BATON ROUGE, La., March 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Tesa Medical, Inc., announced today the issuance of a US patent that covers a pioneering device designed to aid surgeons performing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and to improve patient outcomes after surgery.
Patent number 8,603,115 is for invention of the GraftGrab, a novel device to fix an ACL graft with a single fluid motion to maintain graft tension and reduce surgery time and instrumentation. Successful restoration of ACL function using soft tissue grafts requires stable fixation with sufficient stiffness to withstand the repetitive loading forces that occur in the early post operative rehabilitation period and during routine activities.
ACL injuries are one of the most common knee injuries, especially among athletes, with an estimated 200,000 occurring each year in the US. Ligament reconstruction has become the treatment of choice for patients who experience instability following ACL rupture. Unfortunately, clinically significant knee laxity occurs in 10% - 30% of knees within four months of ACL reconstruction.
“Loss of initial graft tension continues to be a problem with soft tissue interference screws and can contribute to problems associated with joint instability,” said Dr. Mandi Lopez, co-inventor. “The bioabsorbable GraftGrab is positioned on the cortical surface of the tibial bone tunnel and has a simple mechanism for anchoring the graft immediately after tensioning that minimizes the likelihood of graft tension loss,” she said.
The company has engaged business development advisors from Salus Consilium that will be presenting the technology to interested parties at the AAOS conference in New Orleans, March 12 14, booth 3630. Companies interested in discussing licensing or strategic alliance for commercialization can contact the company to arrange a meeting during the conference.
About Tesa Medical:
The GraftGrab was invented at Louisiana State University by Dr. Mandi Lopez and Dr. W. Todd Monroe. Working prototypes have been used successfully in recent animal trials. Tesa Medical was formed to manage the intellectual property and to prepare for commercialization. The company anticipates applying for FDA clearance and approvals in key markets worldwide, with estimated product launch within two years.
SOURCE Tesa Medical, Inc.
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