Zimmer to Distribute Rotator Cuff Patch

An exclusive, multi-year worldwide agreement to distribute a nonresorbable biologic patch for the repair of rotator cuff injuries has been announced by Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (Warsaw, IN, USA).

The patch, called the Permacol Surgical Implant, was developed and is manufactured by Tissue Science Laboratories plc (Aldershot, UK). The implant is a chemically cross-linked acellular sheet of collagen/elastin that is processed from porcine dermis. It has been available in the UK for rotator cuff repairs since 2002 and had previously been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for incontinence treatments, hernia repairs, and plastic and reconstructive surgery of the head and face.

"With the Permacol product, we will be able to address the needs of orthopedic surgeons who need to augment their surgical repairs or who need a material to bridge massive tears that are not able to be sutured together,” said Ray Elliot, chairman, president, and CEO of Zimmer. The company states that it believes the Permacol implant may offer several advantages over current products or treatments, including greater long-term stability and better inflammatory response characteristics, due to the proprietary processing technology used by Tissue Science Laboratories. Zimmer already participates in the shoulder repair market with Bigliani-Flatow, a total shoulder replacement system.





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