The evolution of clinical applications of biodegradable implants in arthroscopic surgery

Arthroscopic surgery is the most recent orthopaedic discipline to embrace b iodegradable implant technology. Osteochondral fractures have been shown to be amenable to arthroscopic fixation with biodegradable pins. The areas of most recent interest have been biodegradable interference screw fixation f or ACL reconstruction in the knee, biodegradable suture anchors for rotator cuff repair and capsulolabral repair in the shoulder. Biodegradable implan ts have allowed a paradigm shift away from bionic (mechanical replacement) engineering and toward true biologic solutions to reconstructive problems i n arthroscopic surgery. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.