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Biomedical engineering students may have found a way to speed up the recovery period for patients who undergo surgery to treat orthopedic injuries such as ruptured tendons. By embedding a patient’s stem cells into a surgical thread, the researchers believe that they can not only improve healing and reduce inflammation but also lower the chances of reinjury. The technology has potential in treating tendon, ligament, and muscle injuries; rotator cuff repairs; and has possible future use in the field of cardiology. Using stem cells could also reduce the likelihood of rejection.

After developing the concept of embedding stem cells in sutures, corporate sponsor Bioactive Surgical Inc. asked the students from Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore) to build and test a prototype. They conducted some parts of the animal studies, while orthopedic surgeons performed the procedures.

How It Works:
While a patient is under anesthesia, the doctor removes bone marrow, which contains stem cells, from the hip. The stem cells are embedded in the suture, and the doctor then stitches together the injury using these special sutures.

Early study results revealed that the stem cell-embedded sutures can withstand the surgical procedure and retain the ability to transform into replacement tissue–including cartilage or tendon. Should the same results occur in future human testing, the technology could offer tremendous potential to patients. The current recovery period for Achilles tendon repair is up to a year and about 20% of cases require another operation, according to Matt Rubashkin, leader of the John Hopkins team. In addition to accelerating the healing process, these new sutures could reduce operation and follow-up therapy costs for hospitals and patients.

An FDA orthopedic devices advisory panel unanimously recommended the approval of Johnson & Johnson’s ceramic-on-metal hip bearing implant. In a 5-0 vote, the panel suggested approval of the Pinnacle CoMplete Acetabular Hip System, with conditions that include a 10-year follow up study.

The panel made its recommendation after reviewing a two-year study that compared the Pinnacle’s safety and effectiveness with another DePuy metal-on-metal implant. The study revealed no significant difference between adverse events, revision rates, or survivorship after two years. Patients experienced the same pain relief, range of motion, and improved function as well.

If approved, the device would be intended for patients who experience severe pain and disability as a result of osteoarthritis or post-traumatic arthritis. It would also be the first implant to use ceramic-on-metal instead of metal-on-metal, which is supposed to reduce device wear and be a better alternative for active patients. Lab testing found a greater than 90% reduction in wear versus the metal-on-metal implant under normal gait conditions. It revealed a more than 80% wear reduction under adverse conditions.