The Native Root system repairing the torn meniscal root. Photo: Native Orthopaedics.
Dragonfly’s quad core knotless finger trap tech gives surgeons instant retensioning capabilities in knee repair.
April 2, 2025 – By: Michael Barbella –
Native Orthopaedics Inc. has gained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance to market its new Native Root System for meniscal root repair, powered by Dragonfly.
Dragonfly is an advanced quad core knotless finger trap technology that gives sports medicine surgeons instant retensioning capabilities in knee repair procedures. Users can easily create precise fixation in one fluid motion by simply pulling the end of the device, which tensions and locks, and can be retensioned as desired.
The Native Root System consists of two single-use sterile-packed Dragonfly devices, specifically designed to reapproximate a torn meniscal root back to the native footprint. The Dragonfly platform uses a patented design and manufacturing technique that offers greater mechanical strength compared to basic finger traps and other decades-old technologies.1 This “trap within a trap” architecture does not rely on a secondary locking feature to prevent slippage. The suture tension is transmitted directly to the surgeon’s fingertips, allowing improved control and feel during tensioning. Furthermore, the Dragonfly platform is designed to be retensionable, which may allow the surgeon to recover the “unrecoverable” creep.
“With the introduction of the Dragonfly platform to the market, Native Orthopaedics aims to improve the standard of care for all of sports medicine, starting with the meniscal root repair use case,” Native Orthopaedics CEO Tom Gamache said. “We are pleased to receive FDA clearance for our technology, which we believe will help significantly improve outcomes for these repairs. Demonstrating our commitment to rapid innovation in the sports medicine space, I am proud of our team for translating this from a concept to a clinically ready best-in-class solution in under a year. Also, our entire team is energized to bring this Dragonfly platform technology into additional opportunities in the future. Native’s Dragonfly platform technology enables scalability of knotless across the continuum of sports medicine, while addressing the systemic limitations with current knotless solutions.”
