DePuy Synthes, a franchise of Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies, recently announced the limited launch of the Dynacord suture. The Dynacord suture is designed to repair soft tissues, such as the rotator cuff in the shoulder, and to prevent loss of suture tension in arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery.

According to the DePuy Synthes press release, the Dynacord suture consists of two outer sheaths of braided fibers and a core made of silicone and salt. When the suture is placed in the body during surgery, the salt particles within the silicone core dissolve, leaving behind a porous structure within the silicone core. These small voids are filled with surrounding fluid as the core hydrates, which causes the braided sheath to expand outward and the suture to shorten in length. In addition, the suture shortens if the repair loses tension.