DePuy Mitek Introduces New LUPINE BR BIOKNOTLESS BR Bioreplaceable Suture Anchors

Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics;  Bones / Orthopaedics
Article Date: 08 Sep 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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DePuy Mitek, Inc., a leading manufacturer of surgical sports medicine devices, announced the launch of LUPINE BR and BIOKNOTLESS BR, the first suture anchors made from DePuy Mitek's proprietary Biocryl Rapide biocomposite material. Biocryl Rapide has been proven in pre-clinical use to resorb and be replaced with bone by 24 months.

LUPINE BR and BIOKNOTLESS BR anchors offer both traditional and knotless suture anchor options for surgical attachment of soft tissue to bone during arthroscopic shoulder instability repair while maintaining proven design characteristics found in previous implants made of Polylactic Acid (PLA).

First used in DePuy Mitek's MILAGRO™ Bioreplaceable Interference Screw in 2004, Biocryl Rapide has shown marked absorption and a proliferation of bone cells after 18 months, with near total absorption in about 24 months ("A New Faster-Absorbing Biocomposite Material: Long-Term In-Vivo Tissue Reaction and Absorption," presented at the Arthroscopy Association of North America, May 2005). MILAGRO has been used successfully in more than 30,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repairs.

"Using Biocryl Rapide material in suture anchors is a natural progression in arthroscopic implant design," said Mark H. Getelman, M.D., Co-Director Sports Medicine Fellowship at Southern California Orthopedic Institute (SCOI) in Van Nuys, CA. "Since it combines an improved absorption profile with osteoconductive properties while maintaining all the strength characteristics seen with the widely used PLA implants, it may prove to be very beneficial clinically."

Biocryl Rapide is manufactured using a proprietary process known as Micro Particle Dispersion (MPD) that combines TriCalcium Phosphate (TCP) with Polylactic/polyglycolic Acid (PLGA), a faster-resorbing polymer than PLA, to create a unique implant that provides an optimized absorption profile, strength, and osteoconductive properties.

Instability occurs when the head of the upper arm bone is forced out of the shoulder socket. This can happen as a result of sudden injury or overuse of the shoulder ligaments. Active people, especially athletes, are susceptible to shoulder instability problems, particularly those involved in high-contact or overhead sports.

Patients with repeat dislocation usually require surgery. Three kinds of surgery are associated with shoulder instability: Bankart repair, SLAP lesion repair and Capsular plication. These procedures are used to re-attach tissue to the shoulder bone or tighten loose tissue to relieve pain and increase strength and mobility.

About Biocryl Rapide

Biocryl Rapide is a biocomposite material combining TriCalcium Phosphate (TCP) and Polylactic/polyglycolic Acid (PLGA). Pre-clinical testing has shown implant absorption followed by bone in-growth1 by 24 months. Biocryl Rapide is exclusively developed by DePuy Mitek in association with the Johnson & Johnson Center for Biomaterials and Advanced Technology. A proprietary manufacturing process known as Micro Particle Dispersion (MPD) technology makes the Biocryl Rapide material a homogeneous blend of PLGA and TCP particles. Dispersion of the composite particles is critical to the material strength properties1.

About DePuy Mitek, Inc.

DePuy Mitek, a Johnson & Johnson company, is a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative surgical sports medicine and soft tissue repair devices. The company offers a vast array of surgical solutions to assist in addressing the challenges of soft tissue repair in the shoulder and knee. Through the on-going process of improving upon and creating new, technologically advanced materials, instruments and techniques, DePuy Mitek looks for continued growth in developing the means to advance procedural solutions in the field of sports medicine.

http://www.depuymitek.com