title: A simple device in shoulder arthroscopy: the suture assistant.
abstract: Arthroscopic reconstructive surgery in the shoulder is an extremely demanding. The advent of suture anchors, arthroscopic knot-tying techniques, and new arthroscopic instruments has greatly facilitated its development. Knowledge of the anatomy and surgical principles alone are not enough. Good visualization is critical. We describe a simple home-made device that can be very useful in improving visualization and in helping to retrieve sutures during the knot-tying stage, especially in smaller shoulders. We introduce the concept of "bringing the suture" to the instrument rather than "taking the instrument to the suture."
authors.affiliation: Division of Sports and Arthroscopic Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. dkhyip@hku.hk
authors.forename: Daniel K H
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Yip
authors.forename: Jimmy W K
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D001864:Bone Wires; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*