Braided Surgical Cable and Tether Design and Manufacturing
Similar to sutures, and braids, cables and tethers are complex braided yarns that are used for applications that require significant strength or load bearing capability. Often used to stabilize structures and add strength to damaged tissue after a major repair as seen in an allograft placement, tendon and ligament repair, joint replacement, and fracture repair. Often associated with a technique known as Cerclage fixation, polymer cables can be used to hold structures in place safely to allow for healing. Cables and tethers are often made with high strength materials such as UHMWPE or a mixture of UHMWPE and PET and can be braided in a round or flat tape pattern. With the use of UHMWPE and LCP fibers, braided cables and tethers are also playing a role in delivery system application and even in surgical robotics. Cables and tethers can be made as a straight construction as well as with a terminal bifurcation or even loops to facilitate even greater ease of use.