bone counts and compressive strength is proportional to patient outcomes.
In 2018, the Field Micro Screw System won Product Design Gold at the 2018 Australian Good Design Awards® for its ergonomic design and ground-breaking storage, safety and sterilisation capabilities.
In addition to its innovative solution to an ongoing problem faced by orthopaedic surgeons during surgery, the micro screw is remarkable for being developed two and a half times faster and 65 times cheaper than the US average timeframe and cost to develop a medical device.
Currently, the company has seven more projects under development including micro anchors and implants to improve minimally invasive surgery, an advanced drug coating to prevent surgical related infections, glue to stick bones back together and better orthopaedic implants to improve patient outcomes. Four of these projects are in active development and are expected to gain regulatory approval within the next three years, assisted by QUT under the Advanced Queensland Research Fellowship that commenced in August 2017.
In the last three years Dr Jeffery has led FO to create 10 patents, found three other companies, broken records for being the fastest and most cost-effective medical device submission to the FDA and has exceeded all commercial expectations with marked global acceptance by surgeons and hospitals alike.
FO is passionate about innovation and also utilises profits to support ongoing orthopaedic research. The team believes that collaboration is the key to innovative design and is proud to develop and manufacture products that not only make sales, but also make a positive difference by empowering users and greatly improve outcomes.
