Soft tissue repair device and associated methods

• US 7,905,904 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• 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: Sautter, Nathan M., Holst, Andrew, Kaiser, Ryan A., Stone, Kevin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; (Jackie) Tan-Uyen T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dornbusch; Dianne
• Application Number:
  US12/014,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 606/300, 606213-216, 606/232, 606/60, 623/13.11, 623/14.12
• 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 and associated method. The device includes an inserter having a solid distal portion defining an external surface, and a single anchor carried solely on the external surface of the distal portion of the inserter. The method includes preloading a first anchor externally onto a first inserter, passing the first inserter from a first side to a second side of the fibrous tissue at a first location, delivering the first anchor on the second side of the fibrous tissue, and retracting the first inserter away from the tissue.

Claims

1. A method of repairing fibrous tissue comprising:

preloading a first anchor formed of a flexible material in a folded U-shape onto an external groove defined on an external surface of a first inserter movably coupled to a handle, wherein the external groove is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the first inserter;

preloading a second anchor onto an external groove on a second inserter movably coupled to the handle;

coupling a flexible strand between the first and second anchors;

moving the first inserter to a deployment position relative to the second inserter;

passing the first inserter through a fibrous tissue from a first side of the fibrous tissue to a second side of the fibrous tissue at a first location;

delivering the first anchor on the second side of the fibrous tissue;

retracting the first inserter away from the fibrous tissue;

moving the second inserter to a deployment position relative to the first inserter;

passing the second inserter through the fibrous tissue from the first side of the fibrous tissue to the second side of the fibrous tissue at a second location;

delivering the second anchor on the second side of the fibrous tissue;

retracting the second inserter away from the fibrous tissue; and

tensioning the flexible strand between the first and second anchors.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising discarding the first and second inserters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling a flexible strand between the first and second anchors comprises forming an adjustable knotless loop, the loop passing through a portion of each of the first and second anchors.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein forming an adjustable knotless loop comprises passing a first end of the flexible strand through a longitudinal passage defined in a portion of the flexible strand.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising self-locking the adjustable knotless loop without tying a knot.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein preloading the second anchor onto the external groove on the second inserter comprises:

forming the second anchor from flexible material; and

folding the second anchor in a U-shape over an external groove transversely defined on an external surface of the second inserter.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein tensioning the flexible strand between the first and second anchors comprises separately deforming each of the first and second anchors from a first shape to a second shape.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the first inserter to a deployment position relative to the second inserter comprises operating a first slider coupled to the handle and the first inserter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein moving the second inserter to a deployment position relative to the first inserter comprises operating a second slider coupled to the handle and the second inserter.

10. A method of repairing fibrous tissue comprising:

folding a first flexible tubular anchor in a U-shape over an external groove defined on an external surface of a first inserter, wherein the external groove is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the first inserter;

folding a second flexible tubular anchor in a U-shape over an external groove defined on an external surface of a second inserter, wherein the external groove is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the second inserter;

coupling a flexible strand having first and second ends between the first and second flexible tubular anchors;

forming an adjustable knotless loop on the flexible strand by passing one of the first and second ends through a portion of a longitudinal passage of the flexible strand;

moving the first inserter to a deployment position relative to the second inserter;

passing the first inserter through the fibrous tissue from a first side of the fibrous tissue to a second side of fibrous tissue at a first location;

delivering the first flexible tubular anchor on the second side of the fibrous tissue;

retracting the first inserter away from the tissue;

moving the second inserter to a deployment position relative to the first inserter;

passing the second inserter from the first side to the second side of the fibrous tissue at a second location;

delivering the second flexible tubular anchor on the second side of the fibrous tissue;

retracting the second inserter away from the fibrous tissue;

tensioning the flexible strand between the first and second flexible tubular anchors; and

tightening the adjustable loop.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein coupling a flexible strand between the first and second anchors includes passing the flexible strand through portions of the first and second flexible tubular anchors.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein coupling a flexible strand between the first and second flexible tubular anchors includes passing the flexible strand through a portion of a longitudinal bore between first and second openings of each flexible tubular anchor, the first and second openings intermediate first and second ends of each of the first and second flexible tubular anchors.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein tightening the adjustable loop includes forming anchoring leg portions between the first and second openings and the first and second ends of the corresponding first and second flexible tubular anchors, the method further comprising engaging the corresponding anchoring leg portions of each of the first and second flexible tubular anchors to the second side of the fibrous tissue.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein moving the first inserter to a deployment position relative to the second inserter comprises operating a first slider coupled between a handle and the first inserter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein moving the second inserter to a deployment position relative to the first inserter comprises operating a second slider coupled between the handle and the second inserter.

16. A method of repairing fibrous tissue comprising:

folding a first flexible tubular anchor in a U-shape over an external groove defined on an external surface of a first inserter movably coupled to a handle, wherein the external groove is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the first inserter;

folding a second flexible tubular anchor in a U-shape over an external groove defined on an external surface of a second inserter movably coupled to the handle, wherein the external groove is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the second inserter;

coupling a flexible strand having first and second ends between the first and second flexible tubular anchors;

forming an adjustable knotless loop on the flexible strand by passing one of the first and second ends through a portion of a longitudinal passage of the flexible strand;

moving the first inserter to a deployment position relative to the second inserter by operating a first slider coupled to the handle;

passing the first inserter through a fibrous tissue defect from a first side to a second side of a fibrous tissue at a first location;

delivering the first flexible tubular anchor on the second side of the fibrous tissue;

retracting the first inserter away from the tissue;

moving the second inserter to a deployment position relative to the first inserter by operating a second slider coupled to the handle;

passing the second inserter through a fibrous tissue defect from the first side to the second side of the fibrous tissue at a second location;

delivering the second flexible tubular anchor on the second side of the fibrous tissue;

retracting the second inserter away from the fibrous tissue;

tensioning the flexible strand between the first and second flexible tubular anchors;

tightening the adjustable loop; and

reducing the fibrous tissue defect.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising prioritizing the deployment of one of the first and second inserters relative to the other one of the first and second inserters.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein prioritizing the deployment of one of the first and second inserters relative to the other one of the first and second inserters further comprises moving first and second posts along first and second curved tracks associated with the first and second sliders.