Our History

When Dr. James Brannon was a resident in orthopaedic surgery, he immediately recognized the limitations of numerous orthopaedic products provided by well-known device companies, and more importantly, how these limitations were predictive of the standard of care.

Confronted by many apparent and unapparent obstacles, Dr. Brannon used every free moment he had to study patent law to self-prepare and prosecute the patent applications for the devices he invented. During this time, Dr. Brannon enjoyed the orthopaedic basic sciences, teaching residents this vital area of orthopaedics from 1997 to 2005. He knew with certainty that his new company, founded in March 1999, would be named Orthopedic Sciences.

We have continued our success by first understanding the science of the disease treated and having the confidence to question conventional wisdom. Our deep knowledge of osteoarthritis and avascular necrosis has led to many new products. We developed the Hip Tool for bone graft stabilization in patients with avascular necrosis. This seminal patent opened the door for more discoveries and new products for this devastating disease. We are proud to have preserved shoulders, hips, and knees in patients aged 8 to 70 years from all over the US that are now more than 15 years out following their initial surgery. We were ahead of our time 20 years ago, and we remain so today. Our joint preservation systems call for a substantial reduction in operating room personnel and a single instrument tray is all that is required. The procedures can be safely performed on an out-patient basis and follow-up visits fit the telemedicine paradigm and the constraints of COVID-19.

Dr. Brannon

We are committed to you, to improving your health, and to helping you keep the joint you were born with. 

Learn more about Orthopedic Sciences, Inc., and the legacy that inspires our mission.

1996 & 1999
2001 - 2005
2007 & 2009
2013 - 2014
2016 - 2019
2021 - Present

1996

Dr. Brannon invents the Bone Tool for minimally invasive autologous bone grafting from the iliac crest.

1999

Dr. Brannon establishes Orthopedic Sciences, a privately held California corporation. He names the business in recognition of his keen interests in the orthopaedic basic sciences. A US patent for the Bone Tool is issued.

2001

Dr. Brannon invents the Hip Tool for bone graft stabilization used during the treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head. This seminal patent was self-prepared and fully prosecuted to US Letters Patent by Dr. Brannon.

Dr. Brannon invents the Bone Saver (Tissue Collection Apparatus). This patent was self-prepared and fully prosecuted to US Letters Patent. This unique device is used to collect autologous bone, bone marrow, and cartilage.

2002

OSI receives 510(k) clearance for the Hip Tool, and the first Hip Tool procedure is performed.

Dr. Brannon develops the technique of endoscopically guided core decompression and thorough debridement of the femoral head to show intraoperatively that excellent blood flow remains in the femoral head after thorough debridement and that surgical revascularization of the femoral head may not be necessary when treating avascular necrosis (AVN). Additionally, the 2 cm incision characteristic of the Hip Tool procedure is substantially less invasive than the free vascularized fibula graft procedure for AVN.

2003

Formal US Letters Patent are issued for the Hip Tool.

2004

The Hip Tool is modified for AVN of the humeral head, and OSI receives 510(k) clearance for the TSY-Shoulder Plate.

2005

Formal US Letters Patent are issued for the Tissue Collection Apparatus. The first TSY Shoulder Plate procedure is performed.

2007

OSI receives 510(k) clearance for the pediatric Hip Tool, the TS Hip Tool. Many young patients that survive their leukemia develop AVN of the femoral head. The first cases of AVN associated with leukemia are performed.

2009

Dr. Brannon invents the Q Arthroscopy System (the Q) for simultaneous arthroscopy core decompression of the shoulder (insert link for AVN of the shoulder), the hip, and the knee for avascular necrosis. OSI effectively develops the product for surgeons to treat both sides of the articular cartilage during a single procedure for joint preservation in patients with AVN.

Dr. Brannon develops the instrumentation and technique for the Articulochondral Osteoplasty (The AO Procedure/Osteoplasty) for bone marrow edema lesions of the shoulder, the hip, and the knee.

2013

Dr. Brannon receives a US patent for the tools used during endoscopic bone debridement, further strengthening OSI’s IP. The new instrumentation is used during the osteoplasty procedure.

