Suture Anchor-Tendon Hybrid Graft

Principle Investigator:
Prof. Elmer Dai Fei KER, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering

This bone-tendon graft combines a suture anchor and tendon graft to restore biomechanical function. Our simple approach uses a single stem/progenitor cell treated with the same biochemical cues to simultaneously generate fibrocartilage and tendon, enhancing biological healing.

Mechanically, combining a suture anchor with a tendon graft reduces potential failure points, such as suture breakage at the anchor eyelet. This was not possible with previous devices, which lacked our biocompatible, photocrosslinkable material. This material’s properties can be adjusted to approximate the mechanical properties of bone and tendon. Biologically, our straightforward method streamlines the regulatory approval process by using only.

This invention aims to revolutionise the century-old practice of using separate devices for bone-tendon repair, such as suture anchors for bone fixation and tendon grafts for tendon replacement. It shows promise for improving rotator cuff repair.