Soft Tissue Repair Device and Associated Methods

• US 20110160767A1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Published: 06/30/2011
• 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 8,337,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/232
• 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 includes first and second tubular anchors having corresponding longitudinal passages. The tissue repair device includes corresponding first and second inserters. Each inserter has a shaft with a distal portion received in the longitudinal passage of the corresponding tubular anchor. A flexible strand couples the first and second anchors.

Claims

1. A fibrous tissue repair device comprising:

a first tubular anchor defining a longitudinal passage between first and second ends;

a first inserter having a longitudinal shaft with a distal portion received in the longitudinal passage of the first tubular anchor;

a second tubular anchor defining a longitudinal passage between first and second ends;

a second inserter having a longitudinal shaft having distal portion received in the longitudinal passage of the second tubular anchor; and

a flexible strand coupling the first and second anchors.

2. The repair device of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal passage of each of the first and second tubular anchors is D-shaped.

3. The repair device of claim 1, wherein the flexible strand passes through corresponding first and second bores of the first and second tubular anchors.

4. The repair device of claim 3, wherein the each of the first and second bores is at an angle relative to the longitudinal passages of the corresponding first and second tubular anchors.

5. The repair device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second tubular anchors has a circular cross-section.

6. The repair device of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second inserters passes through a cannula having a handle.

7. The repair device of claim 6, wherein each of the first and second inserters includes a handle coupled to the corresponding shaft.

8. A fibrous tissue repair device comprising:

a first non-deformable anchor defining a longitudinal passage between first and second ends;

a first inserter having a longitudinal shaft with a distal portion received in the longitudinal passage of the first non-deformable tubular anchor;

a second non-deformable anchor defining a longitudinal passage between first and second ends;

a second inserter having a longitudinal shaft having distal portion received in the longitudinal passage of the second tubular anchor;

a flexible strand coupling the first and second anchors; and

a cannula having a handle and a longitudinal passage receiving the first and second inserters

9. A fibrous tissue repair device comprising:

a handle;

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

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

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

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

a control mechanism operable to control a deployment sequence of the first and second inserters for deploying the corresponding first and second anchors, such that the second inserter is prevented from deploying the second anchor until the first anchor is deployed by the first inserter.

10. The repair device of claim 9, further comprising a flexible strand coupling the first and second anchors.

11. The repair device of claim 10, wherein the flexible strand passes through first and second elongated bores of the corresponding first and second anchors.

12. The repair device of claim 11, wherein the flexible strand forms an adjustable loop.

13. The repair device of claim 9, wherein the first and second anchors are substantially rigid and elongated, each anchor having first and second ends.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein each anchor defines a longitudinal passage extending between the first and second ends.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the bore is transverse to the longitudinal passage.

16. A fibrous tissue repair device comprising:

a handle;

a first inserter movable relative to the handle, the first inserter having a distal portion with 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 with 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, wherein the flexible strand passes through portions of the first and second anchors and forms an adjustable loop.

17. The device of claim 16, 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.

18. The device of claim 16, 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.

19. The device of claim 18, 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.

20. The device of claim 16, 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.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein each anchor includes at least one transverse bore substantially perpendicular to and communicating with the longitudinal opening.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the flexible strand passes through the transverse bore of each of the first and second anchors.

23. The device of claim 16, 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.

24. The device of claim 23, 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.