Method of and prosthesis for restoring ligaments of a joint

• US 3,896,500 A
• Filed: 01/08/1974
• Issued: 07/29/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Andre Rambert, Gilles Bousquet
• Original Assignee: Andre Rambert, Gilles Bousquet
• Inventors: Rambert, Andre, Bousquet, Gilles
• Primary Examiner(s): Frinks, Ronald L.
• Application Number:
  US05/431,667
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 3/1 128/92C,92R,92B,92D,334R,334C
• US Class Current: 623/13.14
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/08 Muscles; Tendons; Ligaments sutures A61B17/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0811 Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0829 without deformation of anchor parts, e.g. fixation screws on bone surface, extending barbs, cams, butterflies, spring-loaded pins
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0852 Fixation of a loop or U-turn, e.g. eyelets, anchor having multiple holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0882 Anchor in or on top of a bone tunnel, i.e. a hole running through the entire bone

Abstract

A method of and device for replacing a damaged ligament in a joint such as a knee, wherein a sheath group of fibers is passed through a tunnel formed in the bore of the joint and opening at the point of attachment of the natural ligament. The artificial ligament is anchored by a pair of plates, one on each bone of the joint.

Claims

1. A method of restoring ligaments of a joint, comprising the steps of boring, in each bone of the joint, a tunnel opening into the articular gap substantially at the attachment point of the torn or damaged ligament;

engaging in each of these tunnels, an artificial ligament; and

attaching this artifiCial ligament to the free outer ends of these tunnels after putting the artificial ligament under tension at the desired value.

2. A prosthesis for restoring ligaments of a joint, comprising at least one artificial ligament constituted, by at least one pair of strands of thread forming, at one of their ends, a loop and covered by a sheath and by two attachment plates comprising a part in the shape of a bridge and each of which is able to be fixed by screws to one of the bones corresponding to an end of a tunnel traversing the respective bone, the bridge-shaped part of one of the plates being previously engaged in the loop-shaped end of the artificial ligament whereas the bridge-shaped part of the other plate is provided with means capable of ensuring the retention of the free end of the artificial ligament.

3. The prosthesis according to claim 2, wherein said means capable of ensuring the retention of the free end of the ligament on the bridge-shaped part of the plate intended for anchoring it is constituted by teeth cut out from the part of the plate which surrounds the said bridge-shaped part, these teeth being directed so that they allow sliding of the artificial ligament only in a direction increasing its tension.

4. The prosthesis according to claim 2, wherein said means capable of ensuring the retention of the free end of the artificial ligament is constituted by an auxiliary plate capable of being pressed against said other plate in order to compress said free end of the artificial ligament.

5. The prosthesis according to claim 4, wherein the means for pressing the auxiliary plate against said other plate is constituted by screws.

6. The prosthesis according to claim 4 wherein at least two corresponding parts of the opposed sides of said other and auxiliary plates, located in the region for positioning the free end of the artificial ligament, are provided with ridges.

7. The prosthesis according to claim 2 wherein the sheath of said artificial ligament is made from a material which does not cause any rejection reaction of the organism receiving the prosthesis.

8. The prosthesis according to claim 7 wherein said material of the sheath is a synthetic polymer material.

9. The prosthesis according to claim 2 wherein the strands of said artificial ligament are made from a product of the polyamide family of medical quality.

10. The prosthesis according to claim 9 wherein the strands of said artificial ligament have a diameter between 1 and 5mm.

11. The prosthesis according to claim 2, wherein the strands and the sheath of said ligament are connected.

12. The prosthesis according to claim 11 wherein the strands and the sheath of said ligament are connected by stitching.

13. The prosthesis according to claim 11 wherein the strands and the sheath of said ligament are connected by means of an adhesive of medical quality.

14. The prosthesis according to claim 2 wherein, in the case of its application to the restoration of the front ligament of the knee, the strands and the sheath of the artificial ligament are twisted such that the twisting angle of the part of this ligament to be located in the inter-articular gap is comprised between 45* and 90* and preferably equal to 60*, this twisting being fixed and the pitch of the helix being right or left-handed depending on whether the knee is a right or left knee.

15. The prosthesis according to claim 2 wherein, in the case of its application to the restoration of the rear ligament of the knee, the strands and the sheath of the artificial ligament are twisted such that the twisting angle of the part of this ligament to be located in the inter-articular gap is comprised between 10* and 30*, this twisting being fixed and the pitch of the helix being right or left-handed depending on whether the knee is a right or left knee.

16. The prosthesis according to claim 2 wherein, in the case of its application to the restoration of both front and rear crossed ligaments of a knee, the two artificial ligaments are integral one with the other at one of their ends forming a common loop and engaged on the bridge-shaped part of one of said plates for attachment to the tibia, one of the strands of this loop intended to constitute the front ligament being twisted such that the twisting angle of its part to be located in the inter-articular gap is comprised between 45* and 90* with a right-handed or left-handed pitch of the helix depending on whether the knee is a right or left knee, whereas the other strand, intended to constitute the rear ligament is twisted such that the twisting angle of its part to be located in the inter-articular gap is comprised between 10* and 30*, with a right or left-handed pitch of the helix depending on whether the knee is a right or left knee.