Parametrics Offers New Line of Allografts

Parametrics Medical LLC, a Round Rock, Texas-based private tissue bank, has released the Coll-e Strong line of soft tissue allografts. Allografts are grafts taken from a human donor other than the patient. The tissue is sterilized by electron beam sterilization, or E-beam technology, to terminally sterilize the tissue without compromising the biomechanical properties of the collagen. The Coll-e-Strong line of allografts is, Parametrics claims, the first to bridge the gap between biomechanics and sterility.

Ideally, a sterilization method for an allograft will result in a one in a million chance of a bioburden, or residual bacteria, existing on the tissue. According to Parametrics, there are sterilization methods on the market today that only provide a one in one thousand chance of a bioburden. Terminal sterilization, which is the complete destruction of all living microorganisms, can sometimes compromise the value of a biologic tissue. E-beam sterilization, however, does not change the clinical properties of Coll-e-Strong, Parametrics officials say.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is one of the most prominent surgeries related to sports injuries; most notably, NFL superstars Adrian Peterson and Robert Griffin III along with soon-to-be MLB hall of famer, Mariano Rivera, have all undergone ACL reconstruction. The surgeon has a choice between an allograft, which comes from tissue donors, and an autograft, which is typically a tendon taken from another part of the patient’s body and repurposed for the ACL. Surgeons use allografts from tissue donors on approximately 40 percent of all ACL procedures. Although autografts are preferred because of the significantly reduced chance of rejection, the use of allograft tissue in ACL procedures reduces the length of the surgery, the amount of trauma in the surgery, and reduces the pain post operatively. These factors contribute to better outcomes, lower costs and higher patient satisfaction, according to Parametrics.

“The release of our Coll-e-Strong line of allografts gives surgeons the opportunity to have the best of both worlds,” said Dan Leary, vice president and general manager of Parametrics Medical. “It has been a constant challenge for the orthopedic surgeon to choose between safety and efficacy. Coll-e-Strong removes the stress of that decision because it provides both. We believe our Coll-e-Strong line of sports medicine allografts will become the industry standard. For the first time, surgeons can have an allograft with strength qualities equivalent to an autograft that is also truly sterile.”