Smith & Nephew introduces pioneering new fixation devices and techniques for hip arthroscopy at ISHA meeting

LONDON, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Smith & Nephew (LSE:SNNYSE:SNN), the global medical technology business, today announces that it has received FDA clearance to expand the indications within the hip for its innovative HEALICOIL™ PK Suture Anchor and OSTEORAPTOR™ Suture Anchor. Indications for the HEALICOIL PK Suture Anchor have been expanded to include abductor repair while those for the OSTEORAPTOR™ Suture Anchor now include labral reconstruction. Both products and new techniques will be showcased at this week's ISHA (International Society for Hip Arthroscopy) Annual meeting in Boston (September 28-29.)

"Hip arthroscopy is not only one of the newest and most exciting frontiers in sports medicine, it's an area we've proudly helped to pioneer," says Alain Tranchemontagne, Senior Vice President within Smith & Nephew's Advanced Surgical Devices Division. "By bringing first-to-market devices such as the HEALICOIL PK Suture Anchor and the OSTEORAPTOR Suture Anchor to these emerging techniques, we further strengthen our position as the innovation leaders in hip arthroscopy."

Surgeons visiting Smith & Nephew's booth (#13-17) at the ISHA show will be able to examine these products and learn more about these exciting opportunities for improved patient treatment. In particular, arthroscopic abductor repair using the HEALICOIL PK Suture Anchor will be showcased during a Lunchtime Demonstration on Friday, September 28, and labral reconstruction using the OSTEORAPTOR™ Suture Anchor will be showcased during a Lunchtime Demonstration on Saturday, September 29.

HEALICOIL™ PK Suture Anchor
"HEALICOIL PK is a truly unique suture anchor and is ideal for abductor repair," explains Dr. J.W. Thomas Byrd of Nashville TN. "Besides being easily inserted into both hard and osteoporotic bone, it leaves behind a minimal amount of material. Smith & Nephew has always supported emerging techniques for hip arthroscopy and this is yet another example of why I consider them to be the leaders in this space."

Often referred to as the "rotator cuff of the hip," tears of the hip abductor tendon are a common cause of lateral hip pain. In fact, estimates show that nearly 25% of middle-aged women and 10% of middle-aged men will develop a tear of the gluteus medius tendon.¹ The HEALICOIL PK Suture Anchor was launched earlier this year for use in shoulder repair. It features a unique open-architecture design that uses less material than traditional, solid-core anchors while still providing significantly more thread engagement and greater pullout strength than its competitors.²

Also cleared for use by the FDA for abductor repair are the TWINFIX™ Ultra and FOOTPRINT™ Ultra Suture Anchors; giving Smith & Nephew a full range of anchor constructs, materials, sizes and suture configurations for either double or single row fixation techniques.

OSTEORAPTOR™ Suture Anchor
With the OSTEORAPTOR Suture Anchor, surgeons now have a FDA-cleared device and technique for reconstructing a torn or detached labrum. Labral tears in the hip, often associated with a traumatic injury like dislocation, can be a source of chronic hip pain and may even contribute to the development of osteoarthritis.

In standard labral repair, the labrum, a fibrous cartilage ring that rims the hip socket, is reattached to the bony socket of the joint using small anchors and sutures. In cases when the labrum is too degenerated to be repaired, leading hip surgeon, Dr. Marc J Philippon of the Steadman Philippon Research Institute, has pioneered a procedure to reconstruct the soft tissue  using the naturally bioabsorbable OSTEORAPTOR Suture Anchor.

"The OSTEORAPTOR has always been my gold standard for hip labral repairs, and now I trust it to deliver the same reliable fixation when doing a reconstruction procedure," explains Dr. Philippon.

With its combination small size (2.3 mm) and reliable and strong fixation, The OSTEORAPTOR Suture Anchor allows surgeons to use multiple anchors in a small joint space for a precise and secure repair.  These naturally biocompatible suture anchors are made of hydroxyapapatite (HA), a calcium phosphate similar to the mineral found in bone. Also cleared by the FDA for this procedure are the BIORAPTOR Suture Anchor and BIORAPTOR Knotless Suture Anchor.

About Smith & Nephew

Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business dedicated to helping improve people's lives.  With leadership positions in Orthopaedic Reconstruction, Advanced Wound Management, Sports Medicine and Trauma, Smith & Nephew has almost 11,000 employees and a presence in more than 90 countries. Annual sales in 2011 were nearly $4.3 billion.  Smith & Nephew is a member of the FTSE100 (LSE: SN, NYSE: SNN).

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* Trademark of Smith & Nephew.  Registered US Patent and Trademark Office.

¹ Bedi, A., MD, & Kelly, B., MD (2010). Abductor Repairs. In M. Philippon & B. Kelly (Eds.), Arthroscopic Techniques of the Hip : A Visual Guide. (pp. 109-129). From Andrews, J., MD & David, T., MD (Eds.), A Visual Arthroscopy Series. Thorofare, NJ: SLACK Incorporated.

² ITR-4700: HEALICOIL Suture Anchor competitive testing. Data on file September 2011.

SOURCE Smith & Nephew