Tissue fastener and methods for using same

• US 20040220591A1
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: P TECH, LLC
• Original Assignee: P TECH, LLC
• Inventors: Bonutti, Peter M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,497,864 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/151
• 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 17/08 Wound clamps or clips, i.e. not or only partly penetrating the tissue suture bridges A61B17/0466; Devices for bringing together the edges of a wound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/085 with adhesive layer
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1146 of tendons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/68 Internal fixation devices , including fasteners and spinal fixators, even if a part thereof projects from the skin bone staples A61B17/0642
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00004 (bio)absorbable, (bio)resorbable, resorptive for implantable prostheses A61F2210/0004
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0454 the anchor being crimped or clamped on the suture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/086 having flexible threads, filaments, laces or wires, e.g. parallel threads, extending laterally from a strip, e.g. for tying to opposing threads extending from a similar strip

Abstract

In one embodiment, a hook fastener has a plurality of hooks and a loop fastener has a plurality of loops to secure tissues sections to one another. At least one of these fasteners has a porous surface to allow tissue ingrowth to secure the fastener to the tissue. In another embodiment, only a single fastener is used, with a section of tissue being treated to engage and mate with the fastener. The disclosed tissue fastening systems can be used for a number of applications. One such example includes fastening tissue sections by wrapping a tissue fastener around the tissue and securing the fastener on itself. A suture may also be secured with the tissue fastener.

Claims

1. A tissue fastening system for coupling first and second tissue sections, the system comprising:

a hook fastener having a tissue contacting portion for contacting the first tissue section and a fastening portion with a plurality of hooks; and

a loop fastener having a tissue contacting portion for contacting the second tissue section and a fastening portion with a plurality of loops,

wherein the plurality of hooks engage the plurality of loops to couple the first and second tissue sections and wherein at least a portion of one of the hook fastener tissue contacting portion and the loop fastener tissue contacting portion has a porous surface allowing tissue ingrowth to thereby secure the fastener to tissue.

2. The fastening system of claim 1 wherein the hook and loop fasteners are at least partially made of a biodegradable material.

3. The fastening system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the porous surface is a mesh structure having an array of substantially uniform spaces.

4. The fastening system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the porous surface is a series of randomly oriented fibers forming a series of spaces having a range of sizes.

5. The fastening system of claim 4 wherein the spaces are between about 0.1 μ

m and about 1.0 μ

m in average size.

6. The fastening system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the hook fastener tissue contacting portion has a porous surface allowing tissue ingrowth to thereby secure the hook fastener to the first tissue section and at least a portion of the loop fastener tissue contact portion has a porous surface allowing tissue ingrowth to thereby secure the loop fastener to the second tissue section.

7. The fastening system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the hook and loop fasteners has an anchoring hole for receiving an anchoring member to thereby secure the at least one of the hook and loop fasteners to tissue.

8. The fastening system of claim 7 wherein the anchoring member is selected from the group comprising a staple, a rivet, and a suture.

9. The fastening system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the hook and loop fasteners includes a therapeutic agent.

10. A tissue fastening system for coupling first and second tissue sections, the system comprising:

a tissue contacting portion for contacting the first tissue section; and

a fastening portion having at least one of a plurality of hooks and a plurality of loops, the fastening portion being integral with the tissue contacting portion and wherein the at least one of the plurality of hooks and plurality of loops engages the second tissue section to thereby couple the first and second tissue sections.

11. The fastening system of claim 10 wherein the fastener is at least partially made of a biodegradable material.

12. The fastening system of claim 10 wherein a portion of the tissue contacting portion has a porous surface with a plurality of pores configured and dimensioned to allow tissue ingrowth to thereby secure the fastener to tissue.

13. The fastening system of claim 12 wherein the porous surface is a mesh structure having an array of substantially uniform spaces.

14. The fastening system of claim 12 wherein the porous surface is a series of randomly oriented fibers forming a series of spaces having a range of sizes.

15. The fastening system of claim 14 wherein the spaces are between about 0.1 μ

m and about 1.0 μ

m in average size.

16. The fastening system of claim 10 wherein the fastener has at least one anchoring hole for receiving an anchoring member to thereby secure the fastener to tissue.

17. The fastening system of claim 16 wherein the anchoring member is selected from the group comprising a staple, a rivet, and a suture.

18. The fastening system of claim 17 wherein at least one of the hook and loop fasteners includes a therapeutic agent.

19. The fastening system of claim 18 wherein the therapeutic agent is selected from the group consisting of IGF (insulin-like growth factors), TGF (transforming growth factors), FGB (fibroblast growth factors), EGF (epidermal growth factors), BMP (bone morphogenic proteins), and PDGF (platelet-derived growth factors).

20. A method of coupling first and second tissue sections, the method comprising the steps of:

treating a portion of the first tissue section to have a surface with one of a plurality of hooks and a plurality of loops;

attaching a fastener to the second tissue section, the fastener having a fastening portion with the other of a plurality of hooks and a plurality of loops; and

placing the fastening portion in contact with the surface of the first tissue section to thereby couple the first and second tissue sections.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of treating a portion of the surface of the first tissue section includes creating a plurality of hooks thereon.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of creating a plurality of hooks thereon includes the step of adhering a plurality of elongated elements with hooks to the surface of the first tissue section.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of treating a portion of the surface of the first tissue section includes creating a plurality of loops thereon.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of creating a plurality of loops thereon includes roughening the surface of the first tissue section to create the plurality of loops.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein the fastening portion has a plurality of hooks and a plurality of loops.

30. A tissue fastening method for coupling first and second tissue sections, the method comprising the steps of:

bringing the first tissue section and the second tissue section into contact with one another;

wrapping a fastener around a portion of the first and second tissue sections; and

securing the fastener on itself to maintain the first and second tissue sections in contact with one another, wherein the fastener has a porous surface allowing tissue ingrowth to thereby secure the fastener to the first and second tissue sections.

31. The tissue fastening method of claim 30, wherein the fastener has a tissue contacting portion for contacting the tissue sections and a fastening portion, the fastening portion having a plurality of hooks and a plurality of loops, the plurality of hooks and loops engaging one another to secure the fastener on the tissue sections.

32. The tissue fastening method of claim 30, wherein at least a portion of the fastener is made of a biodegradable material.

33. The tissue fastening method of claim 30, wherein at least a portion of the fastener includes an additive.

34. The tissue fastening method of claim 33, wherein the additive has medicinal properties.

35. The tissue fastening method of claim 30, wherein the fastener has at least one anchoring hole for receiving an anchoring member to thereby secure the fastener to tissue.

36. The tissue fastening method of claim 35, wherein the anchoring member is selected from the group comprising a staple, a rivet, and a suture.

37. A tissue fastening system for coupling first and second tissue sections, the system comprising:

a suture engaging the first and second tissue sections to maintain the first and second tissue sections in a predetermined relationship;

a hook fastener having a plurality of hooks; and

a loop fastener having a plurality of loops,

wherein the plurality of hooks engage the plurality of loops with a portion of the suture therebetween to thereby secure the suture relative to the first and second tissue sections.

38. The tissue fastening system of claim 37, wherein at least one of the hook fastener and the loop fastener engage at least one of the first and second tissue sections.

39. The tissue fastening system of claim 38, wherein the hook fastener engages one of the first tissue section and the second tissue sections and the loop fastener engages the other of the first tissue section and second tissue section.

40. The tissue fastening system of claim 37, wherein at least one of the hook fastener and the loop fastener have at least a portion that has a porous surface allowing tissue ingrowth to thereby secure the fastener to tissue.