UNSPSC 42296819: External fixation instrument

An instrument used in performing external fixation procedures.

UNSPSC 42296819 External fixation instrument is a Commodity code with little recent state and local procurement activity aligned to its nominal scope. The five most recent opportunities posted under this code include surgical laser equipment and technical support for operating room use (San Mateo County), surgical power instruments (San Mateo County), outpatient building furniture (State of California), law enforcement equipment through a multi-jurisdiction cooperative purchasing vehicle (Sourcewell on behalf of Washington and other states), and phlebotomy services for DUI blood draws (Nevada State Police). Only the first two opportunities—both from San Mateo Medical Center—relate to surgical instruments or equipment; the furniture, law enforcement, and phlebotomy procurements fall outside the external fixation instrument category and appear to be miscoded. San Mateo County Medical Center, a fully accredited public hospital and clinic system, is the sole repeat issuing body under this code in the dataset, having posted two RFPs in June and July 2026 for surgical support services and equipment.

The geographic footprint is fragmented across California, Washington, Nevada, and Minnesota, with no concentration in any single state. Among the opportunities with clear relevance to surgical instruments, San Mateo County (California) has issued an RFP for laser equipment and OR technical services with a response deadline of June 10, 2026 (already closed as of July 20, 2026) and an RFP for surgical power equipment with a five-year contract term and a proposal deadline of May 28, 2026 (also closed). Both San Mateo opportunities require compliance with California's Living Wage Ordinance, HIPAA, Section 504 accessibility standards, and background clearance for all personnel; the surgical power RFP includes a five percent local business preference plus additional small or micro business set-asides and requires proposers to demonstrate five years of prior experience in manufacturing, sales, or leasing of comparable products. The significant mismatch between the code's title and most of the posted opportunities signals that the external fixation instrument classification may not be the primary taxonomy applied to surgical equipment procurements in this region, warranting verification of parallel code activity before pursuing this category.