COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) — A new medical invention that’s helping shoulder surgery patients has roots in Nebraska, thanks to an orthopedic surgeon from Columbus.

Dr. Edward Fehringer wanted to have a device that was small, simple to implant and able to preserve bone better than the options already on the market.

He and a team of other surgeons and engineers came up with a shoulder replacement prosthesis called the Tornier Simpliciti Shoulder System. It has been used in around 100 patients nationwide.

The titanium device is different from other devices mainly because of its shorter stem, or the part that’s inserted into the bone of the upper arm during shoulder replacement surgery. The stem is only 2 centimeters.