The Mitek Mini G2 suture anchor: biomechanical analysis of use in the hand.

We inserted 36 Mitek Mini G2 suture anchors (Mitek Surgical Products, Westwood, MA) into various sites of 14 fresh cadaver hands. A single-strand 0-Ethibond suture (Ethicon, Sommerville, NJ) was threaded through each anchor, inserted into bone, and loaded to failure. In all cases, either the anchor pulled out (11 of 36) or the suture broke (25 of 36). No anchors fractured. We also measured the breaking strength of six types of suture material (without anchors) commonly used by hand surgeons; all failed at much lower loads than those generated in our anchor pullout model. We conclude that the Mitek Mini G2 suture anchor possesses sufficient pullout strength for tendon and ligament fixation in the hand, including the distal phalanx.