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MicroAire introduces new endoscopic carpal tunnel release cannula

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MicroAire Surgical Instruments announced the launch of its next-generation endoscopic treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome. The new device is called the SlimLine, a narrow cannula and blade assembly that allows surgeons to treat carpal tunnel syndrome via endoscopic carpal tunnel release (ECTR).

MicroAire introduced the new minimally invasive cannula as a component of its SmartRelease ECTR system during the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

"Patients are looking for minimally invasive options for treating carpal tunnel syndrome. They know that knee surgery is performed through tiny incisions, so why not carpal tunnel surgery? Well, with this new, smaller device from MicroAire, more than ever before, endoscopic treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome is a reality for patients in the United States and around the world," Alan Connor, general manager of orthopaedic specialties at MicroAire, stated in a press release announcing the new product.

MicroAire's new SlimLine ECTR cannula retains the top-width of its original cannula, but the sides of the new cannula are angled downward and inward to reduce overall volume by 30%, the company said. The angled sides are also designed to keep the median nerve below and away from the blade, which a surgeon elevates through the top of the cannula during the procedure. The tip of the cannula is prow-shaped and is designed for improved dissection of tenosynovial tissue during the procedure.

The new SlimLine cannula is also designed to improve the surgeon's field of view by up to 10% compared to MicroAire's previous cannula. However, it retains an important design feature of the original cannula called the Zone of Safety, which characterizes the angle of the blade's ascent when a surgeon elevates the blade. Instead of swooping outward as it rises, the blade rises straight up at a 90· angle, so surgeons can be confident of the blade's location and its distance from surrounding tissue at all times, the company noted.