NEWARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 5, 2026--
Aztron Medtech, a privately held orthopedic device company, today announced that more than 100 clinical procedures have now been performed in the United States using its TendMIN ® Minimally Invasive Achilles Tendon Repair System, marking a significant milestone in the system’s continued clinical adoption.
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The 100th U.S. TendMIN ® procedure was performed by Dr. Brian Burgess, DPM, a board-certified podiatric surgeon. “Reaching 100 U.S. cases is an important milestone for both clinical adoption and the continued advancement of minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair,” said Yi-Hsi (Ben) Huang, CEO of Aztron Medtech. “This achievement reflects rapidly growing surgeon utilization of the TendMIN ® system and its ability to deliver a consistent, minimally invasive repair that aligns with modern expectations for patient recovery and surgical efficiency.”
The TendMIN ® system is designed to enable percutaneous Achilles tendon repair through an incision of approximately 1 centimeter or less, allowing surgeons to perform a robust repair while minimizing soft tissue disruption. Published literature on minimally invasive and percutaneous Achilles tendon repair techniques has demonstrated potential benefits, including reduced infection risk, fewer wound complications, and accelerated recovery compared to traditional open repair approaches ( Wang et al., 2012, Wang et al., 2024 ).
Building on this momentum, Aztron Medtech is continuing to expand surgeon training initiatives, support ongoing clinical data collection, and broaden access to the TendMIN ® system across the U.S. foot and ankle, sports medicine, and orthopedic markets.
About Aztron Medtech
Aztron Medtech is a privately held orthopedic device company developing innovative solutions for advancing percutaneous Achilles tendon repair. Its flagship product, TendMIN ® Minimally Invasive Achilles Tendon Repair System, received FDA listing in 2025 and leverages advanced suture-passing and retrieval technology to enable quick, minimally invasive Achilles repair through incisions 1 centimeter or less. Aztron is building a broader platform to support sports medicine and foot and ankle surgery, with a focus on improving clinical outcomes, reducing infection risks, and streamlining surgical workflows. For more information, please visit www.aztron-medtech.com.
Dr. Brian Burgess completed the 100th minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair using the Aztron Medtech TendMIN® system.
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria is battling militants and it’s causing a terrible security situation.
Gunmen believed to be Islamic extremists killed scores of people in a western Nigerian state that is becoming a new hot spot for the violence that affects large parts of Africa's most populous country.
Local officials said at least 162 people died in the Tuesday attack and that the victims in the Muslim-majority villages of Woro and Nuku in Kwara state were targeted for refusing extremist ideology. The gunmen razed homes and looted shops.
The attack is the latest in a surge in violence in Kwara, as well as other conflict hot spots, despite recent support from the U.S. military.
Separately on Thursday, the governor of Kaduna state announced that all 183 Christians abducted from churches last month are free. He did not give details of how this was achieved.
Nigeria is facing a protracted fight with dozens of local armed groups increasingly battling for turf, including Islamist sects like the homegrown Boko Haram and its breakaway faction Islamic State West Africa Province. There is also the Islamic State group-linked Lakurawa, as well as other “bandit” groups that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and in illegal mining.
Recently, the crisis has worsened to include other militants from the neighboring Sahel region, including the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, which claimed its first attack on Nigerian soil last year.
Analysts say Nigeria’s recent military campaigns against the armed groups in the north, added to the growing competition within the groups, have contributed to the groups moving to new areas like Kwara through vast forests where it is difficult to hunt them.
“We may likely see the situation where these groups may come together to confront their common enemy, which is the state,” said Malik Samuel, a security researcher at Good Governance Africa.
The United States is supporting Nigeria in its military campaigns against the armed groups, despite some disagreements.
This week, the head of U.S. Africa Command said a small team of U.S. military officers are in Nigeria, focused on intelligence support.
Nigeria has been in the diplomatic crosshairs of the U.S. in recent months following threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to attack the country, alleging it is not doing enough to protect its Christian citizens.
While Christians have been among those targeted, analysts say the majority of victims of the armed groups are Muslims in Nigeria’s north, where most attacks occur.
But the U.S.-Nigeria tensions have since eased and the two countries have begun to cooperate. In December, U.S. forces launched airstrikes on IS-affiliated militants in Nigeria.
Last month, Nigeria’s government also said the U.S. has pledged to deliver military equipment purchased by the country but not yet delivered due to concerns about possible human rights abuses by Nigeria’s security forces.
Kwara State Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said Tuesday’s attack was likely carried out in response to recent counterterrorism operations in the region. Some of these operations have been launched based on intelligence from local communities.
Mohammed Omar Bio, a federal lawmaker from the district, blamed the attack on Lakurawa, whose members were targeted by the U.S. strikes in December, forcing some of them to flee to areas like Kwara.
Experts say that Kwara, which has seen a recent spike in deadly attacks and kidnappings, is fast becoming a new frontier for armed groups seeking to expand.
Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal, and Adetayo from Lagos, Nigeria.
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, right, holds a child, freed with other worshipers, abducted by gunmen in Kurmin Wali, upon their arrival at the state government house in Kaduna, Nigeria, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Abel Omotosho)
Freed church worshipers who were abducted by gunmen in Kurmin Wali, are seen upon their arrival at the state government house in Kaduna, Nigeria, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Abel Omotosho)
Freed church worshipers who were abducted by gunmen in Kurmin Wali, applaud upon their arrival at the state government house in Kaduna, Nigeria, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Abel Omotosho)
