Smith+Nephew has acquired Integrity Orthopaedics, a U.S.-based early-stage developer of Tendon Seam, a rotator cuff repair (RCR) system designed to reduce re-tear rates and improve outcomes.

Traditional surgical techniques have historically suffered from high structural fail rates, averaging 20-40%. Tendom Seam aims to address this unmet clinical need.

Its patented micro-anchors, continuous suture, individually locked stitches, and integrated implantation instrument are engineered to provide stronger repairs, quicker recovery, lower re-tear rates, reduced sling times, and shorter procedures as compared to standard methods. The system earned U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance in 2023 and is indicated to reattach soft tissue to bone, including tendons, ligaments, and joint capsules.

Integrity Orthopaedics was founded in 2020 and is based in Maple Plain, Minn. Its founders including Tom Westling, co-founder of Rotation Medical. Rotation is the developer of the Regeneten bioinductive implant and was acquired by Smith+Nephew in 2017.

“Smith+Nephew now has an unrivalled portfolio for shoulder, including a powerful next‑generation rotator cuff repair platform to complement market-leading biological augmentation, the newest shoulder arthroplasty system, and proven solutions across shoulder instability,” said Smith+Nephew’s president of Sports Medicine Scott Shaffner. “We welcome the Integrity team, including those involved with our prior successful acquisition of Rotation Medical, and look forward to working together again to offer customers and their patients this exciting technology.”

The company will acquire Integrity for an initial cash payment of $225 million, plus additional performance-based payments of up to $225 million over the next five years. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Group trading profit margin by 2028.

“Integrity Orthopaedics was founded to change the paradigm of rotator cuff repair to improve the lives of patients and surgeons,” said CEO Tom Westling. “We are excited by Tendon Seam’s early results which indicate reduced pain, shorter sling times, and low retear/failure rates. Tendon Seam’s promising performance combined with Smith+Nephew’s track record launching innovative products, which I experienced firsthand with REGENETEN, give me confidence we will together change the standard of care in soft tissue repair.”