After months of voting and five head-to-head rounds against some of the most innovative products manufactured in the Sunshine State, the Arthrex Syndesmosis TightRope® PRO implant has officially been named the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Florida.
Arthrex Wins! TightRope® PRO Officially Named the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Florida
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ArthrexArthrex Syndesmosis TightRope PROsmaller bone-conserving drill tunnels
The Syndesmosis TightRope PRO implant builds on more than 20 years of TightRope technology, with earlier iterations being used to treat hundreds of thousands of patients, including former NFL tight end Kyle Rudolph and current NFL quarterback Riley Leonard.
Always striving for more minimally invasive and reproducible surgical techniques, the idea for the TightRope PRO device took shape with a design that includes integrated suture tensioning handles and lower-profile button implants that allow for smaller bone-conserving drill tunnels.
“[Sr. Product Manager] Andrew Rullan and I came to the first TightRope PRO meeting with 3D printed prototypes made by [Industrial Designer Principal] Mark Shainwald,” said Engineering Supervisor Steven Iden. “We knew we liked the concept, but we had no idea if it was manufacturable or scalable for broad clinical use.”
The product was the result of close collaboration across multiple Arthrex teams, including Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance and Operations.
“It was nice to see the TightRope PRO from the ground up,” said Production Coordinator Jennifer Becker. “As a group, we went over the design, talked through details, brainstormed and suggested some changes to the original design concept.”
“The TightRope PRO represents a great success story of using the design for manufacturing methodology to arrive at an award-winning product,” said Sr. Manager of Manufacturing Engineering Tracy Fields. “I’ve been part of developing a lot of different products, and I’m proud of what we came up with for this one.”
“We have to be very precise, but I enjoy it,” said Suture Assembly Operator III Leyda Rios. “I’m proud to be making this. I read the stories we share online about Arthrex products helping everyone from our family members to high-profile athletes; it’s amazing to think about where this might end up.”
“The TightRope PRO presented us with the opportunity to make a proven product smaller, faster and better,” said Steven. “[President and Founder] Reinhold Schmieding, [Engineering Director] Michelle Morar and [Director of Foot & Ankle and Trauma Product Management] Michael Karnes gave us everything we needed to get it done, and I think this product is a great representation of Arthrex, where teams are always working together to make cool products that are Helping Surgeons Treat Their Patients Better®.”
“Let’s go! What an incredible honor and truly a testament to the work that has gone into making this product,” said Andrew, who was among the group of Arthrex employees who traveled to the Florida Chamber’s Future of Florida Forum and Annual Meeting in Orlando to accept the 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Florida award. “I’m extremely proud of the teams who have made this all possible. This award is a representation of the innovative work Arthrex is doing day in and day out!”
Arthrex extends its thanks to the employees, surgeons and partners who have contributed to the development, manufacture, education and distribution of TightRope PRO and to everyone who supported the product throughout the competition.
Author
TH
TJ Halvorson
The De Angelis Group | Orthopedics This Week | MSK Innovations
Why This Matters
Two Perspectives
MBA Lens: Economic and industry impact
Arthrex's Syndesmosis TightRope® PRO, an evolution of its 20-year-old TightRope technology, secured the "2026 Coolest Thing Made in Florida" award. This win highlights Arthrex's strategy of continuous innovation, focusing on enhancing proven products with features like smaller drill tunnels and integrated tensioning. The company's collaborative development process and commitment to minimally invasive solutions aim to drive broad clinical adoption and reinforce its market leadership in trauma and foot & ankle.
- The TightRope PRO's design, emphasizing smaller bone-conserving drill tunnels and integrated tensioning, targets improved surgical reproducibility and patient outcomes.
- This award underscores Arthrex's successful "design for manufacturing" approach and its strategy to continually refine established products for competitive advantage.
PhD Lens: Clinical and outcomes impact
The Arthrex Syndesmosis TightRope® PRO implant, building on two decades of TightRope technology, was recognized as the "2026 Coolest Thing Made in Florida." Its design incorporates integrated suture tensioning handles and lower-profile button implants, facilitating smaller bone-conserving drill tunnels. This aims to achieve more minimally invasive and reproducible surgical techniques, representing an advancement in syndesmosis repair. Development involved 3D printed prototypes and cross-functional team collaboration.
- The device's mechanism focuses on enhancing surgical precision and bone conservation through its refined implant profile and tensioning features.
- While an evolution of a widely used technology, the article does not present new clinical evidence or specific material science details for the PRO version.
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Discussion
This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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