Tissue repair assembly

• US 20060190042A1
• Filed: 02/03/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2004
• 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., Kaiser, Ryan A., Hoffman, Zachary M.
• Application Number:
  US11/347,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190042A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/232
• 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 2017/0404 Buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening
• 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 2017/0458 Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0475 using sutures having a slip knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures

Abstract

A tissue repair assembly for repairing tissue. The tissue repair assembly includes a rotatable anchor for insertion through a tissue tear on a surface of the tissue, a threaded fastener for insertion into the tissue, the threaded fastener having a longitudinal bore and a plurality of apertures communicating with the bore, and a flexible member coupled to the rotatable anchor and passing through the bore such that tensioning the flexible member compresses the tear.

Claims

1. A tissue repair assembly for repairing tissue comprising:

a rotatable anchor for insertion through a tissue tear on a surface of the tissue;

a threaded fastener for insertion into the tissue, the threaded fastener having a longitudinal bore and a plurality of apertures communicating with the bore; and

a flexible member coupled to the rotatable anchor and passing through the longitudinal bore such that tensioning the flexible member compresses the tear.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible member defines a main loop extending from the anchor through the bore of the threaded fastener and terminating at the slip knot outside the bore.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the main loop passes through an end loop coupled to the rotatable anchor.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotatable anchor includes:

a substantially flat base;

a rounded slanted end;

a rectangular slanted end; and

a curved projection having a hole and guiding formations extending from the hole for guiding the flexible member.

5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the rounded end, the slanted end and the curved projection are operable for rotating the rotatable anchor after or during implantation.

6. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising an inserter for implanting the anchor.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the inserter includes a shaft having a longitudinal slot for receiving the anchor.

8. The assembly of claim 6, further including a depth delimiting sleeve.

9. The assembly of claim 6, further including a thumb-actuated slider for advancing another anchor.

10. The tissue repair assembly of claim 3, wherein the end loop comprises two sub-loops.

11. The tissue repair assembly of claim 1, wherein the threaded fastener is resorbable.

12. The tissue repair assembly of claim 1, further comprising a biologic fluid agent injectable through the longitudinal bore of the threaded fastener.

13. A method for repairing a tear in tissue, the method comprising:

providing an inserter having a shaft loaded with a rotatable anchor and a threaded fastener, the rotatable anchor and the threaded fastener connected with a flexible member passing through a bore of the fastener, the flexible member defining a self-locking slip knot outside the fastener and having a free end;

deploying the rotatable anchor through a first surface of the tissue across the tear onto a second surface of the tissue;

deploying the threaded fastener through the first surface of the tissue across the tear into the tissue; and

tensioning the free end of the flexible member to reduce the tear.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein deploying the rotatable anchor comprises:

inserting the inserter through the first surface of the tissue across the tear to the second surface of the tissue; and

withdrawing the inserter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein withdrawing the inserter comprises rotating the rotatable anchor.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein deploying the threaded fastener comprises:

advancing the threaded fastener in a deployment position in the inserter;

inserting the inserter through the first surface of the tissue across the tear into the tissue;

threadably implanting the threaded fastener; and

withdrawing the inserter.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein tensioning the free end of the flexible member includes reducing the distance between the rotatable anchor and the threaded fastener.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein tensioning the free end of the flexible member includes reducing a length of a main loop of the flexible member between the rotatable anchor and the threaded fastener.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the tissue is a meniscus, the first surface is an anterior surface of the meniscus, and the second surface is a posterior surface of the meniscus.

20. A method for repairing a tear in tissue, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of rotatable anchors and a threaded fastener connected with a flexible member, the flexible member passing through a bore of the threaded fastener and defining loop terminating at a self-locking slip knot;

inserting each rotatable anchor through a first surface of the tear onto a second surface of the tear such that the flexible member passes through the tear between successive anchors;

inserting the threaded fastener through the first surface of the tear into the tissue; and

tensioning the free end of the flexible member to reduce the tear and lock the slip-knot against the fastener.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising allowing biological fluid flow through the bore of the threaded fastener and apertures thereon.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising passing a free end of the flexible member through the slip knot using the suture passer.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein inserting comprises inserting using a pre-loaded inserter.