A new surgical device, inspired by the gripping mechanism of python teeth, has been developed to improve the success rate of rotator cuff surgeries. This innovation by Columbia University researchers can significantly strengthen tendon-to-bone repairs, potentially halving the common issue of re-tearing post-surgery.has introduced a python-teeth-inspired surgical device aimed at strengthening rotator cuff repairs and reducing tendon re-tearing, leveraging 3D printing for customization.
“As we grow older, more than half of us will experience a rotator cuff tear leading to shoulder pain and decreased mobility,” said Thomopoulos, who has joint appointments at Columbia Engineering and Columbia’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons as the Robert E. Carroll and Jane Chace Carroll Professor of Biomechanics .
Because rotator cuff tears typically occur at the tendon-to-bone insertion site, rotator cuff repair is aimed at anatomically restoring the tendon attachment. Surgical repair is the primary treatment for restoring shoulder function, with more than 600,000 procedures performed annually in the United States at a cost of $3 billion.
“We decided to see if we could develop a device that mimics the shape of python teeth, that would effectively grasp soft tissues without tearing, and help reduce the risk of tendon re-tearing after rotator cuff repair,” said Iden Kurtaliaj, the study’s lead author and a former biomedical engineering PhD student in the Thomopoulos’ lab.