Bioresorbable Suture Anchor Clips for Soft Tissue Wound Repair

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Surgical Innovation
• 3D Printing in Medicine

Background:

• Mesh sutures are used for high-tension wounds, but knots pose infection and irritation risks.
• A need exists for degradable, knotless anchoring systems to improve mesh suture safety and efficacy.
• Current methods lack ideal solutions for secure and biocompatible soft tissue fixation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate novel, bioresorbable anchor clips for securing mesh sutures.
• To compare 3D printed and injection-molded anchor clips for mechanical properties and biocompatibility.
• To assess the clinical translation potential of these advanced wound closure devices.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of anchor clips using continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) 3D printing with poly(propylene fumarate-co-propylene succinate) (PPFPS).
• Thiol-ene cross-linking to create fully degradable PPFPS thermoset devices with tunable mechanical properties.
• Fabrication of comparative anchor clips using injection molding with poly(l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA).
• Benchtop testing in an abdominal wall reconstruction model and *in vivo* biocompatibility assessment in a porcine model.

Main Results:

• Both PLGA and PPFPS anchor clips demonstrated satisfactory *in vivo* biocompatibility in a porcine abdominal implantation model.
• PLGA anchor clips exhibited mechanical performance comparable to existing soft tissue fixation techniques.
• 3D printed PPFPS devices offered tunable mechanical properties, indicating versatility in application.

Conclusions:

• Novel bioresorbable anchor clips were successfully developed using 3D printing and traditional molding techniques.
• These anchor clips present a viable, safer alternative to traditional mesh suture knots, reducing infection risks.
• The developed anchor clips show significant potential for clinical translation in soft tissue fixation and wound management.