By Sam Goldman
Arthrex, an orthopedic surgical equipment manufacturer with a base in Santa Barbara, has been the latest to join the ranks of Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.” Ranked at No. 94, Arthrex is among other companies on the list with Santa Barbara outposts, such as Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants (No. 11), Marriott International (No. 53), and Whole Foods (No. 55).
Fortune’s prominent annual list ranks large firms across the country based on employee satisfaction surveys. The results are tallied from employee feedback on everything from company camaraderie and management credibility to diversity efforts and benefit programs. 
Founded in Munich and headquartered in Naples, Florida, Arthrex produces and exports a wide range of medical products for orthopedic surgery, a kind of surgery that deals with the musculoskeletal system. These products range from bio-compression screws for the foot and ankle, to delicate, scissor-like graspers for managing tissue during surgery, to endoscopes that allow surgeons to peer directly inside patients’ joints – “all the parts and tools you’d need to carry out a surgery,” said John Batikian, an associate electrical engineer at the Santa Barbara location, Arthrex California Technology. Arthrex California Technology places particular focus on arthroscopy, surgical procedures of minimal invasiveness that utilize endoscopes.