MTANZ 2019 Award Winners
We are proud to be recipients of the 2019 Manufacturing and Export Award presented by the Medical Technology Association of New Zealand.
This was awarded for our development of X-Wing, a device for pre-tensioning of hamstring graft during ACL surgery. Using this instrument, and a new surgical technique, surgeons can improve tensioning of the ligament graft while harvesting a single tendon.
While Enztec does not specialise in sports medicine, (having historically focused on hip and knee replacement instrumentation), this innovative development became an opportunity to broaden our expertise and knowledge into an adjacent space.
Furthermore, this was the first instrument that Enztec created that incorporated a tensioning element with such high loads, which had to be applied with minimal effort by hand. This required significant research, development and testing into mechanisms and material couplings suitable for such an application.
The success of this award was the result of two years of development and collaboration with Smith & Nephew. X-Wing was designed, manufactured and evaluated within New Zealand and has since had successful deployment into Australasia, where we hold very close relationships to key decision-makers. Through these relationships, this product is moving “up the chain” and into the global Smith & Nephew product line.
The impact of Enztec’s innovation and development of X-wing has been enormous. Smith & Nephew became more agile, differentiated from their competitors and in turn, is gaining market share.
