Suture passers are arthroscopic devices that are used to pass sutures through a variety of tissues, such as rotator cuff and labrum. Currently, there are three main types of suture passers available for surgeons: reusable-disposable needle-based suture passers, reusable-penetrating suture passers and disposable-retrieving suture passers.

Hand instruments are mostly non-disposable, unpowered, metallic instruments that are used as hand tools for surgery. These include, but are not limited to, graspers, knives, probes, punches, scissors, scissor punches, dissectors and shears.
Each of these tools comes in a variety of configurations and geometries to suit surgeon preference and surgical need. Because hand instruments are essentially a commodity market, the key differentiating factors are ergonomics and surgeon preference. Hand instruments are often sold as part of a complete package of devices for the treatment of a specific indication, such as anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction or rotator cuff repair. More recently, they are becoming available for hip arthroscopy and small joint repair.

The full report suite on the U.S. market for arthroscopic devices includes arthroscopes, disposable cannulas, hand instruments, fluid management disposables, shaver blades, radiofrequency (RF) probes, drill guide systems and disposables and suture passers. Power instruments are covered in an appendix.