Surgical devices assembled using heat bondable materials

• US 6,059,817 A
• Filed: 03/12/1999
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: P TECH, LLC
• Original Assignee: Peter M. Bonutti
• Inventors: Brillhart, Mark V., Bonutti, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Application Number:
  US09/267,555
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 623/16, 623/66, 623/901, 606/27, 606/76, 264/25, 264/248, 264/249, 264/222, 264/126
• US Class Current: 606/216
• 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 17/68 Internal fixation devices , including fasteners and spinal fixators, even if a part thereof projects from the skin bone staples A61B17/0642
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/80 Cortical plates , i.e. bone plates; Instruments for holding or positioning cortical plates, or for compressing bones attached to cortical plates
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/866 Material or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00004 (bio)absorbable, (bio)resorbable or resorptive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0408 Rivets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0619 thermoplastic, e.g. for bonding, welding, fusing or cutting the suture by melting it
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/867 with integral locking or clamping means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30734 Modular inserts, sleeves or augments, e.g. placed on proximal part of stem for fixation purposes or wedges for bridging a bone defect
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/367 Proximal or metaphyseal parts of shafts trochanteric devices connected to said proximal parts A61F2/30739
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/38 for elbows or knees
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30062 (bio)absorbable, biodegradable, bioerodable, (bio)resorbable, resorptive
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30065 thermoplastic, i.e. softening or fusing when heated, and hardening and becoming rigid again when cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30736 Augments or augmentation pieces, e.g. wedges or blocks for bridging a bone defect
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0004 bioabsorbable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0071 thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/602 using hollow rivets B29C65/607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7212 characterised by the composition of the fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73791 biodegradable
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7392 : characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 : Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/04 : Polymers of ethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2277/10 : Aromatic polyamides [Polyaramides] or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2307/04 : Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/908 : Bioabsorbable material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/91 : Polymer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 606/916 : Tool for installing or removing orthopedic fastener
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/901 : Method of manufacturing prosthetic device

Abstract

Surgical devices such as implants or suture fastenings are assembled from a plurality of discrete components, one of which components includes a heat bondable plastic material for bonding the components together. At least two components are bonded to each other by the applying heat to the heat bondable plastic material of one component. The heat bondable plastic material is preferably a polymeric or composite material suitable for surgical applications and implantation in humans, and may be a biodegradable material. A laser may be used as the heat source. The present invention is advantageously embodied in heat bonded fastenings for sutures or K-wires, in which a variety of different suture anchors are usable, including expandable distal suture anchors. Other embodiments include a metal bone plate which is held to bone by a metal bone screw and a nut of bondable material bonded to the plate to secure the connection; a piece of bondable material bonded to a metal prosthesis to custom fit the prosthesis; and a surgical implant custom formed by bonding together a plurality of discrete elements one or more of which is bondable.

Claims

1. A method of positioning an article in a patient while the patient is in an operating room, said method comprising the steps of heating thermoplastic material of a suture anchor into a transition temperature range which is below a melting temperature of the thermoplastic material, said step of heating the thermoplastic material being performed in the operating room, changing the shape of the suture anchor while the thermoplastic material of the suture anchor is at a temperature in the transition range of the thermoplastic material, said step of changing the shape of the suture anchor being performed while the suture anchor is in the operating room, positioning the suture anchor relative to a suture which engages the patient'"'"'s body tissue, and cooling the thermoplastic material of the suture anchor to a temperature below the transition temperature of the thermoplastic material of the suture anchor.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic material of the suture anchor has sufficient rigidity when the thermoplastic material is in the transition temperature range to enable the thermoplastic material of the suture anchor to grip the suture after performing said step of changing the shape of the suture anchor while the thermoplastic material of the suture anchor is in the transition temperature range of the thermoplastic material.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the thermoplastic material of the suture anchor has polymer chains disposed in a predetermined orientation relative to the suture anchor, said method further includes contracting the polymer chains of the suture anchor to cause the suture anchor to grip the suture.

4. A method of positioning an article in a patient while the patient is in an operating room, said method comprising the steps of heating thermoplastic material of the article into a transition temperature range which is below a melting temperature of the thermoplastic material, said step of heating the thermoplastic material being performed in the operating room, changing the shape of the article to fit the patient while the thermoplastic material of the article is at a temperature in the transition temperature range of the thermoplastic material, said step of changing the shape of the article being performed in the operating room, positioning the article relative to the patient'"'"'s body tissue, and cooling the thermoplastic material of the article to a temperature below the transition temperature range of the thermoplastic material of the article.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein the thermoplastic material of the article has sufficient rigidity when the thermoplastic material is in the transition temperature range to enable the thermoplastic material to maintain the shape of the article after performing said step of changing the shape of the article while the thermoplastic material of the article is in the transition temperature range of the thermoplastic material.

6. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the article is a suture anchor and said step of changing the shape of the article includes gripping a suture with the article.

7. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the article is a plate and said step of changing the shape of the article includes changing the shape of the plate.

8. A method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the article is a plate and said step of changing the shape of the article includes bonding the article to a second plate.

9. A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein thermoplastic material has polymer chains, said step of heating the thermoplastic material of the article includes extending the polymer chains, said step of cooling the thermoplastic material of the article includes contracting the polymer chains.

10. A method as set forth in claim 4 further including the step of bonding the thermoplastic material of the article to a member after heating the thermoplastic material of the article into the transition temperature range of the thermoplastic material, said step of positioning the article relative to the patient'"'"'s body tissue includes positioning both the article and member relative to the patient'"'"'s body tissue.

11. A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said step of positioning the article relative to the patient'"'"'s body tissue is performed with the article at a temperature in the transition temperature range of the thermoplastic material.

12. A method as set forth in claim 4 further including the step of bonding a fastener and the article together while the article and fastener are in the operating room.

13. A method as set forth in claim 4 further including the step of bonding a rod and the article together while the article and rod are in the operating room.

14. A method as set forth in claim 4 further including the step of bonding a plate and the article together while the article and the plate are in the operating room.

15. A method as set forth in claim 4 further including the step of bonding the article to a bone in the patient'"'"'s body during performance of said steps of positioning the article relative to the patient'"'"'s body tissue and cooling the thermoplastic material of the article to a temperature below the transition temperature range of the thermoplastic material of the article.

16. A method of positioning an article in a patient while the patient is in an operating room, said method comprising the steps of heating a polymeric material in the operating room to soften the polymeric material, changing the configuration of the heated and softened polymeric material from an initial configuration to a second configuration which is a function of the configuration of a surface area in a patient'"'"'s body, said step of changing the configuration of the heated and softened polymeric material being performed while the polymeric material and the patient are in the operating room, and connecting the polymeric material with the patient'"'"'s body tissue while the polymeric material has the second configuration.

17. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said step of connecting the polymeric material with the patient'"'"'s body tissue includes using a screw member which at least partially forms a connection through which force is transmitted between the polymeric material and the patient'"'"'s body tissue.

18. A method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the screw member is bonded to the polymeric material.

19. A method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the screw member extends through an opening formed in the polymeric material.

20. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said step of connecting the polymeric material with the patient'"'"'s body includes bonding the polymeric material to a portion of the patient'"'"'s body.

21. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the polymeric material has the initial configuration of a plate, said method further includes bonding a second plate to the plate of polymeric material to form a laminated structure.