New Sutures and Suture Anchors in Sports Medicine.

The article describes the use of biodegradable sutures and suture anchors with increasing frequency for various procedures in sports medicine. The need for more appropriate surgical implants in arthroscopic surgery that could take advantage of the minimally invasive techniques are necessary. Biodegradable materials play a significant role in arthroscopic fixation. Furthermore, biodegradable nature of the implant permits suture anchor to do its job. The surgeon selecting a biodegradable implant should be aware of its material properties, rate of strength loss, and degradation profile.