Dr. Brannon invents the Clear Cannula for use with the Q Arthroscopy System. The superior design and visual clarity afforded by the Clear Cannula create a non-digital 3D view of the inside of the joint for precision portal placement and superior access. These combined features help establish the intraarticular saucerization procedure by giving the surgeon visible and surgical access to previously inaccessible areas within the joint. One of several stated goals of an Intraarticular Saucerization is to significantly improve the outcomes of arthroscopy performed for a meniscus tear in patients with osteoarthritis by completely removing osteophytes, ensuring proper function of the repaired meniscus, reshaping the bones of the knee joint, releasing excessive fat from the femur, and restoring the bone’s health by infusing cancellous bone and bone marrow into the areas where excess fat is removed. Osteoarthritis is a disease of the cartilage and bone and both should be treated if joint preservation is desired.

In combination with the Q, the Clear Cannula is the first of its kind to self-maintain its visual position during arthroscopy, freeing up the surgeon’s hands. Additionally, only one surgical scrub technician is needed for an IA saucerization of the shoulder, the hip, or the knee. The Clear Cannula and the Q Arthroscope provide significant and tangible direct and indirect costs savings to hospitals and ASCs on a per case bright line basis.

Dr. Brannon invents the unshrouded Burrs of Prey to improve the visibility of the debridement process during an Intraarticular Saucerization. These burrs, the Harrier, the Talon, the Eagle, the Vulture, and the Falcon, pave the way for restoring articular congruency, required for normal joint function, in the front and the back of the knee.

Dr. Brannon invents the Targeting Guide for use with the Clear Cannula for accurate and precise access to the acetabular cotyloid fossa and the deep transverse acetabular ligament during hip arthroscopy allowing the surgeon to medialize the femoral head, increase its coverage, and mitigate against labral tears due to “rim loading.” No longer are surgeons simply shaving down a so-called pincer lesion and attaching/reattaching the labrum, they can now remove the pressure on the rim of the acetabulum by ensuring the femoral head stays in its socket while walking.(ref) Video Link

2014

Dr. Brannon receives a US Design Patent for the Burrs of Prey.

Dr. Brannon invents the Egret. This unique device opens the door for the following OSI products: the Red Belly and the Angler malleable arthroscopic debridement curettes. These curettes, configurable to any shape, allow access to the meniscus root and other hard-to-access areas in the posterior knee and hip joints.

Dr. Brannon invents the Piranha Technology arthroscopic shavers, facilitating precision debridement of the soft tissue during an intraarticular saucerization. Face-forward and single axis rotation debridement allows the surgeon to achieve precise tissue resection during arthroscopy.

Dr. Brannon invents the Bone Aspirator to auto-concentrate bone marrow aspirations, eliminating the need for outside sales personnel and centrifugation of the bone marrow aspirate typically required with competitive bone marrow aspiration systems. OSI’s unique device is also used to deliver the bone marrow aspirate into the bone marrow edema lesion without significantly elevating the intraosseous pressure.

2016

Dr. Brannon receives an improvement patent for the Bone Tool, extending the enforceability period of this core technology.

OSI receives the 2016 Best Technology Sports Medicine Award for the Piranha Technology and the Burrs of Prey.

The Tissue Collection Apparatus is issued an improvement patent, extending the enforceability period of this core technology.

A design patent is issued for the Egret.

Dr. Brannon invents the Safety PX for variable depth subchondral intraosseous micro fracturing of the femoral head within the core decompression track in patients with AVN.

OSI receives ISO-13485 Certification.

2017

Dr. Brannon receives a US Patent for the Clear Cannula and the Targeting Guide.

Dr. Brannon receives a US Patent for the Piranha Technology, advancing the precision-based debridement of the intraarticular saucerization for joint preservation.

2018

Dr. Brannon receives a US Patent for the Burrs of Prey.

Dr. Brannon receives a Design Patent for the Bone Aspirator.

Dr. Brannon receives US Letters Patents for the Burrs of Prey.

2019

Dr. Brannon invents the Harpy for superior non-digital 3D visualization of the posterior knee for a meniscus or meniscus root repair.

Dr. Brannon invents the Irrigation Osteoplasty Needle for single micro portal decompression and removal of fat and inflammatory markers from bone marrow edema lesions. A bone marrow edema lesion can be thoroughly irrigated prior to graft placement, thereby ensuring an ideal host bed for graft incorporation.

