This python-inspired device can make rotator cuff surgeries more effective


“A device like this is much more elegant than what they use now,” says Eric Nauman, a biomedical engineer at the University of Cincinnati who was not involved in the study. “Anything you can do for the shoulder right now is a win.”

An injury to the rotator cuff—a group of muscles and tendons that surrounds the shoulder—can involve tears and inflammation that result in pain and limited function. Surgical repairs aim to repair a torn tendon, often by reattaching it to the head of the humerus. But sutures, which are anchored at only a few points, can restore the already fragile tendon.

Biomedical engineer Stavros Thomopoulos and colleagues designed a device to solve this problem. Using a series of small, sharp teeth that connect to the tendon and bone, the device spreads and reduces the force on each part of the damaged tissue. The inspiration for the device came from nature. Unlike a shark’s teeth—which are razor-sharp triangles designed to cut—a python’s fangs are curved inward, designed to dig deeper when an animal struggles. “That was kind of a lightbulb moment,” says Thomopoulos, of Columbia University.

A photograph of a snake skull with sharp fangs against a black background.
The research team modeled their device after the curved teeth of a python.Knightpics Photography/Alamy Stock Photo

The team first used calculations and computer simulations to optimize the size and geometry of the teeth. Using 3-D printing, the researchers created teeth and sets of teeth before optimizing placement and grip. Working with surgeons, the team tested replicas of the “teeth” on cadavers, fixing one shoulder with just stitches and the other with stitches and hardware.

“We mechanically tested the force that the device was adding to hold this construct together,” says Iden Kurtaliaj, a bioengineer at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. The researchers found that shoulders with their device had twice as much bearing strength as those without.

Before advancing to clinical use, the design must be tested in live animals to prove function and long-term safety, says Ghanashyam Acharya, a biomedical researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. As the body heals, the material can degrade or damage the tendon. Still, Acharya says, the new study shows a “strong theoretical rationale” that marks it as an “important and innovative first step” toward more effective rotator cuff surgeries.


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Image Source : www.sciencenews.org

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