Depuy Mitek Introduces Next Generation Suture Passer For Arthroscopic Shoulder Repair

Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Also Included In: Medical Devices
Article Date: 26 Sep 2007 - 13:00 PDT

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DePuy Mitek, Inc., a leading manufacturer of surgical sports medicine devices, announced the launch of the EXPRESSEW II Flexible Suture Passer, a minimally invasive device that saves time and increases operating room efficiency during arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery. EXPRESSEW II, the next generation in lateral suture passers offered by DePuy Mitek, saves time by providing simplified needle and suture loading and an automated, one-step procedure for passing the needle and suture through the rotator cuff tendon. Its enhanced ergonomics and function provide simplicity, flexibility and reliability in suture management.

"The innovative design of EXPRESSEW II allows surgeons to efficiently and precisely deliver and retrieve sutures through the rotator cuff," said Sumant G. "Butch" Krishnan, MD, from the Shoulder and Elbow Service, The Carrell Clinic, Dallas, Texas.

"This next-generation device has been thoughtfully engineered to significantly reduce one of the most difficult aspects of arthroscopic shoulder surgery."

EXPRESSEW II has a 4.5mm profile, which allows for greater efficiency and precision through a smaller incision site or cannula and provides mobility and function in tight anatomy. Its innovative jaw design provides >16mm tissue bite offering flexibility in suturing both medial and lateral rows during rotator cuff repair. The EXPRESSEW II Flexible Suture Passer, when used with the new VERSALOK anchor and ORTHOCORD sutures, simplifies recreating the anatomic footprint of the rotator cuff arthroscopically rather than through a large incision.

Active people, including athletes, are susceptible to rotator cuff problems, particularly as they get older. Doctors perform surgery to reattach the rotator cuff to the humerus, the bone in the shoulder, to relieve pain and increase strength and mobility. Approximately 300,000 rotator cuff surgeries are performed in the U.S. each year.

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