Development of a bioabsorbable suture anchor.

In this article, the design and properties of a new bioabsorbable suture anchor (SmartAnchor(trade mark)) are described and its properties are compared with those of some commercial anchors. Two comparative experiments were carried out in order to measure (1) the breaking force of suture/anchor attachment for SmartAnchor, MitekGII, and for Ogden anchors; and (2) the fixation force of the following anchors and tacks: SmartAnchor, MitekGII, BankartTack, and Suretac. The average suture/anchor attachment breaking force of SmartAnchor (204, 9 N) was 32% higher in comparison to MitekGII (155, 6 N) and 84% higher in comparison to the Ogden anchor (111, 4). The mean fixation force of the SmartAnchor (195, 5 N) was 40% higher than that of MitekGII (139, 2 N), but the T-test showed no statistical differences between MitekGII and SmartAnchor (p = 0.05). Both tested tacks behaved very similarly in this test. The average fixation force (pull-out force) for both tacks was about 210 N. Therefore, it is evident that the bioabsorbable SmartAnchor has a high enough initial mechanical performance for clinical investigation. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.