Biodegradable metallic suture anchors: A review

Abstract

Suture anchors are widely used for attaching soft tissue to bone due to their ease of insertion, fixation strength, and small size. The past few decades have seen great advances in the materials and designs of suture anchors. They were originally constructed of non-biodegradable metals and polymers, but in recent years there has been a considerable move toward biodegradable polymers. The biodegradable polymer anchors offer advantages such as gradual degradation over time, minimized risk of migration, less complex revision surgery, no need for a removal operation, and improved postsurgical imaging. However, these anchors have lower fixation strength than metal anchors and suffer from adverse local tissue reactions, inflammatory responses, and rapid degradation. Biodegradable metals appear to be ideal candidates for the future of suture anchors. They have high fixation strength and low elastic modulus close to that of bone, which promote osseointegration and allow the design of thinner and lower volume implants. The current article gives an overview of the application and manufacturing of biodegradable metallic suture anchors and summarizes their current concepts and properties in this area of continual development.