InternalBrace™ Technique

Proven to be efficacious¹ and applicable in various ways throughout the knee, the InternalBrace technique helps prevent excess range of motion during the healing phase and may reduce the chances of secondary injury.^2,3

When used in ACL reconstruction, the InternalBrace technique helps protect against various modes of failure, including creep and irreversible stretch, traumatic tearing, and slippage of the tendon-bone interface.^4,5 The InternalBrace technique may also help protect small and vulnerable hamstring ACL reconstruction grafts from these modes of failure.^4,5

Additionally, the InternalBrace technique can help augment collateral ligament repairs and reconstructions and provide improved biomechanics, including greater stiffness and maximum load.⁶ Anatomic repair with augmentation may allow for early treatment using native tissues, while still providing a biomechanical environment conducive to early rehabilitation and motion.² Compared to reconstruction techniques, there are several additional benefits of augmenting collateral ligament repairs, including smaller drill holes and implants, no harvest-site morbidity with allograft, and no risk of tunnel convergence in multiligament procedure.

^References

^{1. Bodendorfer BM, Michaelson EM, Shu HT, et al. Suture augmented versus standard anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a matched comparative analysis. Arthroscopy. 2019;35(7):2114-2122. doi:10.1016/j.arthro.2019.01.054}

^{2. Mackay GM, Blyth MJ, Anthony I, Hopper GP, Ribbans WJ. A review of ligament augmentation with the InternalBrace™: the surgical principle is described for the lateral ankle ligament and ACL repair in particular, and a comprehensive review of other surgical applications and techniques is presented. Surg Technol Int. 2015;26:239-255.}

^{3. Smith PA, Bley JA. Allograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction utilizing internal brace augmentation. Arthrosc Tech. 2016;5(5):e1143-e1147. doi:10.1016/j.eats.2016.06.007}

^{4. Bachmaier S, Smith PA, Bley J, Wijdicks CA. Independent suture tape reinforcement of small and standard diameter grafts for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a biomechanical full construct model. Arthroscopy. 2018;34(2):490-499. doi:10.1016/j.arthro.2017.10.037}

^{5. Bedi A. Editorial commentary: buckle up surgeons: “safety belt” reinforcement of knee anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction grafts. Arthroscopy. 2018;34(2):500-501. doi:10.1016/j.arthro.2017.12.009}

^{6. Arthrex, Inc. LA1-00086-EN_B. Naples, FL; 2018.}

^{The InternalBrace surgical technique is intended only to augment the primary repair/reconstruction by expanding the area of tissue approximation during the healing period and is not intended as a replacement for the native ligament. The InternalBrace technique is for use during soft tissue-to-bone fixation procedures and is not cleared for bone-to-bone fixation.}