Baseball pitchers and other athletes with rotator cuffinjuries may benefit from a new surgical material made from renewable plastics.

Implant specialist Tornieris launching a bioresorbable surgical mesh for the repair of rotator cuff andother tendon and ligament injuries.

Under development by Tornier for over three years, BioFiberSurgical Mesh is distinguished by its mesh design and polymer composition. It'sa proprietary three-dimensional structure designed to provide a strong, butflexible scaffold for cell migration and enhanced healing.

The fibers of the mesh are made from a new class ofproprietary resorbable polymers based on polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) chemistry.Developed by Tornier's corporate partner, TephaMedical Devices of Lexington, MA, the PHA family of resorbable polymers arecharacterized by strength, flexibility and tissue compatibility that is idealfor a broad range of implantable medical devices.

The bioplastic is an aliphatic polyester produced bybacteria that process glucose or starch. Properties are similar topolypropylene.

Tepha's biomaterials are produced by proprietary transgenicfermentation processes, similar to those used to produce biopharmaceuticals.Metabolix, also a sister company, is the world's largest producer of PHAs.There are two producers in China and one in Italy, according to BCCResearch.

"Surgery for the re-attachment of tendons or ligaments tobone, such as a rotator cuff repair, can be associated with a later re-tear atthe attachment site, especially in patients with compromised healing function,"says John W. Sperling, MD and professor of orthopedic surgery at the MayoClinic in Rochester, MN. "BioFiber's unique mesh design and its biocompatibleresorbable polymer composition provide an ideal scaffold to support healing atthese surgical attachment sites."

Degradation rates of Tepha's PHA biomaterials range from afew weeks to approximately one year. Tornier introduced its new technology atthe 30th annual meeting of the Arthroscopic Association of North America (AANA)held in San Francisco.

The BioFiber Surgical Mesh is part of Tornier's expandingline of biologic products for upper and lower extremity surgeons, including theConexa Reconstructive Tissue Matrix that has been in clinical use since 2008.

Tornier is a global medical device company focused onserving extremities specialists who treat orthopedic conditions of theshoulder, elbow, wrist, hand, ankle and foot. The company was formed in the1940s, and was acquired by venture capital companies in 2006.

Tornier had sales of $227.4 million in 2010 compared tosales of $201.5 million in 2009. In February, the company completed its initialpublic offering, raising approximately $155 million.