Soft tissue repair and conduit device

• US 7,857,830 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Denham, Gregory J., Stone, Kevin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; (Jackie) Tan-Uyen T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dornbusch; Dianne
• Application Number:
  US11/869,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 606/300, 606/213, 606/215, 606/216, 606/232, 606/60, 606/74, 606/151, 632/13.11, 632/14.12
• US Class Current: 606/232
• 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 2017/0404 Buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0406 Pledgets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0475 using sutures having a slip knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0477 with pre-tied sutures
• 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 2017/0646 for insertion into cartillege, e.g. meniscus

Abstract

A soft tissue repair method. The method includes providing a flaccid tubular member having a longitudinal bore and first and second ends, the tubular member defining first and second portions integral with the tubular member. The method includes coupling the tubular member to a flexible strand, inserting the tubular member from a first side of the soft tissue to a second side of soft tissue, such that a first portion of the tubular member exits the second side of the soft tissue and a second portion of the tubular member remains inside the soft tissue, tensioning the flexible strand, deforming the first portion of the tubular member to an anchoring shape, and forming a vascularization conduit from the second portion of the tubular member.

Claims

1. A soft tissue repair method comprising:

providing a flaccid tubular member having a longitudinal bore, and a first end portion and a second end portion,

passing a flexible strand through the tubular member,

inserting the tubular member from a first side of the soft tissue to a second side of the soft tissue, such that the first end portion of the tubular member exits the second side of the soft tissue and the second end portion of the tubular member member remains inside the soft tissue;

deforming the first end and adjacent first end portion of the tubular member to a U-shaped anchor by tensioning the flexible strand; and

forming a vascularization conduit from the second end and adjacent second end portion of the tubular member.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the tubular member to a flexible strand includes:

passing the flexible strand through the second end portion of the tubular member; and

forming a strand loop through the first end portion of the tubular member.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein further tensioning the strand member deforms the U-shaped anchor to a ball-like shape.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the vascularization conduit is elongated.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading the tubular member on an inserter.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein loading the tubular member on an inserter includes passing the inserter through the longitudinal bore of the tubular member.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising traversing a soft tissue defect with the vascularization conduit.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising bridging vascular and avascular portions of the soft tissue with the vascularization conduit.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein tensioning the flexible strand includes reducing a length of a loop formed by the flexible strand through the first end portion of the tubular member.

10. A soft tissue repair method comprising:

inserting a flaccidly deformable tubular member through a meniscus, the tubular member having a first end portion and a second end portion;

traversing a meniscal defect with the second end portion such that the first end portion exits the meniscal defect;

deforming the first end portion to a U-shaped anchor by tensioning a flexible strand; and

anchoring the tubular member to an outer surface of the meniscus with the U shaped anchor of the tubular member.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the flexible strand forming a loop of reducible length through the first end portion.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein traversing the meniscal defect with the second end portion includes forming a vascularization conduit between opposing sides of the meniscal defect.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein traversing the meniscal defect with the second end portion includes creating a vascularization path between vascular and avascular portions of the meniscus.

14. A soft tissue repair method comprising:

passing a shaft of an inserter through a longitudinal bore of a flaccidly deformable tubular member;

inserting the deformable tubular member axially through soft tissue until a first end portion of the tubular member is outside an outer surface of the soft tissue and a remaining second end portion of the tubular member extends axially inside the soft tissue; and

deforming the first end portion into a U-shaped anchor on the outer surface of the soft tissue by reducing a length of flexible strand looped around the first end portion.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein reducing the length of flexible strand looped around the first end portion includes tensioning the flexible strand.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising forming a vascularization path through the soft tissue with the remaining second end portion.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the vascularization path includes bridging vascular and avascular regions of the soft tissue with the remaining second end portion.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the vascularization path includes traversing a soft tissue defect with the remaining second end portion.