Soft Tissue Repair Assembly and Associated Method

• US 20100268275A1
• Filed: 07/01/2010
• Published: 10/21/2010
• 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: Walters, Troy M., Stone, Kevin T., Holst, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,409,253 B2
• 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 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• 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 for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• 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 hollow suture needles A61B2017/061
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0646 for insertion into cartillege, e.g. meniscus

Abstract

A soft tissue repair assembly. The assembly includes a flexible member having first and second ends, and a strand passing through the flexible member. The strand has first and second strand ends extending through the flexible member, such that pulling at least one of the first and second strand ends changes the flexible member from a first shape suitable for insertion through soft tissue to a second shape suitable for securely lodging the soft tissue repair assembly relative to soft tissue.

Claims

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

preloading a flexible member coupled to a flexible strand on an inserter;

inserting the inserter through tissue from a first side of the tear to a second side of the tear;

deploying the flexible member relative to the soft tissue;

tensioning the strand;

changing the shape of the flexible member from a first shape to a second shape suitable for securely lodging the flexible member relative to the soft tissue; and

reducing or closing the tear.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising securing the strand.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the shape of the flexible member comprises changing the shape of the flexible member to a substantially circular, or figure-eight or pretzel-like profile shape.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein preloading the flexible member comprises preloading the flexible member linearly aligned within a longitudinal bore of the inserter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein preloading the flexible member comprises preloading the flexible member folded over a groove or fork of the inserter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein preloading the flexible member on the inserter comprises preloading at least two flexible members on the inserter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each flexible member is coupled to a separate strand.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each flexible member is coupled to a common continuous strand.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a vascularization pipette on the inserter; and

deploying the vascularization pipette in the soft tissue.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the soft tissue is a meniscal tissue and relative to the soft tissue comprises on an outer surface of the soft tissue.

11. A method for repairing a tear in a meniscus during arthroscopic knee procedure, the method comprising:

inserting an inserter through the tear to an outer surface of the meniscus;

deploying a first flexible member coupled to a flexible strand from the inserter on an outer surface of the meniscus;

tensioning the strand;

changing the shape of the first flexible member from a first shape to a second shape for securing the flexible member on the outer surface; and

reducing or closing the tear.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

re-inserting the inserter through the tear to the outer surface of the meniscus at a position spaced apart from the first flexible member;

deploying a second flexible member coupled to the strand from the inserter on the outer surface of the meniscus; and

changing the shape of the second flexible member from a first shape to a second shape.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first shape is substantially linear in profile and the second shape is substantially in profile one of circular, or pretzel-like, or eight-like shapes.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising deploying a vascularization pipette from the inserter through the tear.