A new easy-to-use anchor device used to repair a torn labrum in the hip and shoulder has been developed by British company Smith & Nephew.
The BIORAPTOR Knotless Suture Anchor offers the surgeon greater control over the suture tension placed across the labral tissue while eliminating knot-tying and a knot stack, according to Smith & Nephew.
Labral repairs are necessary when the labrum, a meniscus-like cartilage ring that rims the joint socket, tears or becomes stretched due to impingement or injury.
The fundamental outcome in any surgical repair of a torn labrum is a tight fixation of soft tissue to bone through the use of anchors and suture to provide the best opportunity for healing.
Labrum damage in the hip may be a source of chronic pain and may also contribute to osteoarthritis, which can lead to instability in the shoulder where the humerus or upper arm bone slips out of the socket.
