Novel Sheathed Suture Tackles Loss of Tension

An innovative surgical suture shortens when tension is lost, thus maintaining strong tissue to bone approximation throughout the healing period.

The DePuy Synthes (West Chester, PA, USA) Dynacord suture is composed of two outer sheaths of braided fibers and a core made of silicone and salt that helps the suture maintain a stable repair environment. Once the Dynacord suture is placed inside the body, the salt particles within the silicone core dissolve, leaving behind a porous structure. The small voids created inside the silicone core are filled with surrounding fluids, hydrating the core. The braided sheath then expands outwards, causing the suture to shorten in length.


The Dynacord suture is available on DePuy Synthes Healix Advance anchors, and is intended for use during soft tissue repair procedures in areas such as the rotator cuff. The need for the adaptable suture arises as about a fifth of arthroscopic rotator cuff surgeries fail due to loss of suture tension, causing gaps to form between the soft tissue and the bone, with a resulting loss of compression.

“The launch of Dynacord Suture provides us with a unique opportunity to respond to a very real patient need,” said Stephanie Chamberlain, global platform leader of DePuy Synthes Mitek Sports Medicine and Shoulder Reconstruction. “We have a comprehensive portfolio of sutures and anchors for soft tissue repair, and we continue to bring differentiated innovation to the market that can truly address surgeon and patient needs.”

Rotator cuff tear arthropathy encompasses a broad spectrum of pathology, but it involves at least three critical features: rotator cuff insufficiency, degenerative changes of the glenohumeral joint, and superior migration of the humeral head.

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