Arthroscopy Techniques (Aug 2023)
“Make and Use” All Suture Anchor—A Cost-Effective Method of Making an All-Suture Anchor
Abstract
All-suture anchors (ASA) are newer anchors that anchor soft tissues to the bone. It has several biomechanical and clinical advantages; however, the high cost of this anchor limits its use in low socioeconomic countries. The cost of the anchor dramatically increases the cost of surgery; hence, acceptance of surgery is also affected if patients have to pay their expenditure from their pocket. We have designed a simple, cost-effective method of making an ASA, which can be made instantly and used during surgery; hence, the name “make-and-use anchor.” To make this anchor, few high-strength sutures are required. Over the suture, a sleeve of suture was created using an Ethibond. This sleeve will create a “ball” after deployment under the cortical bone, which provides anchorage to the sutures serving as an anchor. This anchor can be deployed both in the pull-in and push-in methods. This technical note aims to share the technique of making this cost-effective anchor, which is made instantly using locally available suture materials and can be used in various surgeries requiring anchors.