MedShape (Atlanta, GA) won FDA approval for its Eclipse Soft Tissue Anchor, a device for securing tendon, ligament or soft tissue to bone. Made of MedShape’s own PEEK (polyether ether ketone) Altera shape memory material, the Eclipse doesn’t require rotation to place the implant. This overcomes some of the downsides of using traditional screws and other devices for attaching softer tissue to bone.
The device works through a disposable gun which is compatible with both arthroscopic and mini-open procedures.
Because it is compressed on one side, Eclipse allows more space for surgeons to accommodate a tendon alongside the implant. It also incorporates an open tip in the sheath for a suture to be fed through the implant, and its non-tapered shape provides more soft tissue compression across the bone. In addition, the Eclipse anchor offers a wider choice of sizes – it is available in diameters 4 through 9 mm, and 10 through 20 mm in length allowing for its use in a variety of soft tissue repair procedures in the shoulder, knee, hand/wrist, and foot/ankle. Like ExoShape, the Eclipse Soft Tissue anchor offers strong fixation, easy insertion and procedural versatility.
Loaded on a disposable gun for fast and intuitive implantation, the Eclipse Soft Tissue Anchor is a two-part sheath-and-bullet device made from MedShape’s proprietary PEEK Altera material, a strong, yet highly deformable shape memory polymer (SMP). Using PEEK Altera’s shape memory features, the Eclipse anchor can be compressed into a compact temporary form to facilitate easy insertion into a target surgical site and later expanded into its final functional geometry for fixation without loss of mechanical integrity. The PEEK Altera material is biocompatible, biostable, radiolucent and MRI safe.
Product page: Eclipse Soft Tissue Anchor…
Press release: MedShape Announces FDA Clearance of New Soft Tissue Anchor for Fast Implantation in Tenodesis, Tendon Transfer Procedures