Smith & Nephew has just launched its innovative SUTUREFIX Ultra soft suture anchor for hip and shoulder labral repair surgeries. The suture is delivered using a 1.7 mm wide needle and a special mechanism expands it into a bent shape that stays secure even with less than ideal bone quality.

Smith & Nephew is particularly proud of the deployment feedback that the SUTUREFIX Ultra provides. Once the anchor is released and set, the device makes a click that can be felt and heard. Additionally, two holes at the proximal end of the needle provide a visual identification when the anchor is released.

Features and advantages of the SUTUREFIX Ultra according to the product page:
-Anchor construct forms itself against the steel inserter, not the cortical layer as with competitive soft anchors, so deployment is more reliable, reproducible, and less dependent on bone density.
-Provides audible, tactile and visual cues when deployed:
-Once anchor has been tapped into the pilot hole, deployment is achieved by pulling back on the trigger until the “click” is heard and felt – confirming successful deployment into the bone.
-Drill guide windows provide additional visual confirmation of drilling depth and anchor placement.
-Anchor’s small diameter and shallow insertion depth allow the placement of multiple implants along the glenoid rim, creating a large, evenly distributed surface area of tissue compression for greater tissue-to-bone contact.
-Produces more than twice the pullout strength than the top two competing hard anchors.

Source:Smith & Nephew