Soft tissue conduit device

• US 20060189993A1
• Filed: 04/20/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Arthrotek Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stone, Kevin T.
• Application Number:
  US11/408,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20060189993A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/506
• 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 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0642 for bones, e.g. for osteosynthesis or connecting tendon to bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3472 for bones, e.g. intraosseus injections
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8615 at the central region of the screw head
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0404 Buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0406 Pledgets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/044 with a threaded shaft, e.g. screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0445 cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0475 using sutures having a slip knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06052 Needle-suture combinations in which a suture is extending inside a hollow tubular needle, e.g. over the entire length of the needle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0646 for insertion into cartillege, e.g. meniscus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0647 having one single leg, e.g. tacks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0648 threaded, e.g. tacks with a screw thread
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0805 Implements for inserting tendons or ligaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0811 Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0858 Fixation of tendon or ligament between anchor and bone, e.g. interference screws, wedges
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0882 Anchor in or on top of a bone tunnel, i.e. a hole running through the entire bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/2839 : Bone plugs or bone graft dowels

Abstract

A soft tissue conduit device. The device includes an elongated body having an outer surface, the elongated body defining a plurality of longitudinal external channels, each longitudinal channel defining a conduit open to the outer surface of the elongated body, each conduit operable to conduct a biological material in soft tissue.

Claims

1. A soft tissue conduit device comprising:

an elongated body having an outer surface, the elongated body defining a plurality of longitudinal external channels, each longitudinal channel defining a conduit open to the outer surface of the elongated body, each conduit operable to conduct a biological material in soft tissue.

2. The conduit device of claim 1, wherein is conduit is operable to provide a vascularity path in soft tissue.

3. The conduit device of claim 1, wherein the elongated body is threaded and the longitudinal channels interrupt the threads.

4. The conduit device of claim 3, wherein the threads are non-cutting.

5. The conduit device of claim 4, wherein the body comprises a cylindrical portion and a tapered tip portion.

6. The conduit device of claim 1, wherein the body is cannulated and defines a longitudinal bore, the longitudinal bore being isolated from the longitudinal channels.

7. The conduit device of claim 6, wherein the longitudinal bore has a cross-section configured to receive a driver.

8. The conduit device of claim 7, wherein the cross-section of the longitudinal bore is substantially square.

9. The conduit device of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal channels have a cross-section substantially in the shape selected from a rounded V or a keyhole.

10. The conduit device of claim 6, wherein the longitudinal channels are selectively arranged symmetrically or non-symmetrically relative to a cross-section of the longitudinal bore.

11. The conduit device of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal body is unthreaded and substantially cylindrical with a substantially circular cross-section.

12. The conduit device of claim 11, wherein each longitudinal channel has a substantially keyhole-shaped cross-section.

14. The conduit device of claim 1, wherein each channel is shaped such that, upon insertion in soft tissue, the conduit is enveloped but not obstructed by the soft tissue.

15. The conduit of claim 1, wherein the biological material comprises autologous cells, exogenous materials, endogenous nutrients, or platelet gels.

13. The conduit device of claim 13, wherein the longitudinal body is cannulated defining an elongated bore having a substantially circular cross-section not in communication with the elongated channels.

16. A method of conducting biological materials to a defect in soft tissue, the method comprising:

inserting a conduit device into the soft tissue and through the defect in the soft tissue; and

conducting biological materials along at least one longitudinal channel defined on an outer surface of the conduit device into the soft tissue.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising positioning the conduit device to connect areas of tissue having different vascularities.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein conducting biological materials includes delivering biological materials externally into the channel during or after implantation.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein conducting biological materials includes attaching biological gels in the channels before implantation.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein delivering biological materials includes providing a nutrient path from the tissue to the defect through the channels.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising coupling the conduit device to a fixation device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein coupling the conduit device to a fixation device includes forming a flexible strand loop between the conduit device and the fixation device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the loop passes through an internal bore of the conduit device.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the loop passes through the channel of the conduit device.

25. A method of conducting biological materials between first and second areas of different vascularity of a meniscus, the method comprising:

inserting an elongated body in the meniscus such that at least one longitudinal channel of the elongated body extends between the first and second areas and defines a conduit for biological materials, wherein the channel is open to an outer surface of the elongated body.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

delivering biological materials to the channel during or after implantation.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

attaching biological materials to the channel before implantation.