During the mid-seventies, Professor Robert Beckenbaugh, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, approached a group that was manufacturing Pyrolytic Carbon heart valves to see if there was an opportunity to manufacture finger joints. The material had gained praise in its ability to be strong, fatigue resistant and wear resistant in heart valves.
At the time, silicone spacers were the implant of choice for patients suffering from diseased MCP (metacarpal phalangeal) and PIP (proximal interphalangeal) joints. Results had started to show that silicone spacers were less than ideal in some patients.
Dr. Beckenbaugh realized that there had to be a better alternative. Research needed to be done and the group approached Tulane University in New Orleans to study this opportunity. Jerome Klawitter a Ph.D. scientist at Tulane was heading up the orthopedic research department at the time. Work was started in testing the material in various models.
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