Smith+Nephew (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN), the global medical technology company, today announces it has completed the acquisition of Integrity Orthopaedics, further strengthening its sports medicine shoulder repair business with the most comprehensive suite of technologies available for rotator cuff repair (RCR).
Integrity Orthopaedics is a US‑based, early‑stage commercial developer of Tendon Seam™, an innovative and disruptive biomechanical RCR system designed to significantly reduce re‑tear rates and improve patient outcomes versus the current standard of care.
Tendon Seam™ allows for a novel repair stitch configuration with multiple points of fixation. Its patented microanchors, continuous suture, individually locked stitches, and integrated implantation instrument are designed to deliver stronger repairs, accelerated patient recovery, lower re-tear rates, and a simplified surgical technique. Early clinical experience indicates low re-tear rates, reduced sling times, and shorter procedures compared with standard methods.1 The system received 510(k) clearance in 2023 and is indicated for reattachment of soft tissue to bone, including tendons, ligaments, and joint capsules.
Dr. Howard Harris, Orthopedic Surgeon at Texas Orthopedic Specialists and part of the Tendon Seam™ design surgeon team, said, “Arthroscopic biomechanical rotator cuff repair techniques using sutures and anchors have remained largely unchanged for over 15 years. Tendon Seam™ technology represents a significant innovation in rotator cuff repair technique. It gives me a more anatomic, stronger and efficient repair option that offers my patients a better chance of a successful recovery.”
RCR is a growing market segment with approximately 500,000 procedures performed annually in the US.2 Despite this, traditional surgical techniques have historically suffered from high structural failure rates, averaging 20–40%.3
Tendon Seam™ perfectly complements the market-leading REGENETEN Bioinductive Implant, giving Smith+Nephew a unique, differentiated and disruptive RCR portfolio. The two solutions represent the most advanced technologies currently available for biomechanical repair and biological augmentation – something no other company can offer.
“Surgeons and patients deserve a rotator cuff repair solution that delivers results they can count on,” said Christie Van Geffen, Senior Vice President of Sports Medicine Marketing for Smith+Nephew. “They now have that with Tendon Seam™ and REGENETEN - and we look forward to helping more tendon repairs heal, improving patient outcomes, and setting a new standard of care.”
Tendon Seam™ is currently available in the United States. Similar to post-acquisition efforts with the REGENETEN Bioinductive Implant, Smith+Nephew plans to accelerate adoption leveraging its commercial channels in the US, while building a base of evidence to support global adoption. To learn more about Tendon Seam™, please visit www.integrity-ortho.com.
About Smith+Nephew
Smith+Nephew is a portfolio medical technology business focused on the repair, regeneration and replacement of soft and hard tissue. We exist to restore people’s bodies and their self-belief by using technology to take the limits off living. We call this purpose ‘Life Unlimited’. Our 17,000 employees deliver this mission every day, making a difference to patients’ lives through the excellence of our product portfolio, and the invention and application of new technologies across our three global business units of Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine & ENT and Advanced Wound Management.
Founded in Hull, UK, in 1856, we now operate in around 100 countries, and generated annual sales of $5.8 billion in 2024. Smith+Nephew is a constituent of the FTSE100 (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN). The terms ‘Group’ and ‘Smith+Nephew’ are used to refer to Smith & Nephew plc and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context requires otherwise.
