News Updates

Apr 2, 2024
Arthrex Commemorates 10th Anniversary of InternalBrace™ Technique

Company honors technological treatment advancements over the decade since release of the groundbreaking surgical system

(NAPLES, Florida – April 2, 2024) – Arthrex, a global leader in minimally invasive surgical technology, announced the 10th anniversary of the InternalBrace™ ligament augmentation system.

“This pioneering surgical technique, developed in collaboration with leading surgeons around the world and supported by more than 213 peer-reviewed studies, has become the gold standard in the treatment of soft-tissue and musculoskeletal injuries,” said Arthrex President and Founder Reinhold Schmieding. “We are proud to recognize the impact it has made over the past decade in Helping Surgeons Treat Their Patients Better®.”

The technique was initially developed to support lateral ankle instability repair during the post-surgery

healing phase. This procedure restores strength and stability to a patient’s chronically sprained ankle.1,2

Similar to how a seat belt acts in a car, surgical repair with the InternalBrace ligament augmentation procedure supports a primary repair and secures a patient’s ligaments to the bone during the healing phase, which may reduce the chance of reinjury.1

“The InternalBrace procedure is designed to help speed up the recovery process1,3 and allow for an immediate range of motion,4” said Arthrex Vice President of Strategic Development Larry Higgins, MD. “Early post-surgery movement promotes healthy ligament healing so patients can get back to doing the activities they love faster.”3

The procedure augments the primary surgical repair using special anchors to provide additional points of fixation that hold the ligament to a patient’s ankle bone while they heal. The ligament is compressed against the bone using FiberTape® suture, which is composed of collagen-coated ultra-high-molecular- weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), a strong, stress-resistant material with Kevlar®-like properties5 that has been used safely and effectively in millions of patients.6

Today, the InternalBrace system is used for the advanced treatment for many common sports injuries and tears, including the repair and reconstruction of the:

  • Anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL)
  • Achilles tendon
  • Anterior inferior tibiofibular ligament (AITFL)
  • Deep and superficial deltoid ligaments
  • Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
  • Medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL)
  • Medial and thumb ulnar collateral ligaments (UCL)

Since its release in 2013, the InternalBrace system for ankle instability has been updated to include collagen-coated FiberTape suture, a talar offset guide to help ensure consistent, proper talar anchor placement, upgraded SwiveLock® anchor drivers and a fully cannulated system for bone preparation.

For more information, visit arthrex.com and anklesprain.com.

Contact:
Therese Benson, PR & Media Communications Lead Therese.Benson@arthrex.com