FDA Clears Kator Suture Anchor System

Startup medical device firm Kator, a developer of advanced tissue-to-bone reattachment systems, has received U.S. Food Drug Administration 510(k) clearance for its suture anchor system.

As applied to arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery, the Kator Suture Anchor system provides knotless fixation with suture anchors that are loaded with four high-strength sutures, each of which can   independently tighten each suture. Repairs using a single Kator suture anchor have been shown to have double the fixation strength when compared to fixes using other suture anchors on the market, according to study data. The product’s strength, company officials claim, gives surgeons the ability to repair torn rotator cuffs using fewer suture anchors, thereby preserving more bone and increasing the “footprint” area available for tendon healing.

Kator is incubated and currently operated by Surgical Frontiers, a Logan, Utah-based firm that funds, launches and operates startup companies focused on developing advanced, clinical use surgical technologies. Focused primarily on musculoskeletal injuries and pathologies, the company collaborates with surgeons, industry, universities, and investors to bring advanced surgical technologies to the market.