329. Ortho: Fixing God's Worst Invention: A Surgeon's Quest to Heal Shoulders

29/10/2025 34 min Temporada 1 Episodio 329

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Episode Synopsis

In this episode of The State of MedTech, host Omar M. Khateeb sits down with Dr. Oke Anakwenze, Orthopedic Surgeon at Duke University and Founder of SutureTech, to explore a breakthrough that’s turning tendon repair on its head.Dr. Anakwenze reveals the revolutionary design behind the Rapid-Fix, an all-suture staple that could make complex, time-consuming repairs a thing of the past. From confronting a 30% failure rate in rotator cuff surgeries to pioneering a device that slashes procedure time by 70%, this conversation dives into the mindset of a surgeon-innovator.You’ll learn how SutureTech’s technology creates a biomechanically superior healing environment, Why moving away from metal anchors is the future of soft tissue repair, and how this platform could unlock the next wave of biologics and grafts in orthopedics.Episode Breakdown0:00 – Why the best medtech ideas come from real clinical pain points  0:50 – Welcome back to the MedTech Podcast with Omar Khateeb  1:10 – Meet Dr. Oke Anakwenze orthopedic surgeon and SutureTech founder  2:00 – From Nigeria to Duke: a surgeon’s global journey  3:40 – Choosing the shoulder: the body’s most complex joint  5:00 – What inspired Dr. Oke Anakwenze to become a medtech entrepreneur  7:00 – The inefficiencies in tendon and ligament repair surgery  9:00 – Good ideas vs. valuable ideas: advice for physician innovators  12:00 – Why patents aren’t the first step in medtech innovation  14:00 – From surgical pain points to startup creation  16:00 – How SutureTech was born to fix “suture madness”  17:30 – Introducing RapidFix: the all-suture tendon repair staple  19:00 – How it works: faster, simpler, and biologically better repairs  22:00 – Moving beyond metal: MRI-safe and all-suture innovation  24:00 – Expanding indications beyond shoulder repair  25:30 – The future of biologics and regenerative augmentation  28:00 – Predictive medicine: preventing injury before it happens  30:00 – AI, data, and the new frontier of orthopedic care  31:40 – FDA submission, seed round, and launch roadmap  33:00 – Where to meet SutureTech: Carolina Shoulder & Elbow Society and Shoulder360  33:50 – Final thoughts: simplicity, innovation, and surgeon impact  34:30 – Outro: follow, review, and subscribe to the MedTech PodcastAre you a medtech CEO in need of some marketing help attracting investors, growing sales pipeline, and more? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠GrowMyMedtech.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to book time for a free analysis.Subscribe to our Youtube Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGpL_rGt1LQJwinMq_K7gfg⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our LinkedIn Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stateofmedtechpodcast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow The State of MedTech onLinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/thestateofmedtech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/stateofmedtech/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@stateofmedtech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/StateofMedTech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/stateofmedtech/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Omar M. Khateeb onLinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/okhateeb/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/omar.m.khateeb/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@omarkhateebofficial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/OmarMKhateeb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/OmarMKhateeb/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#MedTech #Orthopedics #SutureTech #ShoulderSurgery #MedicalInnovation

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