DePuy Mitek Rolls Out New Suture for Rotator Cuff Repair

Mitek Sports Medicine, the Raynham, Mass.-based orthopedic sports medicine division of DePuy Synthes has launched the Healix Advance Knotless Anchor, a new suture anchor designed to provide optimal knotless fixation for rotator cuff repair.

The announcement was made at the 2013 American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine’s (AOSSM) annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

The new anchor features dual-thread technology to maximize fixation and pull-out strength in both cancellous and cortical bone, and a multi-thread design that enables fast insertion into bone. Additionally, the device eliminates the need for arthroscopic knot tying, according to the company.

“The Healix Advance Knotless Anchor delivers a reliable and reproducible rotator cuff repair solution,” said Thomas Knapp, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon with Santa Monica Orthopedic Group in Santa Monica, Calif., and a consultant to Mitek. “The type of repair performed depends on several factors including the size of the tear, individual patient anatomy, bone and tendon quality, and surgeon preferences and repair strategies. In my experience, [the new anchors] are versatile enough to address the wide range of variables a surgeon may encounter and provide a consistent and reliable repair.”

The Healix Advance Knotless Anchors are offered in three sizes, 4.75 mm, 5.5 mm and 6.5 mm, and are made of either Biocryl Rapide, a biocomposite material that allows absorption and boney ingrowth at the implant site, or radiolucent polyetheretherketone (PEEK), a biocompatible thermoplastic material. The anchors hold up to six strands of the company’s Orthocord high-strength orthopedic suture or two strands of high-strength tape-suture. The new knotless anchor requires no new instrumentation, according to the company.

In performance testing, Mitek reported, Healix Advance Knotless Anchors displayed higher pullout strength when compared to other knotless anchors tested in the 4.5mm/4.75mm size range, and equivalent performance when compared to knotless anchors tested in the 5.5mm size.

The unique cortical threads and flare of the Healix Advance Knotless anchor allows for cortical fixation of suture to bone, which enables more fixation points than other knotless anchors. Other features include an inserter ring that keeps sutures aligned along the shaft and prevents suture wrapping inside the subacromial space and cannula.

The Healix Advance line of devices, a comprehensive system of rotator cuff anchor and instrumentation solutions, has been available since 2012.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, each year, approximately 200,000 Americans require shoulder surgery related to repair of the rotator cuff. An additional 400,000 Americans have surgery for related rotator cuff tendonitis or for partial tears.

“We continue to build on the Healix Advance technology platform to offer surgeons innovations that expand their choices, give them greater flexibility in the surgical environment and help them individualize the procedure to the patient,” said Ian Lawson, worldwide president, Mitek Sports Medicine.

DePuy Synthes is a division of Johnson & Johnson.