What is BioTend made of?
BioTend is a woven mesh of poly-L-lactic acid.

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Is it absorbable?

Yes, once it used in surgery it will slowly absorb in the body over the next 6 - 24 months, maintaining approximately 80% of its strength at 9 months. This slow rate of absorption allows biological repair to occur, while BioTend augments the functional stability of the repair site. Since BioTend absorbs in the body it is not necessary for it to be removed surgically. The bi-product of the absorption is lactic acid, a natural product of all cells and is naturally absorbed by the body.

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How does BioTend augment (or assist) the surgical repair?
BioTend is specifically designed to have mechanical properties similar to human tendon. It also has high suture retention strength. These two features allow BioTend to be sutured in place, and assists the surgically repaired tendon by functionally sharing the load that the tendon bears when the tendon is used.

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How often does rotator cuff surgery fail?
The literature indicates that when an imaging system (MRI or ultrasound) is used to assess the surgical outcome, the success rate is dependent, at least in part, on the size of the rotator cuff tear. Small to medium tears fail 27% of the time, large tears fail 48% of the time, and massive tears fail 60% of the time. There is a large range of reported success rates, and so the actual success rate of an individual surgeon is likely to be different than these reported rates.

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What types of rotator cuff repairs are at highest risk of failure?
While there is always some risk of an unsuccessful surgical procedure, the greatest success rates occur when the rotator cuff tears are small. There is higher risk of failure when the:

• Rotator cuff tear is clinically regarded as large or massive

• Surgical repair is of a previously torn tendon

• Patient has some underlying condition that may compromise the biologic repair

 

Can BioTend be used in arthroscopic surgery?
Yes, it can be used in arthroscopic surgery or in open surgery. In fact, the majority of surgeries performed with BioTend have been done arthroscopically.

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What makes BioTend different from other products used for augmentation of tendon repair?
BioTend has a number of important features other products do not have. For example, BioTend is stiffer and stronger than the other products, with mechanical properties equivalent to human tendon. It has high suture retention strength, allowing those properties to be imposed when BioTend is implanted. BioTend has a slow absorption rate, allowing biologic repair to occur before the mechanical properties decrease. ​

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What tissue repairs can BioTend be used to augment repair?
Yes, BioTend is cleared by the FDA for repair of tendons including rotator cuff, patellar, Achilles, biceps, and quadriceps tendons. BioTend is also cleared for reinforcement of soft tissues that are repaired by suture or suture anchors.

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How do I know if BioTend right for me?
Patients - Click here

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How can I find out more information about BioTend or contact
Boylston Surgical?
Please feel free to Contact Us and we would be happy to answer your questions or provide any additional information.

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Information Documents
Please click on the links below to download PDF documents.