Zimmer Biomet's response to a US FDA Form-483 says the firm was unaware of the quality systems woes at the targeted Biomet Warsaw, Ind., plant before its 2015 acquisition of the company. But, it emphasized, comprehensive fixes were in the works even before the 2016 agency inspection that generated more than a dozen substantive observations took place.

Robotic technology and navigation can elicit defensive views among orthopedic surgeons, but there is nothing to fear and all to gain. Modern implants and joint replacements perform so well that incremental product changes won't substantially improve outcomes; the only way to take them to the next level is through the use of robotics.

Point-of-care/near-patient testing has been “two years away from major breakthrough” for at least two decades, but fast access to data via automation and IT means that progress might change at last. How the tests are paid for remains an issue. The future of POC was the theme of an investor discussion at the first DxPx conference, held during the Medica 2019 event in Germany.