Sheffield healthcare firm expands into Brazilian market

JRI Orthopaedics has continued its international expansion by breaking into the Brazilian market with its VAIOS shoulder replacement system.

After securing regulatory approval, the Sheffield-based company launched VAIOS at last week’s Brazilian Congress of shoulder and elbow surgery.

The VAIOS system was developed by JRI Orthopaedics working with biomechanical engineers at Newcastle University and orthopaedic surgeon Professor Angus Wallace from Nottingham.

The modular design has addressed key challenges in shoulder replacement surgery to help improve success rates and made the job of the surgical team easier by significantly reducing the number of component parts and instruments.

Combining cutting edge design and manufacturing capability at JRI with surgical and engineering expertise, VAIOS was launched six years ago.

John Suggitt, product manager, said: “I think VAIOS demonstrates the best of British design and manufacture and shows what can be achieved by a company working with leading academic and clinical partners to deliver effective solutions to improve outcomes for patients requiring shoulder replacement surgery.

“We have a great distributor, Osteocamp, and are delighted to have entered the Brazilian market, which is growing rapidly and is potentially huge.

“As part of our plans for further expansion into major international markets, we are also aiming to launch VAIOS in the US early next year.”

JRI Orthopaedics specialises in the design, development and manufacture of orthopaedic implants and surgical instruments – including a growing range of hip replacement systems.

Last year, the company secured a contract to produce hip replacement implants in its Sheffield manufacturing facility for a Beijing-based medical company to sell into the Chinese market.

It is also hoping to have its own hip replacement products registered for sale in China this year and has a distribution deal lined up with its Chinese partner.

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