Interference Screw Design Offers Simpler Insertion

Mitek Sports Medicine officials have launched the MILAGRO Advance Interference Screw, a new biocomposite screw designed to offer easier and faster insertion when compared to traditional interference screws.[i]

The announcement was made last week at the 80th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) where the company also launched a new straight blade that will be used with the ENDURANCETM Hip Solutions, a system of instruments and devices for hip arthroscopy.

The MILAGRO Advance Interference Screws represent an evolution of screw design that significantly improves ease of use compared to traditional interference screws. The unique distal tip has been shown to reduce bone engagement load by more than 80 percent,[ii] which enables easier insertion into hard bone.[iii] This unique thread design reduces torque transmission to soft tissue.[iv] The screw's larger thread pitch, the distance between grooves, enables insertion in half the time compared to traditional interference screws.[v] 

The MILAGRO Interference Screw was first introduced in 2004, when it became the first implant made of BIOCRYL RAPIDE, a biocomposite material exclusive to Mitek Sports Medicine. Since then it has been provided for over 250,000 patients and has become the top U.S. biocomposite used in shoulder and knee implants.[vi] 

MILAGRO Advance Interference Screws, which received its 510(k) clearance from the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February 2012, also utilize BIOCRYL RAPIDE Biocomposite Material. As published in Arthroscopy Journal, May 2011, this biocomposite material has been shown to absorb and to allow for ossification of the implant site in as little as three years after ACL repair.[vii] 

Also at AAOS, Mitek Sports Medicine is showcasing a new strong straight blade with a rounded sharp tip that is as sharp or sharper than competitive blades currently on the market.[viii] The straight blade is the latest addition to ENDURANCE Hip Solutions for hip arthroscopy. Other products in the company's hip arthroscopy procedural offering include a hip access kit and cannulas for access, GRYPHON BR and PEEK Suture Anchors for fixation as well as VAPR Radiofrequency Electrode System devices for tissue ablation and FMS fluid management.

“We continue to expand upon our successful technology platforms and bring design innovation to sports medicine with the goal of improving patient care and the overall surgical experience so that patients can get back to the activities that they enjoy most,” states Ian Lawson, worldwide president, Mitek Sports Medicine.

^{[i] Data on file, Mitek Sports Medicine, 1/2013}

^{[ii] Data on file comparing 7 x 23mm Arthrex Biocomposite Screw vs. 7 x 23 mm Milagro Advance, Mitek Sports Medicine}

^{[iii] Data on file, Mitek Sports Medicine}

^{[iv] Data on file, Mitek Sports Medicine}

^{[v] Data on file, Mitek Sports Medicine}

^{[vi] Data on file, Mitek Sports Medicine}

^{[vii] Barber et al. Long-Term Degradation of a Poly-Lactide Co-Glycolide/ß-Tricalcium PhosphateBiocomposite Interference Screw, Arthroscopy Journal: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, Vol.17, No. 5, 2011, pp. 637-643.}

^{[viii] Data on file, Mitek Sports Medicine}