MULTI-STITCH ANCHOR SUTURE-BASED SOFT TISSUE REPAIR SYSTEM

• US 20110071551A1
• Filed: 09/22/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Synthes GmbH (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Singhatat, Wamis, Manos, Jamie
• Granted Patent: US 8,979,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/145
• 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 2017/00867 shape memory effect for prostheses A61F2210/0014
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0409 Instruments for applying suture anchors for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0443 the shaft being resilient and having a coiled or helical shape in the released state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0456 Surface features on the anchor, e.g. ribs increasing friction between the suture and the anchor

Abstract

A soft tissue repair system includes a needle, a sheath, and a actuator. The needle has a body and a tip that extends distally from the body. The body defines a longitudinal channel configured to hold a plurality of suture anchors, and an ejection port proximal to the tip. The needle is configured to receive and hold a strand of suture. The sheath is disposed coaxially around the exterior of the needle, and is translatable with respect to the needle between a first position, and a second position. The actuator is translatable within the needle channel and is configured to push the suture anchors distally such that a first suture anchor of the plurality of suture anchors engages the suture strand held by the needle and sheath.

Claims

1. A soft tissue repair system comprising:

a needle including a needle body and a tip extending from the needle body, the needle body defining an ejection port, and an elongate channel that is configured to house at least one suture anchor,

a sheath having a sheath body that is configured to be attached to the needle body and cooperate with the needle body so as to define a suture through hole disposed proximal to the ejection port, wherein the suture through hole is configured to retain a strand of suture that extends transversely with respect to the elongate channel; and

an actuator configured to move in an ejection direction so as to push the suture anchor past the suture through hole to the ejection port, such that the suture anchor engages the suture strand as it passes the suture through hole, and is subsequently ejected from the needle out the ejection port.

2. The soft tissue repair system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of suture anchors stacked within the needle channel.

3. The soft tissue repair system of claim 2, wherein each suture anchor includes a distal cleat that is configured to engage the suture strand.

4. The soft tissue repair system of claim 3, wherein each suture anchor includes a proximal cleat.

5. The soft tissue repair system of claim 3, wherein the cleat is a locking cleat.

6. The soft tissue repair system of claim 2, wherein each suture anchor includes a proximal tongue that is configured to be engaged by a distal end of the push rod.

7. The soft tissue repair system of claim 2, wherein each suture anchor is a wire coil made from a shape memory material.

8. The soft tissue repair system of claim 1, wherein (i) the needle body defines a transverse opening between a distal opening of the elongate channel and the ejection port, (ii) the sheath body defines a transverse opening, and (iii) the sheath is configured to translate with respect to the needle between a first position and a second position, such that when in the first position the sheath transverse opening and the needle transverse opening are at least partially aligned to thereby form the suture through hole.

9. The soft tissue repair system of claim 8, wherein the suture strand is released when the sheath is translated to the second position.

10. The soft tissue repair system of claim 8, wherein the sheath body defines a slot that is configured to allow the suture anchor to pass therethrough.

11. The soft tissue repair system of claim 1, further comprising a strand of suture.

12. A soft tissue repair system configured to retain a plurality of anchors and individually eject at least a first anchor of the plurality of anchors, the soft tissue repair system comprising:

a needle having a needle body that is elongate in a longitudinal direction and a tip that extends from the needle body, the needle body defining

     1) a retention channel that extends along the longitudinal direction and is configured to retain a plurality of suture anchors, and

     2) an ejection port distal to the retention channel, and configured to eject a first anchor of the plurality of anchors from the needle, wherein a suture through hole extends through the needle body along a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction between the retention channel and the ejection port, the suture through hole configured to retain a suture strand; and

an actuator configured to move the first anchor from the elongate channel, past the suture through hole, and to the ejection port, such that the first anchor can engage the suture strand as it passes the suture through hole and carry the suture strand as it is ejected from the ejection port.

13. The soft tissue repair system of claim 12, wherein the ejection port is proximal to the tip.

14. The soft tissue repair system of claim 12, wherein the actuator is a pusher rod.

15. The soft tissue repair system of claim 12, wherein the tip is conical.

16. The soft tissue repair system of claim 12, wherein the tip is an awl tip.

17. The soft tissue repair system of claim 12, further comprising a sheath disposed coaxially around the exterior of the needle body, and translatable with respect to the needle body between a first position in which the sheath cooperates with the needle to retain the suture strand to the needle, and a second position in which the suture strand is released from the needle.

18. The soft tissue repair system of claim 17, wherein (i) the sheath includes a sheath body that defines a transverse opening that extends transversely through the sheath body, and the needle body defines a transverse opening that extends transversely through the needle body, and (ii) the transverse openings of the sheath body and the needle body are configured to align to thereby define the suture through hole.

19. The soft tissue repair system of claim 17, wherein the sheath body includes a slot that is configured to allow the first suture anchor to pass therethrough.

20. The soft tissue repair system of claim 12, wherein a distal end of the actuator defines a recess configured to engage a proximal end of one of the suture anchors of the plurality of anchors.

21. The soft tissue repair system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of suture anchors stacked within the needle channel.

22. The soft tissue repair system of claim 21, wherein each suture anchor includes a distal cleat that is configured to engage the suture strand.

23. The soft tissue repair system of claim 21, wherein each suture anchor includes a proximal cleat.

24. The soft tissue repair system of claim 21, wherein each suture anchor includes a proximal tongue that is configured to be engaged by a distal end of the actuator.

25. The soft tissue repair system of claim 21, wherein each suture anchor is a wire coil made from a shape memory material.

26. The soft tissue repair system of claim 12, further comprising a strand of suture.

27. The soft tissue repair system of claim 12, wherein the suture through hole is configured to hold the strand of suture such that the strand of suture is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

28. A method for repairing soft tissue, the method comprising:

providing a system having a needle housed within a channel of a sheath, the needle having a body and a tip extending distally from the body, wherein the needle body defines an elongate channel having a distal opening, and an ejection port distal to the elongate channel opening;

loading at least one suture anchor into the needle channel;

placing a strand of suture into the needle between the channel and ejection port such that the suture strand intersects the needle body;

advancing the sheath along the needle until a distal portion of the sheath holds the suture strand to the needle;

advancing the needle through a piece of tissue; and

pushing the suture anchor distally such that the suture anchor engages the strand of suture and is subsequently ejected from the ejection port.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the suture anchor is pushed using a push rod.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising retracting the sheath to thereby release the suture strand from the needle.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the suture anchor is made from a shape memory material, and the suture anchor wraps around the suture strand as the suture anchor is pushed distally.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising advancing the needle into bone and pushing the anchor into the bone.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising inserting a cylindrical implant into the bone, the implant configured to reinforce the bone.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the implant is made from allograft bone.

35. The method of claim 28, wherein the needle has awl tip.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein a plug is positioned into the defect.

37. The method of claim 28, further comprising approximating the tissue by using the ejected anchor as an anchor point.

38. The method of claim 28 further comprising placing a tissue reinforcement patch onto a weakened portion of the tissue