2021

OSI continues to promote bone health that leads to sustainable preservation of joints that can be saved. Our innovative technology helps our joints help themselves! OSI encourages hospitals and physicians to recognize that the 600,000 total knee arthroplasties performed each year in the US require extensive utilization of resources pre-op (over the many years that lead up to a patient meeting the indications for a knee replacement and preoperative counseling at some facilities), intra-op, and post-op that are a significant economic and logistical burden even in the absence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The success of arthroplasties is also viewed through a lens of no other sustainable and viable options being available for osteoarthritis during the run up to a total knee replacement. Years of innovation in this area have not addressed the role intraosseous fat may plan in disease progression. At OSI, we believe that good outcomes following arthroscopy for osteoarthritis, considered complete in 30 minutes, with or without a meniscus tear, cannot be expected when using arthroscopes and various instruments developed in the 1970s, OSI created new tools and technology influenced by today’s understanding of disease to address this missed opportunity to preserve the knee joint. Our core technology has proved successful in the shoulder, the hip, and the knee in children and adults for more than 20 years because we understand the science of osteoarthritis and avascular necrosis.

1996, 1999 & 2001
2002-2004
2005, 2007 & 2009
2013-2014 & 2016
2017-2019
2021

1996

Dr. Brannon invents the Bone Tool for minimally invasive autologous bone grafting from the iliac crest.

1999

Dr. Brannon establishes Orthopedic Sciences, a privately held California corporation. He names the business in recognition of his keen interests in the orthopaedic basic sciences. A US patent for the Bone Tool is issued.

2001

Dr. Brannon invents the Hip Tool for bone graft stabilization used during the treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head. This seminal patent was self-prepared and fully prosecuted to US Letters Patent by Dr. Brannon.

Dr. Brannon invents the Bone Saver (Tissue Collection Apparatus). This patent was self-prepared and fully prosecuted to US Letters Patent. This unique device is used to collect autologous bone, bone marrow, and cartilage.

2002

OSI receives 510(k) clearance for the Hip Tool, and the first Hip Tool procedure is performed.

Dr. Brannon develops the technique for endoscopically guided core decompression and thorough debridement of the femoral head to show intraoperatively that excellent blood flow remains in the femoral head after thorough debridement and that surgical revascularization of the femoral head may not be necessary when treating avascular necrosis (AVN). Additionally, the 4 cm incision characteristic of the Hip Tool procedure is substantially less invasive than the free vascularized fibula graft procedure for AVN.

2003

Formal US Letters Patent are issued for the Hip Tool.

2004

The Hip Tool is modified to the TSY Shoulder Plate for AVN of the humeral head. OSI receives 510(k) clearance for its use.

2005

Formal US Letters Patent are issued for the Tissue Collection Apparatus. The first TSY Shoulder Plate procedure is performed.

2007

OSI receives 510(k) clearance for the pediatric Hip Tool, and the TS Hip Tool. Many young patients that survive their leukemia develop AVN of the femoral head. The first cases of AVN associated with leukemia are performed.

2009

Dr. Brannon invents the Q Arthroscopy System, the Q, for simultaneous arthroscopy with core decompression of the shoulder (see AVN of the Shoulder), the hip, and the knee for avascular necrosis. OSI develops the product for surgeons to treat both sides of the articular cartilage during a single procedure for joint preservation in patients with AVN.

Dr. Brannon develops the instrumentation and technique for the Articulochondral Osteoplasty (the AO Procedure/Osteoplasty/Irrigation Osteoplasty) for bone marrow edema lesions of the shoulder, the hip, and the knee.

AVN of the Shoulder

2013

Dr. Brannon receives a US patent for the tools used during endoscopic bone debridement, further strengthening OSI's IP.

Dr. Brannon invents the Clear Cannula for use with the Q Arthroscopy System. The superior design and visual clarity afforded by the Clear Cannula create a non-digital 3D view of the inside of the joint for precision portal placement and superior maneuverability within the joint. These combined features help establish the Intraarticular Saucerization (IA Saucerization) procedure by giving the surgeon visible and surgical access to previously inaccessible areas within the joint. 

In combination with the Q, the Clear Cannula is the first of its kind to self-maintain its visual position during arthroscopy, freeing up the surgeon's hands. Additionally, only one surgical scrub technician is needed for an IA Saucerization of the shoulder, the hip, or the knee. 

Dr. Brannon invents the unshrouded Burrs of Prey to improve the visibility of the burr head during an IA Saucerization. These burrs, the Harrier, the Talon, the Eagle, the Vulture, and the Falcon, pave the way for restoring articular congruency in the front and the back of the knee.

Dr. Brannon invents the Targeting Guide for use with the Clear Cannula for accurate and precise access to the acetabular cotyloid fossa and the deep transverse acetabular ligament during hip arthroscopy, allowing the surgeon to medialize the femoral head, increase its coverage, and mitigate against labral tears due to "rim loading." See Video.  

