Orthopedic Implants

The Market

The micro orthopedic implants market continues to grow. Orthopedic implants have been useful in restoring mobility, reducing pain, and treating injuries.

The use of fixation devices for the attachment of soft tissue to bone is being increasingly utilized by orthopedic surgeons, particularly in the treatment of soft tissue lesions in the shoulder. These implants have facilitated the repair of labral and rotator cuff lesions. The development of bioabsorbable tacks, pins, anchors, screws, and washers have also given to the surgeons more treatment alternatives. 

Needs & Challenges

Manufacturing these implantable micro components can often be challenging, since many require extremely tight tolerances for proper part functionality. Successful projects require an exact micro tooling design and highly capable injection molding systems.

For fixation components like staples and sutures, material choice is very important because the material needs to allow for flexibility while maintaining optimal strength.

Fixation screws often feature a feather-edge, which is challenging with difficult-to-flow materials like Ultem.

Common Materials

• Ultem
• PEEK
• PLDL
• PLG
• Polypropylene (PP)
• Bioabsorbables