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Key Observations from Published Literatureon Bone Response in Hand & Wrist Surgery

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In hand and wrist procedures, anchors are placed within thin cortices, narrow canals, and confined joint spaces.

Bone response to implant material—including osteolysis, cystic change, or radiolucency—may influence construct stability, imaging interpretation, and long-term clinical outcome.

Chen et al., J Hand Surg Am, 2025.

Clinical study quantifying tunnel enlargement around PEEK suture anchors in the hand and wrist.

Ossio Pdf Imgs 000 Ossio – Naturally Transformative Bone Healing
Figure 1: A, B — Suture anchor tunnels in the lunate (A) and base of the second metacarpal (B); arrows mark the tunnels.

Osteolysis, defined as tunnel enlargement greater than 30% over time, was observed in 27% of anchors (12 of 45) at final follow up, with a mean tunnel size increase of 51.5%.

Representative published reports include:

  1. Galano et al., 2010 — inflammatory response and osteolysis following a bioabsorbable anchor in a finger
  2. Giannikas et al., 2009 — aseptic foreign-body reaction and osteolysis associated with a suture anchor in a digit
  3. Zaidenberg et al., 2016 — severe osteolysis after bioabsorbable anchor use in carpal ligament repair
  4. Schrumpf et al., 2011 — foreign-body reaction, synovitis, and osteolysis related to poly-L-lactic acid anchors in the wrist

Beyond PEEK, published case reports have documented foreign-body reactions and osteolytic bone changes associated with certain bioabsorbable suture anchor materials when used in small bones of the hand and wrist.

Reported observations include:

  1. Local inflammatory or foreign-body reactions surrounding anchors
  2. Progressive osteolysis and cystic bone changes
  3. Bone loss developing months after implantation
  4. Cases requiring implant removal or secondary surgery

Key takeaway from the literature:

Bone response varies by material composition, degradation profile, and local biomechanics, particularly in small-bone fixation.

Published literature demonstrates that both inert and certain bioabsorbable anchor materials may be associated with osteolytic or inflammatory bone responses in hand and wrist surgery.

Material Choice & OSSIOfiber®

In small-bone fixation, even subtle biologic responses to implant material can have outsized consequences. Surgeons must consider not only initial fixation strength, but how an implant interacts with bone over time.

BIO-INTEGRATIVE FIXATION: EVIDENCE OF SAFE BONE INTEGRATION

Cole et al., Scientific Reports, 2024

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in a Translational Model in Sheep using Biointegrative Mineral Fiber Reinforced Screws

Key Findings translated for Hand & Wrist relevance:

  1. Gradual mesenchymal ingrowth and new bone formation
  2. Secure fixation without irritancy or adverse inflammatory response
  3. OSSIOfiber® anchor substantially eliminated by 2 years, replaced by bone
  4. No cystic formation or inflammatory reaction observed

CLINICAL BONE INTEGRATION EVIDENCE (SMALL-BONE ANATOMY)

Štalc et al., Foot & Ankle Surgery, 2022.

Fiber-Reinforced Fixation Implant for PIP Joint Arthrodesis — 2-Year Follow-Up

Clinical Relevance:

Demonstrates controlled bio-integration in small bones with limited tolerance for inflammatory response — directly relevant to hand & wrist anatomy.

Key Clinical Observations:

  • 96% radiographic fusion at 2 years
  • No cyst formation or fluid accumulation
  • Mean bio-integration score: 9.7 / 10
  • No device-related adverse events

Key takeaway from the literature:

Bone response varies by material composition, degradation profile, and local biomechanics, particularly in small-bone fixation.

Gradual bio-integration with replacement by native bone and absence of adverse inflammatory response.1

Ossio Pdf Imgs 003 Ossio – Naturally Transformative Bone Healing

WHAT MAKES OSSIOfiber® DIFFERENT

Proven materials engineered into a proprietary strong and bio-integrative matrix.

