Surgical devices assembled using heat bondable materials
First Claim
1. A method comprising the steps of moving an anchor connected with a suture into engagement with a first segment of body tissue, said step of moving an anchor connected with a suture into engagement with a first segment of body tissue includes embedding the anchor in the first segment of body tissue with the suture connected with the anchor and extending from the first segment of body tissue and expanding the anchor while the anchor is disposed in the body tissue, moving at least the suture through a second segment of body tissue, thereafter, moving a retainer along the suture toward the second segment of body tissue, pressing the first and second segments of body tissue together, said step of pressing the first and second segments of the body tissue together includes tensioning the suture, transmitting force from the suture through the anchor to the first segment of body tissue, transmitting force from retainer to the second segment of body tissue while maintaining the portion of the suture between the anchor and the retainer straight under the influence of tension in the suture, gripping the suture with the retainer by plastically deforming the retainer while continuing to press the first and second segments of the body tissue together, thereafter, transmitting force between the suture anchor and retainer to continue to press the first and second segments of body tissues together while maintaining the portion of the suture between the anchor and the retainer straight under the influence of tension in the suture.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
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Citations
73 Claims
- 1. A method comprising the steps of moving an anchor connected with a suture into engagement with a first segment of body tissue, said step of moving an anchor connected with a suture into engagement with a first segment of body tissue includes embedding the anchor in the first segment of body tissue with the suture connected with the anchor and extending from the first segment of body tissue and expanding the anchor while the anchor is disposed in the body tissue, moving at least the suture through a second segment of body tissue, thereafter, moving a retainer along the suture toward the second segment of body tissue, pressing the first and second segments of body tissue together, said step of pressing the first and second segments of the body tissue together includes tensioning the suture, transmitting force from the suture through the anchor to the first segment of body tissue, transmitting force from retainer to the second segment of body tissue while maintaining the portion of the suture between the anchor and the retainer straight under the influence of tension in the suture, gripping the suture with the retainer by plastically deforming the retainer while continuing to press the first and second segments of the body tissue together, thereafter, transmitting force between the suture anchor and retainer to continue to press the first and second segments of body tissues together while maintaining the portion of the suture between the anchor and the retainer straight under the influence of tension in the suture.
- 11. A method comprising the steps of moving an anchor into a bone through an opening in a surface on the bone with a suture connected to the anchor, moving a suture retainer along the suture toward the bone, tensioning the suture, retaining the anchor against movement relative to the bone under the influence of force transmitted between the anchor and the bone while tensioning the suture, and securing the suture retainer against movement relative to the suture while tensioning the suture and retaining the anchor against movement relative to the bone under the influence of force transmitted to the anchor through the suture by transmitting force between the anchor and the bone, said step of securing the suture retainer against movement relative to the suture includes gripping the suture with the suture retainer by deforming the suture retainer while continuing to tension the suture.
- 15. A method comprising the steps of moving an anchor into a bone through an opening in a surface on the bone with a suture connected to the anchor, moving a suture retainer along the suture toward the bone, tensioning the suture, retaining the anchor against movement relative to the bone under the influence of force transmitted between the anchor and the bone while tensioning the suture, said step of retaining the anchor against movement relative to the bone includes expanding the anchor after performing said step of moving the anchor through an opening in a surface on the bone, and securing the suture retainer against movement relative to the suture while tensioning the suture and retaining the anchor against movement relative to the bone under the influence of force transmitted to the anchor through the suture by transmitting force between the anchor and the bone.
- 22. A method of connecting body tissue with bone, said method comprising the steps of moving an anchor through the body tissue into the bone with a suture connected to the anchor, moving a suture retainer along the suture toward the body tissue and bone, tensioning the suture, retaining the anchor against movement relative to the bone under the influence of force transmitted between the anchor and bone while tensioning the suture, said step of retaining the anchor against movement relative to the bone includes embedding the anchor in the bone with the suture connected to the anchor and extending through the body tissue, said step of embedding the anchor in the bone includes expanding the anchor while the anchor is in the bone, transmitting force from the suture retainer to the body tissue to press the body tissue against the bone while performing said steps of tensioning the suture and retaining the anchor against movement relative to the bone, and securing the suture retainer against movement relative to the suture while tensioning the suture and retaining the anchor against movement relative to the bone.
