TenoSlice: A Novel Tool to Harvest Tendons

Common surgical interventions for tendon dysfunction in the foot and ankle involve reconstructions in which a healthy tendon is harvested to reinforce or replace a damaged one. In these surgeries, clinicians must spend valuable time navigating to and attempting to cut the tendon of interest with tools like scissors or scalpels, which damage surrounding blood vessels, nerves, and even the tendon itself. To reduce operating room time and minimize damage to tendons and peripheral structures during tendon reconstruction surgeries of the foot and ankle, we have designed and prototyped a tendon harvesting device. TenoSlice is designed to fit snugly around the tendon to allow for rapid navigation to the location of desired cutting and minimal disturbance of surrounding structures. Its controllable cutting mechanism also ensures the safety of the tendon itself until the surgeon is ready to cut it. TenoSlice consists of a reusable handle and shaft component, as well as a disposable cutting component that is inserted fully into the handle and shaft when cutting is desired. The tendon and cutting component are kept entirely separate until the end of the shaft in order to prevent premature damage to the tendon. We anticipate producing more robust prototypes, which will allow us to continue with usability testing in cadavers. Additional tests planned include side-by-side usage comparisons with the existing standard of care in order to compare time needed to harvest the tendon, as well as human factors testing.