Tech & Innovation in Healthcare

Question: As an orthopedic surgeon, I see my fair share of broken bones that need to be repaired with screws or pins. The recovery process is often lengthy and can be hard on the patient.

Are there internal fixation devices, like pins or screws, that will be absorbed by the body after healing?

Virginia Subscriber

Answer: Recently, Bioretec received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for their RemeOs trauma metal screws. The screws are bioresorbable orthopedic metal implants, which means the implants will be absorbed by the patient’s body over time.

The screws are made of calcium, zinc, and magnesium — all of which are found naturally in the human body — instead of rare-earth metals that make up most surgical hardware. The RemeOs screws’ metallic properties provide the strength and rigidity needed to hold broken bones together while they heal.

The U.S. accounts for 65 percent of the orthopedic product market worldwide, and 3.4 million U.S. patients are treated for ankle fractures each year. Since the screws can absorb into the body, providers won’t need to perform additional surgeries to remove the implants, so the patient can continue with recovery without any possible setbacks.

“We are excited that we can now begin to establish key collaborations with hospitals and clinical professionals specialized in ankle fractures in the U.S.,” said Timo Lehtonen, CEO of Bioretec.