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

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