Repair of damaged tissue on a bone site

• US 20070073394A1
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xiros Limited
• Original Assignee: Xiros Limited
• Inventors: Seedhom, Bahaa, Lorrison, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 7,632,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/14.120
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30749 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30756 Cartilage endoprostheses A61F2/3603 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4618 of cartilage
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30113 circular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30131 horseshoe- or crescent- or C-shaped or U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30143 hexagonal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/302 toroidal, e.g. rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30225 Flat cylinders, i.e. discs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30326 differing in height or in length
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30448 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30462 retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30599 stackable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30604 modular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30751 for attaching cartilage scaffolds to underlying bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30759 Mosaicplasty, i.e. using a plurality of individual cartilage plugs for filling a substantial cartilage defect
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30762 Means for culturing cartilage
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30766 Scaffolds for cartilage ingrowth and regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0008 Fixation appliances for connecting prostheses to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 : sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0006 : circular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0013 : Horseshoe-shaped, e.g. crescent-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0017 : Angular shapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0065 : toroidal, e.g. ring-shaped, doughnut-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 : cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0037 : differing in height or in length
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0063 : Nested prosthetic parts

Abstract

A repair kit for use in the repair of damaged cartilage present at or on the surface of a bone site in an animal or human, in which the damaged cartilage is removed from the site and a groove is formed about the site and into the bone prior to implantation of the repair kit. The repair kit includes: a pad of bio-compatible material shaped and dimensioned to occupy at least part of the site from which the damaged tissue has been removed. Elongate connecting portions are attached to the periphery of the pad in an array corresponding in shape to the groove. The connecting portions extend away from the general plane of the pad so as to be introduced into the groove and to be anchored therein. A retaining element is slidable depthwise of the groove to anchor at least some of the connecting portions in the groove and thereby locate and retain the pad in the part of the bone site. There is also disclosed a method of preparation of the bone site prior to implantation, and also an implant delivery device, on which the repair kit can be temporarily stored, and which also serves to deliver the pad, the elongate connecting portions and the retaining element on to the prepared site.

Claims

1. A repair kit for use in the repair of damaged cartilage present at or on the surface of a bone site in an animal or human, in which the damaged cartilage is removed from the site and a groove is formed about the site and into the bone prior to implantation of the repair kit, and said repair kit comprising:

a pad of bio-compatible material shaped and dimensioned to occupy at least part of the site from which the damaged tissue has been removed;

elongate connecting portions attached to the periphery of the pad in an array corresponding in shape to the groove, said portions being intended to extend away from the general plane of the pad so as to be introduced into the groove and to be anchored therein; and

a retaining element slidable depth wise of the groove in order to anchor at least some of the connecting portions in the groove and thereby locate and retain the pad in said part of the bone site.

2. A repair kit according to claim 1, in which the pad is seeded with chondrocytes or cartilage-forming cells prior to implantation.

3. A repair kit according to claim 1, in which the elongate connecting portions are formed by one or more flexible tensile elements taken or “

threaded”

through the pad, at or near the periphery of the pad, and which can extend generally perpendicular to the plane of the pad so as to be received by the groove with adjacent elements being spaced apart from each other to allow tissue ingrowth in the groove.

4. A repair kit according to claim 3, in which a single filament, thread or yam is attached to the periphery of the pad, and extends downwardly of the pad in loops of generally parallel lengths.

5. A repair kit according to claim 4, in which the retaining element is pre-attached to the ends of the loops, so that downward movement of the retaining element into the groove pulls the loops downwardly until the pad is received by and then anchored in or at the bone site.

6. A repair kit according to claim 4, in which the ends of the loop are first entered into the groove by other means, including use of an introducer tool, and then the retaining element can be forced downwardly of the groove to engage with the loop ends and pull them downwardly to anchored engagement in the groove.

7. A repair kit according to claim 1, in which the retaining element is slidable depth wise of the groove and is pre-formed to have a shape corresponding generally with at least part of the shape of the groove, as seen in plan.

8. A repair kit according to claim 1, in which the retaining element is deformable to take up the required shape, prior to introduction into the groove.

9. A repair kit according to claim 1, in which the retaining element comprises a ring, or near complete ring, which can be “

threaded”

through, or connected with, the looped ends of the elongate connecting elements, during the manufacture of the repair kit, or during the implantation procedures.

10. A repair kit according to claim 1, in which the pad is circular in shape, crescent-shaped, part circular with two straight sides, hexagonal, or having other multi-sided shape such that adjacent pads can inter-fit with each other to fill the space made available during the preparation of the bone site.

11. A repair kit according to claim 1, in which the pad, the elongate connecting portions, and the retaining element are pre-assembled on an implant delivery device ready for use by a surgeon when the bone site has been prepared.

12. A repair kit according to claim 11, in which the delivery device is hollow, at least at one end thereof, and onto which the retaining element and the pad are fitted ready for presentation by the delivery device to the prepared bone site and the surrounding groove.

13. A repair kit according to claim 12, in which the elongate connecting portions are arranged on the outer surface of the hollow end of the delivery device.

14. A repair kit according to claim 12, in which the elongate connecting portions are retained in position by a releasable holding arrangement.

15. A repair kit according to claim 14, in which the holding arrangement comprises a band of weak adhesive tape or the like, or a thin tubular band, for engaging the connecting portions and the outer surface of the hollow end of the delivery device.

16. A repair kit according to claim 11, in which the delivery device is capable of being removably mounted, at its remote end, on a manually operable implant tool handle.

17. A repair kit according to claim 16, in which the coupling between the tool handle and the delivery device includes a bearing which permits turning movement of the tool, during manipulation by the surgeon, without transfer of such movement to the delivery device.

21. A method of repair of damaged cartilage tissue at a bone site of an animal or human being, using a repair kit according to claim 1.

18. A method for the repair of damaged tissue present at or on the surface of bone in an animal, including a human being, the method comprising forming a narrow groove around at least part of said damaged tissue, which groove extends into the bone below the damaged tissue, replacing the tissue around which the groove extends by at least one layer of bio-compatible replacement material, and anchoring the material to the bone by the use of retaining means, extending from the material into the groove.

19. A method according to claim 18, in which the groove is formed by a reaming device.

20. A method according to claim 19, in which the depth of the groove is at least five times that of the thickness of tissue which is replaced.