IA Hip

2014

Dr. Brannon receives a US Design Patent for the Burrs of Prey.

Dr. Brannon invents the Egret. This unique device opens the door for the following OSI products: the Red Belly and the Angler, malleable arthroscopic debridement curettes. These curettes, configurable to any shape, allow access to the meniscus root and other hard-to-access areas in the posterior knee and hip joints. 

Dr. Brannon invents the Piranha Technology arthroscopic shavers, facilitating precision debridement of the soft tissue during an IA Saucerization. Using face-forward and single-axis rotation debridement, the Piranhas allow the surgeon to achieve precise tissue resection during arthroscopy.

Dr. Brannon invents the Beacon Biomass Delivery Trephine to auto-concentrate bone and bone marrow aspirations, eliminating the need for outside sales personnel and centrifugation of the bone marrow aspirate typically required with competitive bone marrow aspiration systems. 

2016

Dr. Brannon receives an improvement patent for the Bone Tool, extending the enforceability period of this core technology.

OSI receives the 2016 Best Technology Sports Medicine Award for the Piranha Technology and the Burrs of Prey.

The Tissue Collection Apparatus is issued an improvement patent, extending the enforceability period of this core technology.

A design patent is issued for the Egret.

Dr. Brannon invents the Safety PX for variable depth subchondral intraosseous micro fracturing of the femoral head within the core decompression track in patients with AVN.

OSI receives ISO-13485 Certification.

2017

Dr. Brannon receives US Letters Patent for the Clear Cannula and the Targeting Guide.

Dr. Brannon receives US Letters Patent for the Piranha Technology, advancing the precision-based debridement of the Intraarticular Saucerization for joint preservation.

2018

Dr. Brannon receives US Letters Patents for the Burrs of Prey.

Dr. Brannon receives a Design Patent for the Bone Aspirator.

 

2019

Dr. Brannon invents the Harpy for superior non-digital 3D visualization of the posterior knee through an anterior portal for a meniscus or meniscus root repair.

Dr. Brannon invents the Irrigation Osteoplasty Needle for single micro portal decompression and removal of proinflammatory cytokines from bone marrow edema lesions. A bone marrow edema lesion can be thoroughly irrigated through a 2 mm percutaneous incision before graft placement, ensuring an ideal host bed for bone graft incorporation.

2021

OSI continues to promote bone health and the role oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) play in osteoarthritis and AVN by developing products that allow surgeons to address this important association. The success of an arthroplasty is always viewed through the lens of no other sustainable surgical options being available for osteoarthritis during the run-up to a total knee replacement. Years of physical therapy, oral medication, and numerous physician office visits to receive a wide range of viscosupplement injections, including PRP, characterize the patient's life until they can no longer tolerate their pain. While competitors have focused on replacing the joint ever more precisely, OSI has focused on producing products that help preserve the joint ever more effectively with an Intraarticular Saucerization. We have created new tools and technology influenced by the orthopaedic basic sciences to address this missed opportunity to preserve the joint, having proven to be successful in the knee, the hip, and the shoulder in children and adults for more than 20 years. 

A joint replacement restores its form and function, while the Intraarticular Saucerization restores the joint's biology before its form and function are lost.

References

  1. Brannon JK. “Hip arthroscopy: intra-articular saucerization of the acetabular cotyloid fossa.” Orthopedics 35 2 (2012): e262-6.

  2. Moseley JB, et al. A Controlled Trial of Arthroscopic Surgery for Osteoarthritis of the Knee. N Engl J Med 2002; 347:81-88. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa013259. 

    This paper concludes that arthroscopy for osteoarthritis is not effective. However, these authors are silent on how adequately the knee was debrided and make no comments regarding meniscus functionality after debridement nor removal of osteophytes that obstruct normal motion of the knee throughout its range of motion. The release of excess fat and oxidized LDL was not described, only that the knee was debrided. 

  3. Kirkley A, et al. A Randomized Trial of Arthroscopic Surgery for Osteoarthritis of the Knee. N Engl J Med 2008; 359:1097-1107. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa013259. 

    This paper is a follow-up to the Moseley, et al. paper after the orthopaedic community considered its statistical methods to be suboptimal. Nonetheless, these authors concluded that arthroscopy for osteoarthritis was not effective after performing inadequate debridement and using antiquated equipment, as was the case in the Moseley paper. Here again, t
    he release of excess fat and oxidized LDL from the bone was not described. 

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