DSM Adds Radiopaque Fiber to its UHMWPE Dyneema Purity Portfolio

DSM, a provider of materials science and regenerative medicine, has launched Dyneema Purity Radiopaque fiber, which the company claims is the only radiopaque ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene (UHMWPE) medical fiber in the world.

The new product is the latest addition to DSM’s medical Dyneema Purity fiber portfolio. Dyneema Purity Radiopaque fiber is designed to support the development of medical devices for use in orthopedic trauma. The fiber contains a radiopacifier that makes it visible in X-ray images. This feature helps surgeons with medical device and implant visualization both during and after surgical interventions.

The fiber initially will be used as a replacement for metal surgical cables that are used in procedures to treat bone fractures. The fiber is 15 times stronger than steel but maintains high pliability and increased flexibility, which may help lower the risk of bone damage, according to the company.

Steel does not conform well to the natural contours of the human body. A small contact point between the bone and metal wire leads to high levels of pressure in a concentrated area during surgery. In contrast, UHMWPE fibers conform directly to complex bone anatomy, which increases surface contact and spreads force more evenly, reducing the risk of the cable cutting into the bone. The fiber is biocompatible and chemically inert, which can help reduce tissue inflammation, irritation and complications associated with metal allergies, company officials claim. These factors can increase patient comfort and promote shorter healing times.

“As an orthopedic surgeon, I have firsthand knowledge of the current challenges presented by traditional, steel cable solutions,” said Prof. Lodewijk van Rhijn, M.D., head of the department of orthopedic surgery at the University Hospital Maastricht in the Netherlands. “DSM’s new … fiber has high flexibility, which has the potential to reduce the chance of patients suffering from neurological damage. Further, the radiopacity would allow me to check instrumentation stability using X-ray imaging.”

According to DSM officials, UHMWPE fiber also has additional advantages for cable construction. If a steel cable is wrapped around portions of a bone that require repairs, both ends of the cables must be guided through a tensioning device. Once fixation is complete, no incremental adjustments are possible and a re-adjustment can only be accomplished by cutting the cable and starting all over again. A cable construction made from UHMWPE fiber, however, promotes more flexibility and allows for re-tensioning after primary fixation without the need to start from scratch.

“With its impressive durability, flexibility and X-ray visibility, our Dyneema Purity Radiopaque fiber gives device manufacturers the opportunity to use UHMWPE fiber in new applications,” said Carola Hansen, director of Biomedical Polyethylenes at Exton, Pa.-based DSM Biomedical. “Creating quality and innovative materials that help patients and surgeons is of the utmost importance to DSM.”

The company says the radiopaque fiber is available worldwide.