Any truth to Zimmer's trabecular implant?

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"But we can sell you an inferior product at a fraction of the price."

You will be the Winner then. Usually, thats what most dental mechanics are looking for.


Imagine if most dentists had trained to be proctologists instead. Then they would be perfect.
 




As an engineer that has worked with orthopedic and dental implants for 35 years I'd like to make a few points about the TM implant design. They should be obvious to just about anyone.
1. Thinning out the center section of a dental implant and replacing it with a structurally weaker material is a bad idea. Its an invitation for fracture if there is any side loading, and there always is.
2. Removing the threads from the entire center section of your implant essentially turns it into a cylinder with only a few threads at top and bottom providing initial stability. There is a reason we don't use cylinders anymore. Promoting this implant as an early load implant is just mind-bendingly stupid.
3. Just because a technology works in an enclosed environment like orthopedics doesn't mean it will be a good idea in the oral cavity (this has been pointed out before in this thread). Porous materials in a non-sterile environment where there is a risk of exposure has always been (there are examples we all know of) and still is a bad idea.
4. This is a difficult to make, expensive implant, that does not solve a clinical problem. But it invites a lot of them. If I were a clinician I would stay as far from this implant as possible.
 




Anonymous said:
As an engineer that has worked with orthopedic and dental implants for 35 years I'd like to make a few points about the TM implant design. They should be obvious to just about anyone.
1. Thinning out the center section of a dental implant and replacing it with a structurally weaker material is a bad idea. Its an invitation for fracture if there is any side loading, and there always is.
2. Removing the threads from the entire center section of your implant essentially turns it into a cylinder with only a few threads at top and bottom providing initial stability. There is a reason we don't use cylinders anymore. Promoting this implant as an early load implant is just mind-bendingly stupid.
3. Just because a technology works in an enclosed environment like orthopedics doesn't mean it will be a good idea in the oral cavity (this has been pointed out before in this thread). Porous materials in a non-sterile environment where there is a risk of exposure has always been (there are examples we all know of) and still is a bad idea.
4. This is a difficult to make, expensive implant, that does not solve a clinical problem. But it invites a lot of them. If I were a clinician I would stay as far from this implant as possible.
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You make some great points here, and I believe the industry has spoken volumes about the necessity of this implant since it's launch by not buying it. Trabecular Metal is a unique innovation in ortho, but with regard to the dental segment, this implant is too expensive, solves no current issues, and has too many potential contingencies. it was a non-starter from the beginning with the specialists I know and never entertained as an option.
 




Yep, the TM Implant sucks. I sold more of them than anyone and ruined a few good relationships while doing it. Wish I listened to some of the more experienced guys who warned me but I ignored them. The TSV is still one of the best Implants on the market and man you can get a great deal on them. My advice, call your Zimmer Rep and buy 2-3 Hundred of them at a $150 price point. Best investment you could make right now....
 




Anonymous said:
Yep, the TM Implant sucks. I sold more of them than anyone and ruined a few good relationships while doing it. Wish I listened to some of the more experienced guys who warned me but I ignored them. The TSV is still one of the best Implants on the market and man you can get a great deal on them. My advice, call your Zimmer Rep and buy 2-3 Hundred of them at a $150 price point. Best investment you could make right now....
Click to expand...

yea, like there are any dentist ever on this site!
 




MicroPort (WMT) has been selling a tibias and shells with a reticulated Ti porous structure for several years. I was introduced to the product when I interviewed at WMT a few years back.
It looked very expensive to produce and could erode the overall net margin of other products.
 








Anonymous said:
You make some great points here, and I believe the industry has spoken volumes about the necessity of this implant since it's launch by not buying it. Trabecular Metal is a unique innovation in ortho, but with regard to the dental segment, this implant is too expensive, solves no current issues, and has too many potential contingencies. it was a non-starter from the beginning with the specialists I know and never entertained as an option.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen
 




Anonymous said:
Yep, the TM Implant sucks. I sold more of them than anyone and ruined a few good relationships while doing it. Wish I listened to some of the more experienced guys who warned me but I ignored them. The TSV is still one of the best Implants on the market and man you can get a great deal on them. My advice, call your Zimmer Rep and buy 2-3 Hundred of them at a $150 price point. Best investment you could make right now....
Click to expand...

better advice. Call your Implant Direct rep and buy their Legacy implant for $200 that comes with final abutment. Buy 20 and get 5 free, bringing price to $160. Don't ever buy 2-3 hundred implants at one time. Makes no sense, plus the Legacy implant is a better version of the old tapered screw vent implant (which Implant Direct invented). Or you can keep taking it from behind and keep buying zimmer, 3i, straumann, and nobel. :)
 




anonymous said:
better advice. Call your Implant Direct rep and buy their Legacy implant for $200 that comes with final abutment. Buy 20 and get 5 free, bringing price to $160. Don't ever buy 2-3 hundred implants at one time. Makes no sense, plus the Legacy implant is a better version of the old tapered screw vent implant (which Implant Direct invented). Or you can keep taking it from behind and keep buying zimmer, 3i, straumann, and nobel. :)
Click to expand...

Is anyone not eating Implant Direct's lunch these days? The fact they have to troll competitors boards for business is...well...embarrassing.
 




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