PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
The recent British Elbow and Shoulder Society (BESS) meeting in Coventry was once again a resounding success with unprecedented delegate numbers and a very high educational content. The Arthrex Live Demonstration Workshop has become a regular feature at BESS over the last four years and this year’s demonstrations were much anticipated by many. Close to 150 attendees packed into the Legends Lounge for the event, hosted by incoming BESS President Peter Brownson (Liverpool) and Graham Tytherleigh-Strong (Cambridge). The live link allowed delegates to watch three live demonstrations in crystal clear SynergyUHD4™ clarity, seamlessly transmitted from the Arthrex MobileLabTM parked outside the Ricoh Arena.
Julie McBirnie (Edinburgh) started the ball rolling with a demonstration of an anterior and posterior labral repair. McBirnie shared valuable tips for challenging posterior instability repairs utilising the 2.9mm BioComposite PushLock anchor with LabralTape™. In addressing the anterior instability McBirnie demonstrated Arthrex’s novel SutureTape suture in the FiberTak™ soft anchor, showing the benefits of a mattress configuration to keep the knot stack well away from the glenoid. The SutureTape allows for a smaller and tighter knot stack than the #2 suture, with less displacement. McBirnie then demonstrated the SutureTape in a knotless fashion by loading it into a QL Labral Scorpion™ and passing it, in one step, through the labral tissue for a fast and efficient technique secured with a 2.9mm BioComposite PushLock anchor.
The second demonstration featured the Arthrex Superior Capsular Reconstruction (SCR) technique developed by Arthrex in collaboration with Tiru Mihata (Japan). The technique addresses irreparable superior cuff tears by reconstructing the superior capsule to recenter the humeral head, reduce pain and restore function. Matt Ravenscroft (Stockport) began the live demo by utilising Arthrex’s novel Synergy MSK™ handheld Ultrasound device to show the irreparable cuff tear. Ravenscroft then demonstrated the SCR technique, including his novel Lasso loop method for improving glenoid fixation, which was also discussed in Stepping Hill’s SCR results presentation in the main BESS programme. The thick ArthroFLEX® 3.5mm graft processed specifically for SCR was introduced easily arthroscopically through a flexible 12mm SCR PassPort Button Cannula™. Fixation was secured with BioComposite SutureTaks on the glenoid and a SpeedBridge™ on the greater tuberosity. Ravenscroft passed the FiberTape® loops through the ArthroFLEX graft arthroscopically with a side-loading Scorpion ensuring accurate graft tensioning. He finally demonstrated a novel InternalBrace™ technique to protect the graft and potentially allow for more aggressive rehab. Graham Tytherleigh-Strong summed up the smooth demonstration saying, “That’s fantastic Matt, you made that look dangerously easy.”
The final demonstration saw Dirk Petré (Belgium) demonstrate the novel Arthrex Univers Revers™ prosthesis. Petré impressively completed the reverse procedure in under 30 minutes from knife to skin. He illustrated the benefits of selecting a 135- degree inclination angle and plus four lateralised glenosphere to reduce scapula notching, provide greater range of motion and importantly to provide more anatomical tensioning of the deltoid, subscap and teres minor. Petré performs over 100 reverse procedures per year and this was evident as he shared many tips for achieving adequate releases and glenoid access.
The live demonstrations received great feedback, with many delegates considering it one of many highlights of the BESS 2017 congress.
Please contact Arthrex directly to learn more about other dynamic medical education initiatives and how we can help you to treat your patients better.
Arthrex Ltd
E: stephen.smith@arthrex.co.uk
T: +44 (0)1142 329180
