Every four years the world comes together to watch athletes push the boundaries of their physical capabilities. As we celebrate their athletic prowess, it’s important to recognize the critical role orthopedics plays in their journey. From preventing injuries to facilitating recovery, orthopedic innovations are crucial for athletes who dream of a spot on the podium.
Olympic athletes endure rigorous training regimes and conditioning techniques, often for years, to compete at the highest level. This intense preparation comes with a high risk of injuries. Below are some of the more common sports injuries and how Orthopedic surgeons can partner with CONMED Orthopedics to allow their patients to regain their active lifestyles, whether they are Olympic athletes or not!
Common Olympic Injuries and our Solutions
Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tears
Injury: Common in sports requiring sudden stops and changes in direction, such as soccer, gymnastics, and basketball.
Products: Fixation devices, and biocomposite implants
Unlike traditional implant materials that are either synthetic or biologic, BioBrace® is a biocomposite of both featuring a highly porous type 1 collagen matrix reinforced with bioresorbable PLLA microfilaments providing both healing and strength when augmenting a repair or reconstruction.
This fully adjustable button has no minimal loop length and has been designed to allow for maximum graft fill in the tunnel. A unique mechanical and friction locking mechanism combine to create graft fixation. The Infinity™ Button features a small, low-profile that only requires a 3.5mm channel, minimizing bone removal.
Rotator Cuff Tears
Injury: Often seen in sports with repetitive overhead motions, like swimming and tennis.
Products: Suture anchors, arthroscopic instruments, and biologic grafts to promote healing.
This is a system designed to minimize steps, maximize ease, and save time in the OR. Argo Knotless® offers the next generation of knotless fixation, so you can maximize control of your technique and your surgical outcomes.
Y-Knot® RC self-punching anchors can help streamline procedures with a fast and efficient technique that eliminates the need to create and find a pilot hole. In addition to requiring less bone removal than larger traditional anchors, the small 2.8mm footprint provides placement and fixation advantages when bone is limited, especially during revisions. It can be used in numerous joint spaces.
Interested in learning more about how you can use Y-Knot® RC Pro, Argo Knotless® SP, and BioBrace® to augment rotator cuff repairs? Watch this video to see how this integrated technique minimizes additional steps in the procedure for an efficient, streamlined rotator cuff augmentation.
Meniscus Tears
Injury: Common in contact sports and activities requiring knee twisting, such as wrestling, basketball, and volleyball.
Products: Meniscal repair devices, arthroscopic shavers, and suturing systems.
Designed with safety in mind, this all-inside meniscal repair system utilizes a proprietary needle design which minimizes piercing the diameter to preserve the meniscus tissue and protect implants from being prematurely deployed.
This complete system specifically designed for inside-out meniscal repair procedures features cannulas, needles, and rasps.
Conclusion
As the Olympic motto goes, "Citius, Altius, Fortius" (Faster, Higher, Stronger), so does the field of orthopedics and sports medicine continue to evolve — pushing the boundaries of what is possible in injury prevention and recovery. Connect with a CONMED sales representative here.