- 32. A method comprising the steps of connecting a suture which is formed separately from an anchor with the anchor, moving the anchor connected with the suture into engagement with a first segment of body tissue, moving at least the suture through a second segment of body tissue, thereafter, moving a retainer along the suture toward the second segment of body tissue, moving at least one of the first and second segments of body tissue relative to the other segment of body tissue while performing said step of moving a retainer along the suture toward the second segment of body tissue, pressing the first and second segments of body tissue together, said step of pressing the first and second segments of the body tissue together includes tensioning the suture, transmitting force from the suture through the anchor to the first segment of body tissue, transmitting force from a retainer to the second segment of body tissue while maintaining tension in the suture, gripping the suture with the retainer by plastically deforming the retainer while continuing to press the first and second segments of the body tissue together and while maintaining tension in the suture, and, thereafter, transmitting force between the suture anchor and retainer to continue to press the first and second segments of body tissue together while maintaining tension in the suture.
- 45. A method of connecting body tissue with bone, said method comprising the steps of connecting a suture which is formed separately from an anchor with the anchor, moving the anchor into the bone with the suture connected to the anchor, moving a suture retainer along the suture toward the body tissue and bone, tensioning the suture while moving the suture retainer along the suture toward the body tissue and bone, retaining the anchor against movement relative to the bone under the influence of force transmitted between the anchor and bone while tensioning the suture, transmitting force from the suture retainer to the body tissue to press the body tissue against the bone while performing said steps of tensioning the suture and retaining the anchor against movement relative to the bone, and securing the suture retainer against movement relative to the suture while tensioning the suture and retaining the anchor against movement relative to the bone.
- 57. A method comprising the steps of providing a flexible force transmitting member which is biodegradable and is formed by a plurality of interconnected strands which are at least partially formed of polylactide, positioning the flexible force transmitting member relative to body tissue, tensioning the flexible force transmitting member to transmit force from the strands of polylactide to the body tissue, and maintaining tension in the flexible force transmitting member by securing a biodegradable retainer which is at least partially formed of polylactide to the flexible force transmitting member, said step of securing a biodegradable retainer to the flexible force transmitting member includes bonding material of the retainer to the strands of polylactide, said step of bonding material of the retainer to the strands of polylactide includes heating at least a portion of the material of the retainer into a transition temperature range of the material of the retainer.
- 63. A method comprising the steps of providing a flexible force transmitting member which is at least partially formed of a plurality of strands of a biodegradable material, positioning the force transmitting member relative to body tissue with a longitudinal extending central portion of the strands of biodegradable material extending at least part way around the body tissue, providing a retainer formed of biodegradable material, tensioning the strands of biodegradable material to apply force against the body tissue with the central portion of the strands of biodegradable material, and maintaining the tension in the strands of biodegradable material by gripping a first portion of the strands of biodegradable material with the retainer at a location adjacent to a first end of the central portion of the strands of biodegradable material and by gripping a second portion of the strands of biodegradable material with the retainer at a location adjacent to a second end of the central portion of the strands of biodegradable material, the first and second portions of the strands of biodegradable material extend through the retainer in a side-by-side relationship.
- 68. A method comprising the steps of providing a flexible force transmitting member which is at least partially formed of a plurality of strands of a biodegradable material, positioning the force transmitting member relative to body tissue with a longitudinal extending central portion of the strands of biodegradable material extending at least part way around the body tissue, providing a retainer formed of biodegradable material, tensioning the strands of biodegradable material to apply force against the body tissue with the central portion of the strands of biodegradable material, and maintaining the tension in the strands of biodegradable material by gripping a first portion of the strands of biodegradable material with the retainer at a location adjacent to a first end of the central portion of the strands of biodegradable material and by gripping a second portion of the strands of biodegradable material with the retainer at a location adjacent to a second end of the central portion of the strands of biodegradable material, said steps of gripping a first portion of the strands of biodegradable material with the retainer and gripping a second portion of the strands of biodegradable material with the retainer includes heating material of the retainer into a transition temperature range of the material of the retainer and plastically deforming the heated material of the retainer.
Specification