SOFT TISSUE REPAIR DEVICE AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

• US 20080140092A1
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stone, Kevin T., Sautter, Nathan M., Holst, Andrew, Kaiser, Ryan A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,905,904 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/144
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/04 for suturing wounds; Holders or packages for needles or suture materials suture materials A61L17/00
• 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 17/0483 Hand-held instruments for holding sutures A61B17/0469 takes precedence; other holders for needles or sutures A61B17/06061; surgical forceps A61B17/28; surgical pincettes A61B17/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0485 Devices or means, e.g. loops, for capturing the suture thread and threading it through an opening of a suturing instrument or needle eyelet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0493 Protective devices for suturing, i.e. for protecting the patient's organs or the operator
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0404 Buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0406 Pledgets
• 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 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/042 plastically deformed during insertion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0445 cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0472 Multiple-needled, e.g. double-needled, instruments
• 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 2017/06185 hollow or tubular
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0646 for insertion into cartillege, e.g. meniscus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/036 : abutting on tissue or skin

Abstract

A fibrous tissue repair device and associated method. The device includes an inserter having a solid distal portion defining an external surface, and a single anchor carried solely on the external surface of the distal portion of the inserter. The method includes preloading a first anchor externally onto a first inserter, passing the first inserter from a first side to a second side of the fibrous tissue at a first location, delivering the first anchor on the second side of the fibrous tissue, and retracting the first inserter away from the tissue.

Claims

1. A method of repairing fibrous tissue comprising:

preloading a first anchor externally onto a first inserter;

passing the first inserter from a first side to a second side of fibrous tissue at a first location;

delivering the first anchor on the second side of the fibrous tissue; and

retracting the first inserter away from the tissue.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising discarding the first inserter.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

preloading a second anchor externally onto a second inserter;

coupling a flexible strand between the first and second anchors;

passing the second inserter from the first side to the second side of the fibrous tissue at a second location;

delivering the second anchor on the second side of the fibrous tissue;

retracting the second inserter away from the fibrous tissue; and

tensioning the flexible strand between the first and second anchors.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein coupling a flexible strand between the first and second anchors comprises forming an adjustable knotless loop, the loop passing through a portion of each of the first and second anchors.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein preloading a first anchor externally onto a first inserter comprises:

forming the first anchor from flexible material; and

folding the first anchor over an external groove transversely defined on an external surface of the first inserter.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising self-locking the adjustable knotless loop without tying a knot.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein tensioning the flexible strand between the first and second anchors comprises separately deforming each of the first and second anchors from a first shape to a second shape.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein preloading a first anchor externally onto a first inserter comprises:

forming an elongated tubular anchor with a longitudinal passage; and

passing a distal portion of the first inserter through the longitudinal passage of the first anchor.

5. The method of 4, wherein forming an adjustable knotless loop comprises passing a first end of the flexible strand through a longitudinal passage defined in the strand portion.

10. A fibrous tissue repair device comprising:

an inserter having a solid distal portion defining an external surface; and

a single anchor carried solely on the external surface of the distal portion of the inserter.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the distal portion defines an external groove transverse to the distal portion and wherein the anchor is flexible and carried by the inserter folded over the groove in a U-shape.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the anchor is tubular defining a longitudinal passage, and the distal portion of the inserter is received in the longitudinal passage.

13. A fibrous tissue repair device comprising:

a handle;

a first inserter movable relative to the handle, the first inserter having a distal portion defining an external surface;

a first anchor pre-loaded on the external surface of the first inserter;

a first slider coupled to the handle for moving the first inserter between deployment and retraction positions;

a second inserter movable relative to the handle, the second inserter having a distal portion defining an external surface;

a second anchor pre-loaded on the external surface of the second inserter;

a second slider coupled to the handle for moving the second inserter between deployment and retraction positions;

a slider control mechanism coupled to the first and second sliders and operable to control a motion sequence of the first and second inserters such that the first inserter is constrained to move to a deployment position before the second inserter; and

a flexible strand coupling the first and second anchors, the flexible strand passing through portions of the first and second anchors and forming an adjustable knotless loop.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the flexible strand is a braided strand having first and second ends and defining a longitudinal passage and the adjustable knotless loop is formed by passing one of the first and second ends through a portion of the longitudinal passage of the flexible strand.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the first and second anchors are flexible sleeves from woven material, each flexible anchor having first and second ends and defining a longitudinal bore extending between the first and second ends.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the flexible strand passes through a portion of the longitudinal bore between first and second openings of each flexible sleeve, the first and second openings intermediate the first and second ends of each of the first and second anchors, the portions of each flexible sleeve between the first and second openings and the first and second ends of the corresponding flexible sleeve defining anchoring leg portions.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the first and second anchors are substantially rigid and elongated, each anchor having first and second ends and defining a longitudinal opening extending between the first and second ends.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein each anchor includes at least one transverse bore substantially perpendicular to and communicating with the longitudinal opening.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the flexible strand passes through the transverse bore of each of the first and second anchors.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein the slider control mechanism includes a pivotable disc having first and second posts extending from a first side of the disc, the first and second posts movable along curved tracks defined on an a first inner surface of the handle for controlling the motion of the first and second sliders, respectively.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the pivotable disc includes a third post on a second side opposite the first side, the third post movable along a third curved track defined on a second inner surface of the handle.