What Makes Ossiofiber Different Ossio – Naturally Transformative Bone Healing
Ossiofiber 2.5Mm Suture Anchor Ossio – Naturally Transformative Bone Healing

A small-footprint, bio-integrative solution designed for soft-tissue fixation where bone preservation matters.

Key Features:

  • Small Footprint Anchor optimized for small-bone repairs
  • Superior pull-out strength vs. market-leading 2.4 mm anchor (12-week preclinical data)
  • Disposable, sterile instrument pack for streamlined OR workflow
  • Single-loaded with 1.4 mm UHMWPE tape for efficient suture passage

Ordering Information:

DescriptionProduct Code
OSSIOfiber® Suture Anchor 2.5mm, 1.4mm Blue Tape w/ NeedlesOF1032552S
OSSIOfiber® Suture Anchor 2.5mm, 1.4mm Wt/Blue Tape w/ NeedlesOF1032553S
OSSIOfiber® Suture Anchor 2.5mm w/ SnareOF1032554S
OSSIO 1.8mm Instrument Pack For 2.5mm Suture AnchorTHN00509
OSSIO 2.0mm Drill Bit For 2.5mm Suture Anchor*THN00511
Standalone 1.4mm Wt/Blue Tape, Box of 6THN00514
*Optional sterile packed 2.0mm drill bit available for use in hard bone

Indications for Use:

The OSSIOfiber® Suture Anchors 2.5-3.5 mm, are intended to be used for suture or tissue fixation in the foot, ankle, knee, hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder, in adults and children (2-12 years) and adolescents (12-21 years) in which growth plates have fused or in which growth plates will not be crossed by fixation.

Specific indications are listed below:

Shoulder

Rotator Cuff Repairs, Bankart Repair, SLAP Lesion Repair, Biceps Tenodesis, Acromio-Clavicular Separation Repair, Deltoid Repair, Capsular Shift or Capsulolabral Reconstruction

Foot/Ankle

Lateral Stabilization, Medial Stabilization, Achilles Tendon Repair, Metatarsal Ligament Repair, Hallux Valgus reconstruction, Digital Tendon Transfers, Mid-foot Reconstruction

Knee

Medial Collateral Ligament Repair, Lateral Collateral Ligament Repair, Patellar Tendon Repair, Posterior Oblique Ligament Repair, lliotibial Band Tenodesis, Joint Capsule Closure

Hand/Wrist

Scapholunate Ligament Reconstruction, Carpal Ligament Reconstructions, Repair/Reconstruction of collateral ligaments, Repair of Flexor and Extensor Tendons at the PIP, DIP, and MCP joints for all digits, Digital Tendon Transfers

Hand/Wrist

Scapholunate Ligament Reconstruction, Carpal Ligament Reconstructions, Repair/Reconstruction of collateral ligaments, Repair of Flexor and Extensor Tendons at the PIP, DIP, and MCP joints for all digits, Digital Tendon Transfers

Elbow

Biceps Tendon Reattachment, Ulnar or Radial Collateral Ligament Reconstruction, Lateral Epicondylitis Repair (Tennis Elbow)

Chen et al.

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Footnotes

1. Data on file at OSSIO 2. Clinical study data on file at OSSIO 3. Kaiser, P.B., Watkins, I., Riedel, M. D., Cronin, P., Briceno, J., Kron, J. Y. (2019). Implant Removal Matrix for the Foot and Ankle Orthopaedic Surgeon. Foot & Ankle Specialist, 12(1), 79-97. https://doi.org/10.1177/1938640018791015 4. Pre-clinical animal studies (in-bone implantation of OSSIOfiber® and PLDLA control in rabbit femurs). Data on File at OSSIO. 5. Haddad, S. F., Helm, M. M., Meath, B., Adams, C., Packianathan, N., & Uhl, R. (2019). Exploring the Incidence, Implications, and Relevance of Metal Allergy to Orthopaedic Surgeons. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews, 3(4), e023. https://doi.org/10.5435/JAAOSGlobal-D-19-00023