Chondral Defect Repair

• US 20080132932A1
• Filed: 02/12/2008
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stone, Kevin T., Hoeppner, Jacy C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,251,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/184
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1604 Chisels; Rongeurs; Punches; Stamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/320016 Endoscopic cutting instruments, e.g. arthroscopes, resectoscopes A61B10/0233, A61B17/29, A61B17/3207 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3472 for bones, e.g. intraosseus injections
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3496 Protecting sleeves or inner probes; Retractable tips for protecting body piercing guide needles A61M25/0612
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00969 used for transplantation

Abstract

A tissue repair device. The tissue repair device includes a tubular shaft having a longitudinal bore for delivering biological material to a soft tissue defect, and an awl having a distal end configured for microfracturing bone underlying the defect. The tubular shaft and the awl are movable relative to one another such that the awl is at least partially positioned within the longitudinal bore of the tubular shaft.

Claims

1. A tissue repair device comprising:

a handle having a slider;

a delivery shaft having proximal end and a distal end, the delivery shaft defining a longitudinal bore for delivering biological material, the proximal end of the delivery shaft coupled to the handle;

an awl received in the longitudinal bore of the delivery shaft, the awl having a distal tip configured for microfracturing, the awl moveable by the slider between a first retracted position in which distal tip of the awl is inside the delivery shaft and a second extended position in which the distal tip of the awl is extended out of the distal end of the delivery shaft.

2. The repair device of claim 1, further comprising an access port communicating with the longitudinal bore of the delivery shaft for delivering biological material into the delivery shaft.

3. The repair device of claim 2, further comprising a delivery device coupled to the access port for delivering biological material to the access port.

4. The repair device of claim 1, wherein the delivery shaft includes a distal tip configured for anchoring the distal tip on the tissue.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal bore has an inner diameter larger than an outer dimension of the awl such that a passage is defined therebetween for flow of biological material.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein a longitudinal passage for flow of biological material is defined between an inner dimension of the tubular shaft and an outer dimension of the awl.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the delivery shaft has a longitudinal wall passage for flow of biological material.

8. A tissue repair device comprising:

a tubular shaft defining a longitudinal bore for delivering biological material to a soft tissue defect; and

an awl having a distal end configured for microfracturing bone underlying the defect, wherein the tubular shaft and the awl are movable relative to one another such that the awl is at least partially positioned within the longitudinal bore of the tubular shaft.

9. The tissue repair device of claim 8, wherein the awl is movable between a first retracted position in which the distal end of the awl is fully within the longitudinal bore and a second extended position in which the distal end of the awl is outside the longitudinal bore of the tubular shaft.

10. The tissue repair device of claim 9, further comprising a handle with a slider, the slider coupled to the awl and operable to move the awl relative to the handle between the first retracted and the second extended positions.

11. The tissue repair device of claim 8, wherein the tubular shaft includes an access port communicating with the longitudinal bore for receiving a biological material.

12. The tissue repair device of claim 11, further comprising a delivery device connectable to the access port and delivering biological material.

13. The tissue repair device of claim 8, further comprising a handle with a slider, the slider coupled to the tubular shaft and operable to move the tubular shaft relative to the handle between a first position in which the distal end of the awl is fully within the longitudinal bore and a second position in which the distal end of the awl is outside the longitudinal bore.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the longitudinal bore has an inner diameter larger than an outer dimension of the awl such that a passage is defined therebetween for flow of biological material.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the passage is annular.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the awl has a D-shaped cross-section and passage is one-sided.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the awl defines an outer longitudinal channel and the passage is defined by the channel of the awl.

18. The device of claim 8, wherein longitudinal bore has an inner diameter substantially equal to an outer diameter of the awl, and wherein the tubular shaft has a longitudinal wall passage for flow of biological material.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the wall passage is defined inside the wall of the tubular shaft and does not communicate with the longitudinal bore of the delivery shaft.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the wall passage is a channel longitudinally communicating with the longitudinal bore.

21. A method of repairing a chondral defect of a bone, the method comprising:

engaging a distal end of a delivery tube to the defect;

positioning a distal tip of an awl outside the distal end of the delivery tube;

microfracturing the bone with distal tip of the awl;

positioning the distal tip of the awl into the delivery tube; and

delivering biological material through the delivery tube into the defect.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein delivering biological material further comprises connecting a delivery device to the delivery tube and delivering biological material through a passage defined between an inner dimension of the delivery tube and an outer dimension of the awl.

23. A method of repairing a chondral defect of a joint bone, the method comprising:

making an arthroscopic incision to the joint bone;

exposing a chondral defect;

anchoring a distal tip of a delivery tube of a tissue repair device to the defect;

exposing a distal tip of an awl coupled to the tissue repair device outside the distal tip of the delivery tube and into the joint bone;

microfracturing the bone underlying the defect with the distal tip of the awl;

enclosing the distal tip of the awl into the delivery tube;

delivering biological material through the delivery tube to the defect;

removing the delivery shaft from the incision; and

closing the incision.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising delivering biological material into the delivery tube through an access port communicating with the delivery tube.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein exposing the distal tip of the awl coupled to the tissue repair device outside the distal tip of the delivery tube includes moving a slider coupled to the awl in a forward position.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein retracting the distal tip of the awl into the delivery tube includes moving a slider coupled to the awl to a rearward position.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein exposing the distal tip of the awl coupled to the tissue repair device outside the distal tip of the delivery tube includes moving a slider coupled to the delivery tube in a rearward position.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising delivering biological material through a passage defined between an inner dimension of the delivery tube and an outer dimension of the awl.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising removing tissue from the defect.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising harvesting autologous material from the patient.