Bengaluru doctor invents new form of arthroscopy knot

Bengaluru: The Sakra World Hospital's senior orthopaedics consultant Dr B H Banarji has created a milestone in arthroscopy by inventing a new form of effective, simple and durable method of knotting, named the Banarji Knot. This knotting method is a low profile, non-bulky, more secure, double slide locking knot which can be utilized in arthroscopic surgeries. It has been used in more than 250 surgeries till date and has been found to be very effective.

The analytical research study on the Banarji's Knot is published in the Journal of Arthroscopic Surgery and Sports Medicine in October, 2021. Banarji Knot, an idea initiated to benefit the patient's surgical outcome, is specifically used for arthroscopic surgeries – knee or shoulder repair, where tendon repair or ligament repair is needed. This knot was aggressively tested by a bio medical testing lab at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, and approved by the authorities for surgical procedures and proves to be better than other existing prevalent knots.

Arthroscopic knot tying is a crucial component for a successful arthroscopic surgery. For an effective knot in the arthroscopic procedures, it is important for a knot to possess the following characteristics such as ease of application, reproducibility, ability to slide through arthroscopic cannulas, ease of setting the lock, knot profile, and reliable initial security. Banarji Knot effectively qualifies all the above characteristics and it is easy to learn, master, and reproduce.

Speaking of the advantages of his invention, Dr B H Banarji said, "It is my pleasure to introduce you to Banarji Knot, an easy, reproducible knot that can benefit patients undergoing keyhole surgeries of shoulder and knee. This knot was invented and innovated during this pandemic, After an extensive research process, 5-6 knots were brought in form and this knot was finalized. Compared to other knots, Banarji Knot consists of simple procedures that can be learnt and implemented in a very short span. The loop strand passes through two loops once it's tightened and locked at different points, thus making it stronger and increasing its tensile strength. The knot also is designed with a low profile, thereby it doesn't create any bulky knot, which leads to impingement."

Dr Banarji B.H is a renowned orthopaedic surgeon specialised in the field of shoulder and upper limb disorders and arthroscopy and sports medicine. He was one of the first surgeons to perform key hole surgeries of shoulder and elbow joint in Karnataka and since then, has performed a large number of keyhole surgeries which include, Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair, Arthroscopic Bankart repair, Arthroscopic Frozen Shoulder Release, Arthroscopic Shoulder Decompression, Arthroscopic Nerve Release, Arthroscopic Bone-block Reconstruction and Shoulder replacement Surgeries like Total Shoulder Replacement, Reverse Shoulder Replacement and Total Elbow Replacement.