Smith+Nephew is showcasing its rotator cuff repair (RCR) portfolio this week at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2026 Annual Meeting in New Orleans. RCR is a growing market segment with approximately 500,000 procedures performed annually in the US,¹ yet it is still experiencing 20% to 40%² structural failure rates using traditional surgical techniques.

Tendon Seam offers a new and unique biomechanical repair technique alongside biological augmentation of the REGENETEN Bioinductive Implant, giving Smith+Nephew a differentiated and disruptive RCR portfolio, according to the company. These technologies aim to drive better outcomes through immediate biomechanical repair to improve early outcomes and biological augmentation supporting tendon integrity.³

The newly acquired Tendon Seam is designed to reduce re‑tear rates and improve patient outcomes compared with the current care standard. Its novel repair stitch configuration with multiple points of fixation, patented microanchors, continuous suture, individually locked stitches, and integrated implantation instrument is designed to deliver strong and stable repairs with a simplified surgical technique. The system received 510(k) clearance in 2023 and is indicated to reattach soft tissue to bone, including tendons, ligaments, and joint capsules.

With more than 250,000 procedures⁴ completed globally since its introduction in 2014, the REGENETEN Bioinductive Implant has offered a better solution for thousands of patients with rotator cuff injuries every year.⁵ The collagen-based implant supports the body’s natural healing response to facilitate the formation of new tissue to biologically augment repairs—demonstrated by Randomized Control Trial (RCT) data showing improved outcomes versus traditional repair.^6-10

This year’s meeting will be the first since AAOS published its revised Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) that supports the use of bioinductive implants for rotator cuff repair. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) CPG on the “Management of Rotator Cuff Injuries” highlights the value of bioinductive implants in rotator cuff repair based on independent analysis of studies. Analyzing RCTs for bioinductive implants, AAOS have issued a Strong Recommendation that “The use of bioinductive tendon implants to augment rotator cuff repair, or as an alternative to standard repair, can lead to lower re-tear rates and better patient-reported outcomes.”

Smith+Nephew is a portfolio medical technology business focused on the repair, regeneration and replacement of soft and hard tissue. Its 17,000 employees make a difference to patients’ lives through the company’s product portfolio, and the invention and application of new technologies across three global business units—Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine & ENT and Advanced Wound Management. Founded in Hull, U.K., in 1856, Smith+Nephew operates in abount 100 countries, and generated $6.2 billion in 2025 sales.

References
¹ SmartTRAK, 2025, Shoulder Soft Tissue Fixation, 2025 BioMedGPS — SmartTRAK.
² Hein J, et al. Arthroscopy. 2015;31(11):2274-2281.
³ Data on File at Integrity Orthopaedics.
⁴ Smith+Nephew. Internal Data.
⁵ FDA. 510(k) Premarket Notification: K242631 [Accessed May 2025]
⁶ Bokor DJ, Sonnabend D, Deady L, et al. Evidence of healing of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears following arthroscopic augmentation with a collagen implant: a 2-year MRI follow-up. Muscles,Ligaments Tendons J 2016;6(1):16-25.
⁷ Bokor DJ, Sonnabend DH, Deady L, et al. Healing of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears following arthroscopic augmentation with a highly porous collagen implant: a 5-year clinical and MRI follow-up. Muscles, Ligaments Tendons J 2019;9(3):338-347.
⁸ Ruiz Iban MA, et al. Arthroscopy. Apr 08 2025 [ePub Ahead of Print].
⁹ Ruiz Iban MA, et al. Arthroscopy. 2024;40(6):P1760-1773.American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). Rotator Cuff Repair Clinical Practice Guideline. Available at: https://www.aaos.org/quality/quality-programs/rotator-cuff/. [Accessed August 2025].
¹⁰ Camacho Chacón JA, Roda Rojo V, Martin Martinez A, et al. An isolated bioinductive repair vs sutured repair for full-thickness rotator cuff tears: 2-year results of a double blinded, randomized controlled trial. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2024;33(9):1894-1904. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2024.03.043