Tissue Graft Fixation

• US 20070233241A1
• Filed: 03/20/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Original Assignee: Smith & Nephew Incorporated (Smith & Nephew PLC)
• Inventors: Graf, Ben, LeBeau, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 9,314,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/13.140
• 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 2017/0404 Buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0811 Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0852 Fixation of a loop or U-turn, e.g. eyelets, anchor having multiple holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0882 Anchor in or on top of a bone tunnel, i.e. a hole running through the entire bone

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a graft fixation device including a body configured and arranged for passage through a bone tunnel when oriented generally longitudinally with respect to the bone tunnel, and for residing against bone defining an opening to the bone tunnel when oriented generally transversely with respect to the bone tunnel. The body defines an enclosed channel for receiving a member such that the member is substantially evenly distributed about a longitudinal extent of the body so that the body maintains a generally longitudinal orientation during passage through the tunnel, and includes a cross bar about which the member is looped when the body resides against the bone defining the opening to the bone tunnel.

Claims

1. A graft fixation device, comprising:

a body configured and arranged for passage through a bone tunnel when oriented generally longitudinally with respect to the bone tunnel, and for residing against bone defining an opening to the bone tunnel when oriented generally transversely with respect to the bone tunnel,

the body defining an enclosed channel configured for receiving a tissue graft such that the tissue graft is substantially evenly distributed about a longitudinal extent of the body so that the body maintains a generally longitudinal orientation during passage through the tunnel, and including a cross bar about which the tissue graft is looped when the body resides against the bone defining the opening to the bone tunnel.

2. The graft fixation device of claim 1 wherein the body includes a leading end portion defining a hole.

3. The graft fixation device of claim 1 wherein the body includes a trailing end portion defining a hole.

4. The graft fixation device of claim 1 wherein the body includes a trailing end portion having an open end.

5. The graft fixation device of claim 1 wherein the body includes a trailing end portion having a closed end.

6. The graft fixation device of claim 1 wherein the body includes a trailing end portion having an open end and a leading end portion having an open end.

7. The graft fixation device of claim 5 wherein the closed end is angled relative to the body at an angle θ

.

8. The graft fixation device of claim 7 wherein θ

is about 45 degrees.

9. A graft fixation device comprising:

an intermediate portion comprising at least two tabs, the tabs extending transverse to the intermediate portion, the intermediate portion including at least one hole, the hole being located between the tabs.

10. The graft fixation device of claim 9 wherein the device further comprises a first end portion including at least one hole and a second end portion including at least one hole.

11. The graft fixation device of claim 9 wherein the intermediate portion includes at least two holes.

12. The graft fixation device of claim 9 further comprising a continuous loop of material passing through the hole of the intermediate portion.

13. The graft fixation device of claim 12 wherein the material comprises suture.

14. A graft fixation device comprising:

an intermediate portion including a hinge coupled to the intermediate portion, the hinge and the intermediate portion defining a channel configured for receiving a tissue graft.

15. The graft fixation device of claim 14 wherein the device further comprises a first end portion including at least one hole and a second end portion including at least one hole.

16. The graft fixation member of claim 14 wherein the hinge is U-shaped.

17. The graft fixation member of claim 14 wherein the hinge is rotatable relative to the fixation device.

18. A method, comprising:

looping a graft through an opening in a graft fixation device; and

pulling the graft fixation device and looped graft through a bone tunnel, the graft fixation device being configured such that the graft fixation device is maintained substantially longitudinally oriented relative to the tunnel while being pulled through the bone tunnel.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

looping grafts through openings in multiple graft fixation devices;

drilling multiple bone tunnels extending in a generally lateral direction through a knee joint; and

pulling the graft fixation devices and looped grafts through the multiple bone tunnels, the graft fixation devices being configured such that each graft fixation device is maintained substantially longitudinally oriented relative to the tunnels while being pulled through the tunnels.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising drilling at least one bone tunnel extending in a generally lateral direction through a knee joint.

21. A method comprising:

providing a graft fixation device comprising an intermediate portion including a rotatable hinge coupled to the intermediate portion, the hinge and the intermediate portion defining a channel configured for receiving a tissue graft;

drilling a bone tunnel extending in a generally lateral direction through a knee joint;

looping a tissue graft through the channel; and

pulling the graft fixation device and looped graft through the bone tunnel, the graft fixation device being configured such that the graft fixation device is maintained substantially longitudinally oriented relative to the tunnel while being pulled through the bone tunnel.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising rotating the hinge relative to the fixation member and placing the fixation member over an opening to the bone tunnel such that the hinge extends into the bone tunnel.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the graft fixation device further comprises a first end portion including at least one hole and a second end portion including at least one hole.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

providing multiple graft fixation devices, each graft fixation device comprising an intermediate portion having a rotatable hinge coupled to the intermediate portion, the hinge and the intermediate portion defining a channel configured for receiving a tissue graft;

drilling multiple bone tunnels extending in a generally lateral direction through a knee joint;

looping a tissue graft through each of the channels of the multiple graft fixation devices; and

pulling the graft fixation devices and looped grafts through the multiple bone tunnels, the graft fixation devices being configured such that each graft fixation device is maintained substantially longitudinally oriented relative to the tunnels while being pulled through the tunnels.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein each of the graft fixation devices further comprise a first end portion including at least one hole and a second end portion including at least one hole.

26. A method comprising:

providing a graft fixation device comprising an intermediate portion including at least two tabs, the tabs extending transverse to the intermediate portion, the intermediate portion including at least one hole, the hole being located between the tabs and including a continuous loop of material;

drilling a bone tunnel extending in a generally lateral direction through a knee joint;

looping a tissue graft through the continuous loop of material such that the tissue graft is situated between the tabs; and

pulling the graft fixation device and looped graft through the bone tunnel, the graft fixation device being configured such that the graft fixation device is maintained substantially longitudinally oriented relative to the tunnel while being pulled through the bone tunnel.

27. The method of claim 26 placing the fixation member over an opening to the bone tunnel such that the tabs extend into the bone tunnel.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the graft fixation device further comprises a first end portion including at least one hole and a second end portion including at least one hole.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the material comprises suture.

30. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

providing multiple graft fixation devices, each graft fixation device comprising a an intermediate portion having at least two tabs, the tabs extending transverse to the intermediate portion, the intermediate portion including at least one hole, the hole being located between the tabs and including a continuous loop of material;

drilling multiple bone tunnels extending in a generally lateral direction through a knee joint;

looping a tissue graft through each of the continuous loops of material such that the tissue graft is situated between the tabs of each of the graft fixation devices;

pulling the graft fixation devices and looped grafts through the bone tunnels, the graft fixation devices being configured such that each graft fixation device is maintained substantially longitudinally oriented relative to the tunnels while being pulled through the tunnels.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein each of the graft fixation devices further comprise a first end portion including at least one hole and a second end portion including at least one hole.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the material comprises suture.

33. A graft fixation device, comprising:

a body configured and arranged for passage through a bone tunnel when oriented generally longitudinally with respect to the bone tunnel, and for residing against bone defining an opening to the bone tunnel when oriented generally transversely with respect to the bone tunnel,

the body defining a channel configured for receiving a tissue graft such that the tissue graft is substantially evenly distributed about a longitudinal extent of the body so that the body maintains a generally longitudinal orientation during passage through the tunnel, and including a cross bar about which the tissue graft is looped when the body resides against the bone defining the opening to the bone tunnel.

34. A graft fixation device comprising:

an intermediate portion including a prominence on a surface of the intermediate portion, the prominence facilitating alignment of a tissue graft with the device as the device is being pulled through a bone tunnel.