Implant for tissue repair

• US 20030212456A1
• Filed: 05/09/2002
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Cotton, Nick, Berube, Rod, Lipchitz, John
• Application Number:
  US10/140,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212456A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/13.17
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/08 Muscles; Tendons; Ligaments sutures A61B17/04

Abstract

An implant for tissue repair includes a support member, a flexible member coupled to the support member, and a substrate coupled to the support member. The substrate includes a material capable of being seeded with and supporting the proliferation of cells. The support member is capable of distributing a load throughout the flexible member. The flexible member includes parallel elongate elements and the support member serves to maintain a spacing between the parallel elongate elements.

Claims

1. An implant for tissue repair comprising:

a support member;

a flexible member coupled to the support member; and

a substrate coupled to the support member and comprising a material capable of being seeded with and supporting the proliferation of cells;

wherein the support member is capable of distributing a load throughout the flexible member.

2. The implant of claim 1 wherein the substrate is attached to the support member.

3. The implant of claim 1 wherein the substrate is planar in form.

4. The implant of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the flexible member is threaded into the support member.

5. The implant of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the flexible member is molded into the support member.

6. The implant of claim 1 wherein the flexible member is wrapped around the support member.

7. The implant of claim 6 wherein the support member includes troughs formed to receive a portion of the flexible member that contacts the support member.

8. The implant of claim 1 wherein the flexible member comprises parallel elongate elements.

9. The implant of claim 8 wherein the support member serves to maintain a spacing between the parallel elongate elements.

10. The implant of claim 8 wherein the parallel elongate elements comprise a braided material.

11. The implant of claim 1 wherein the support member comprises a trough formed on a surface of the support member that impinges the substrate.

12. The implant of claim 1 wherein the support member comprises a spike configured to facilitate attachment of the implant to tissue.

13. The implant of claim 1 wherein the flexible member comprises one or more of a woven, knitted, braided, crocheted, straight, or twisted material, and a mixture of these.

14. The implant of claim 1 wherein the flexible member comprises poly(lactic acid).

15. The implant of claim 1 wherein the support member comprises one or more of a woven, non-woven, knitted, braided, crocheted material, and a mixture of these.

16. The implant of claim 1 wherein the support member comprises poly(lactic acid).

17. The implant of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises one or more of a woven or non-woven material;

a foam;

a sponge;

a dendritic material;

a knitted, braided, a crocheted material; and

a mixture of these.

18. The implant of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises poly(glycolic acid).

19. The implant of claim 1 wherein one or more of the support member, the flexible member, and the substrate comprises bioresorbable or non-bioresorbable materials.

20. The implant of claim 19 wherein the bioresorbable material comprise bioresorbable polymers or copolymers comprising hydroxy acids, glycolic acid;

caprolactone;

hydroxybutyrate;

dioxanone;

orthoesters;

orthocarbonates;

or aminocarbonates.

21. The implant of claim 19 wherein the bioresorable material comprises poly(lactic) acid, poly(glycolic) acid, or a mixture of these.

22. The implant of claim 19 wherein the non-bioresorbable material comprises polyesters;

polyamides;

polyalkenes;

poly(vinyl fluoride);

polytetrafluoroethylene;

carbon fibers;

natural or synthetic silk; and

mixtures of these materials.

23. The implant of claim 19 wherein the non-bioresorbable material comprises a polyester selected from polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate.

24. The implant of claim 1 further comprising cells seeded in the substrate.

25. The implant of claim 24 wherein the substrate includes a carrier medium for holding the cells.

26. The implant of claim 24 wherein the implant includes biological tissue grown from the cells.

27. A method of making an implant, the method comprising:

coupling a flexible member to a support member to form a flexible structure such that the support member is capable of distributing a load throughout the flexible member;

coupling a substrate to the flexible structure, the substrate including a material capable of being seeded with and supporting the proliferation of cells;

incorporating cells into the substrate; and

growing biological tissue within at least a portion of the substrate.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising cutting the implant into a shape suitable for the selected site.

30. A method of treating a tissue harvest site, the method comprising:

providing an implant comprising;

a support member,

a flexible member coupled to the support member, and

a substrate coupled to the support member and comprising a material capable of being seeded with and supporting the proliferation of cells; and

implanting the implant at the harvest site.

31. The method of claim 31 wherein the tissue harvest site includes a rotator cuff.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the tissue harvest site includes an anterior cruciate ligament.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the tissue harvest site includes a posterior cruciate ligament.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein the tissue harvest site includes an Achilles tendon.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein the tissue harvest site includes a patellar tendon.

36. The method of claim 31 wherein the tissue harvest site includes a medial collateral ligament.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein the tissue harvest site includes a lateral collateral ligament.

38. The method of claim 31 wherein the tissue harvest site includes a ligament in the hand.

39. The method of claim 31 wherein the tissue harvest site includes a tendon in the hand.

40. The method of claim 31 wherein the tissue harvest site includes a ligament in the elbow.

41. The method of claim 31 wherein the tissue harvest site includes a tendon in the elbow.