Arthrex Commemorates 10th Anniversary of InternalBrace™ Technique

"This pioneering surgical technique, developed in collaboration with leading surgeons around the world and supported by more than 213 peer-reviewed studies, has become the gold standard in the treatment of soft-tissue and musculoskeletal injuries," said Arthrex President and Founder Reinhold Schmieding. "We are proud to recognize the impact it has made over the past decade in Helping Surgeons Treat Their Patients Better^®."

The technique was initially developed to support lateral ankle instability repair during the post-surgery healing phase. This procedure restores strength and stability to a patient's chronically sprained ankle.^1,2

Similar to how a seat belt acts in a car, surgical repair with the InternalBrace ligament augmentation procedure supports a primary repair and secures a patient's ligaments to the bone during the healing phase, which may reduce the chance of reinjury.¹

"The InternalBrace procedure is designed to help speed up the recovery process^1,3 and allow for an immediate range of motion,⁴" said Arthrex Vice President of Strategic Development Larry Higgins, MD. "Early post-surgery movement promotes healthy ligament healing so patients can get back to doing the activities they love faster."³

The procedure augments the primary surgical repair using special anchors to provide additional points of fixation that hold the ligament to a patient's ankle bone while they heal. The ligament is compressed against the bone using FiberTape^® suture, which is composed of collagen-coated ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), a strong, stress-resistant material with Kevlar^®-like properties⁵ that has been used safely and effectively in millions of patients.⁶

Today, the InternalBrace system is used for the advanced treatment for many common sports injuries and tears, including the repair and reconstruction of the:

• Anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL)
• Achilles tendon
• Anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (AITFL)
• Deep and superficial deltoid ligaments
• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
• Medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL)
• Medial and thumb ulnar collateral ligaments (UCL)

Since its release in 2013, the InternalBrace system for ankle instability has been updated to include collagen-coated FiberTape suture, a talar offset guide to help ensure consistent, proper talar anchor placement, upgraded SwiveLock^® anchor drivers and a fully cannulated system for bone preparation.

For more information, visit arthrex.com and anklesprain.com.

About Arthrex

Arthrex, headquartered in Naples, Florida, is a global leader in multispecialty minimally invasive surgical technology, scientific research, manufacturing and medical education. More than 40 years ago, Arthrex pioneered the field of arthroscopy and sports medicine. Today, we develop more than 1,000 new products and related procedures annually to advance minimally invasive orthopedics, trauma, spine, cardiothoracic, orthobiologics and arthroplasty innovation worldwide. The company also specializes in the latest 4K multispecialty surgical visualization and OR integration technology solutions. For more information, visit arthrex.com.

References

1. Coetzee JC, Ellington JK, Ronan JA, Stone RM. Functional results of open Broström ankle ligament repair augmented with a suture tape. Foot Ankle Int. 2018;39.107110071774236. doi:10.1177/1071100717742363
   
   
2. Viens NA, Wijdicks CA, Campbell KJ, Laprade RF, Clanton TO. Anterior talofibular ligament ruptures, part 1: biomechanical comparison of augmented Broström repair techniques with the intact anterior talofibular ligament. Am J Sports Med. 2014;42(2):405-411. doi:10.1177/0363546513510141
   
   
3. Kulwin R, Watson TS, Rigby R, Coetzee JC, Vora A. Traditional modified Brostrom vs suture tape ligament augmentation. Foot Ankle Int. 2021;42(5):554-561. doi:10.1177/1071100720976071
   
   
4. Nash CE, Mickan SM, Del Mar CB, Glasziou PP. Resting injured limbs delays recovery: a systematic review. J Fam Pract. 2004;53(9):706-712.
   
   
5. Weaver Textile Co, Ltd. Levlar vs Dyneema Rope. Published May 30, 2021. Accessed June 16, 2023. Kevlar VS Dyneema Rope - Knowledge - Weaver（Xiamen）Textile Co.,Ltd
   
   
6. Arthrex, Inc. Data on file (LA1-0237). Naples, FL; 2016.

The InternalBrace surgical technique is intended only to augment the primary repair/reconstruction by expanding the area of tissue approximation during the healing period and is not intended as a replacement for the native ligament. The InternalBrace technique is for use during soft tissue-to-bone fixation procedures and is not cleared for bone-to-bone fixation.

SOURCE Arthrex, Inc.