Made in Ave Maria: Arthrex's TightRope Pro Wins 'Coolest Thing Made in Florida'
A surgical implant manufactured in Ave Maria has been named the Coolest Thing Made in Florida, topping 125 nominations from all 67 counties in the Florida Chamber of Commerce competition.
A product made in Collier County has been deemed the Coolest Thing Made in Florida. The TightRope Pro implant, an Arthrex product that helps surgeons treat high-ankle sprain injuries, won the Florida Chamber of Commerce competition, which highlights manufacturers statewide making innovative items, the Business Observer reported.
The TightRope Pro builds on more than 20 years of TightRope technology, according to Naples-based Arthrex, which says previous iterations have been used to treat hundreds of thousands of patients. Multiple Arthrex teams — engineering, manufacturing, quality assurance and operations — helped develop the Pro, which includes integrated suture tensioning handles and lower-profile button implants that allow for smaller drill tunnels, the company said.
There were 125 nominations for the contest, representing inventions from all 67 Florida counties, and members of the public voted online over five months. In October it came down to two finalists: the TightRope Pro and a Northrop Grumman aircraft assembled in St. Augustine. Arthrex was presented with the award on October 28 at the Florida Chamber's Future of Florida Forum in Orlando.
Arthrex, a global medical device company headquartered in Naples, manufactures the TightRope Pro in Ave Maria — one of the largest manufacturing operations in Southwest Florida, and now home to the state's coolest made thing.
