At this year’s annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) in San Francisco, Calif., Greatbatch Medical announced a strategic alliance and exclusive sales distribution agreement with ECA Medical Instruments for its single-procedure and single-use orthopedic surgical instrumentation in the United States, Canada and Europe.

According to officials from Clarence, N.Y.-based Greatbatch, the newly executed partnership introduces the world’s first and only disposable torque limiting and ratcheting surgical drivers. The agreement includes a line of single-use, single-procedure disposable instruments developed exclusively for orthopedic surgical applications.

“We are excited about this collaboration, the expansion of our product offering and our ability to effectively partner with customers in delivering innovative surgical solutions,” said Mauricio Arellano, president of Greatbatch Medical. “This investment demonstrates our commitment to creating strong business partnerships to help meet our customers’ needs.”

John Nino, president of Newbury Park, Calif.-based ECA Medical Instruments called the partnership a good fit.

“We could not have found a better partner for this venture,” Nino said. “Both companies boast global market leadership and share a commitment to cost responsible healthcare. This strategic alliance enables the effective distribution of state-of-the-art, single-procedure instrument solutions at the best possible value. We have combined two powerful entities that are focused on changing the orthopedic industry forever.”