Arthrex wins lengthy court battle

It's unfortunate that litigation is now considered a routine cost of doing business, but it's always nice when the local guys win a big one.

Naples-based Arthrex, a privately held manufacturer of arthroscopic surgical tools, staved off competitor Smith & Nephew in a big court case recently.

A judge in Oregon reversed an $85 million jury verdict that Smith & Nephew had won against Arthrex in June. It capped eight years of litigation by Smith & Nephew against Arthrex in a patent dispute over suture anchors that are widely used in shoulder surgery.

Besides the jury verdict amount, it's shocking that it took so long for the case to reach a resolution. We're pretty sure neither Arthrex nor Smith & Nephew made much money off of this litigation.

Of course, Smith & Nephew has the opportunity to appeal, but no one wins here except the lawyers.