PRINCETON, N.J.– Orthobond, a leader in covalently-bound antimicrobial surface treatments with broad applications in the medical device industry announced today the appointment of Frank P. Cammisa, MD, as the company’s Chief Medical Officer. In this role Dr. Cammisa will provide leadership in clinical research and commercial applications for the technology.
“Dr. Cammisa brings a proven track record of addressing gaps in patient treatment including his research into the presence of bacteria during spinal surgery and its role towards poor clinical results,” said David Nichols, CEO at Orthobond. “His expertise in providing key insights in this field along with his record of scientific research are skills we are excited to have him bring to Orthobond.”
“Device designs have seen significant advances in the past decade; however, the need to eliminate bacterial contamination of the surgical instruments and implants in the operating room environment has not been solved. Orthobond’s technology shows great efficacy against the most common strains of bacteria. I am excited to help guide the team through the key testing to prove safety and efficacy and provide a novel solution to a significant healthcare burden,” said Dr. Cammisa.
Dr. Cammisa is a board-certified spine surgeon, Chief Emeritus, Spine Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery and is Professor of Clinical Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Cammisa is a leader in the research of implant contamination and its impact on spine surgical outcomes and specializes in the surgical treatment of spinal disorders. Dr. Cammisa is consistently named one of the best doctors in his field in peer surveys and is listed among a select group of surgeons in New York Magazine’s “Best Doctors” issue year after year. Dr. Cammisa has published over 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts in dozens of prestigious medical journals and has lectured in diverse areas of spine surgery. The recipient of many awards and honors, Dr. Cammisa received the Leon Wiltse Best Overall Paper at the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery for his paper, “The Incidence of Occult Infections in Primary Spine Fusion Procedures.” Dr. Cammisa is also a medical consultant to professional sports organizations, including the New York Giants and the National Hockey League.
Contamination and hygiene are important topics in science and surgery. The health risks caused by infection associated with implants can cause severe complications in patients. A 2013 article, authored by Zmistowski B, et al., and published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, highlighted that prosthetic joint infections have a lower survival rate at five years than breast cancer, prostate cancer, and melanoma. The financial impact of these infections is also staggering. A 2021 study published in the Journal of Arthroplasty, authored by Ajay Premkumar, et al., projects that by 2030 the combined annual hospital costs related only to device related infections of the hip and knee will rise to $1.85 billion. Orthobond is combatting these life-changing issues and calling attention to the important innovation of surface treatments
