Knotless soft tissue devices and techniques

• US 10,136,886 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Norton, Daniel, Stone, Kevin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLWERDA, KATHLEEN SONNETT
• Application Number:
  US14/137,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20150173754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 606232
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0401 Suture anchors, buttons or pledgets, i.e. means for attaching sutures to bone, cartilage or soft tissue; Instruments for applying or removing suture anchors A61B17/0642 takes precedence; fixation devices for tendons or ligaments A61F2/0811
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0485 Devices or means, e.g. loops, for capturing the suture thread and threading it through an opening of a suturing instrument or needle eyelet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0487 Suture clamps, clips or locks, e.g. for replacing suture knots; Instruments for applying or removing suture clamps, clips or locks suture anchors A61B17/0401; wound clamps or clips A61B17/08; ligaturing clamps or clips A61B17/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0404 Buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0406 Pledgets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0458 Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0495 Reinforcements for suture lines
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/92 coded with colour
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/94 coded with symbols, e.g. text

Abstract

A tissue fixation device including a self-locking construct having a first loop, a second loop, and a first free end. A first tail is coupled to, and extends from, the first loop. A second tail is coupled to, and extends from, the second loop. An anchor is coupled to one of the self-locking construct or the first tail such that one of the self-locking construct or the first tail extend through the anchor.

Claims

1. A tissue fixation system, comprising:

a tissue fixation device, comprising;

a self-locking construct including a first loop, a second loop, and a first free end;

a first flexible tail coupled to and extending from the first loop;

a second flexible tail coupled to and extending from the second loop; and

a first flexible anchor coupled to the first flexible tail such that the first flexible tail extends through the first flexible anchor;

wherein the self-locking construct is configured such that pulling the first flexible tail opens the first loop and pulling the second flexible tail opens the second loop; and

an arthroscopic cannula,

wherein an elongated free tail portion of the first flexible tail extends longitudinally through the arthroscopic cannula from a first open end of the arthroscopic cannula to a second open end of the arthroscopic cannula.

2. The tissue fixation system of claim 1, wherein the first flexible anchor is an elongated tube received on the first flexible tail such that the first flexible tail extends through a longitudinal passage in the elongated tube.

3. The tissue fixation system of claim 1, wherein the self-locking construct is configured such that pulling the first free end closes the first loop.

4. The tissue fixation system of claim 1, wherein the self-locking construct further includes a second free end at an end of the self-locking construct opposite to the first free end;

and wherein pulling the second free end closes the second loop.

5. The tissue fixation system of claim 1, wherein the self-locking construct defines a first passageway through which a strand of the self-locking construct extends to define the first loop.

6. The tissue fixation system of claim 5, wherein the self-locking construct defines a second passageway through which the strand of the self-locking construct extends to define the second loop.

7. The tissue fixation system of claim 5, wherein the first passageway defines a portion of the first loop.

8. The tissue fixation system of claim 1, wherein the first flexible tail is slidably coupled to the first loop and the second flexible tail is slidably coupled to the second loop.

9. The tissue fixation system of claim 1, wherein the first loop is spaced apart from the second loop.

10. The tissue fixation system of claim 1, wherein both the first loop and the second loop extend through a second flexible anchor.

11. The tissue fixation system of claim 1, wherein the second tail is a braided strip including a flat braided portion and a round braided portion.

12. A tissue fixation system comprising:

a self-locking construct including a first loop and a free end;

a first flexible tail coupled to the first loop, the first flexible tail including an elongated free tail portion that extends from the first loop;

an arthroscopic cannula, the elongated free tail portion being of sufficient length to extend longitudinally through the arthroscopic cannula to an implant site from an outer skin layer of a patient;

a second flexible tail coupled to and extending from the self-locking construct; and

a flexible anchor coupled to the first flexible tail such that the first flexible tail extends through the flexible anchor;

wherein the fixation system is configured such that pulling the first flexible tail opens the first loop.

13. The tissue fixation system of claim 12, wherein the flexible anchor is an elongated tube received on the first flexible tail such that the first flexible tail extends through a longitudinal passage in the elongated tube.

14. The tissue fixation system of claim 12, wherein the self-locking construct is configured such that pulling the free end closes the first loop.

15. The tissue fixation system of claim 12, wherein the second flexible tail includes a braided suture.

16. The tissue fixation system of claim 15, wherein the braided suture includes a flat braided portion and a round braided portion.

17. The tissue fixation system of claim 15, wherein the braided suture is coupled to a second loop of the self-locking construct and is configured such that pulling the braided suture opens the second loop.

18. The tissue fixation system of claim 12, wherein the first flexible tail comprises a hollow core suture, and wherein the first flexible tail being coupled to the first loop includes the first loop extending longitudinally through a longitudinal passage in the hollow core suture.