Soft tissue repair device and associated methods

• US 7,909,851 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• 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: Stone, Kevin T., Sautter, Nathan M., Holst, Andrew, Kaiser, Ryan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; (Jackie) Tan-Uyen T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dornbusch; Dianne
• Application Number:
  US12/014,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 606/300, 606213-216, 606/233, 606/232, 623/13.11, 623/14.12
• 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 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 for applying suture clamps, clips or locks A61B2017/0488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0414 having a suture-receiving opening, e.g. lateral opening lateral eyelet for attaching suture to needle A61B2017/06019
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0445 cannulated, e.g. with a longitudinal through-hole for passage of an instrument
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• 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 hollow suture needles A61B2017/061
• 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 soft tissue repair device. The device includes an inserter having a distal portion, a first anchor carried externally onto the distal portion, a second anchor carried externally onto the distal portion, and a flexible strand coupling the first and second anchors and forming an adjustable knotless loop.

Claims

1. A soft tissue repair device comprising:

an inserter having a distal portion;

a first flexible sleeve anchor preloaded and carried externally on the distal portion, wherein the first flexible sleeve having first and second ends, and wherein the distal portion of the inserter pierces through the first flexible sleeve anchor between the first and second ends;

a second flexible sleeve anchor preloaded and carried externally on the distal portion behind the first flexible sleeve anchor, wherein the second flexible sleeve anchor having first and second ends, and wherein the distal portion of the inserter pierces through the second flexible sleeve anchor between the first and second ends; and

a flexible strand coupling the first and second flexible sleeve anchors and forming an adjustable knotless loop.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the flexible strand passes through first and second openings of each of the first and second flexible sleeves anchors defining anchoring leg portions between the first and second openings and the corresponding first and second ends of each of the first and second flexible sleeves.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising an anchor deploying member coupled to the inserter and operable to deploy of the first and second flexible sleeve anchors the inserter.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the flexible strand is braided and includes first and second ends and a longitudinal passage.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the first end of the flexible strand is inserted through a portion of the longitudinal passage for forming the adjustable knotless loop.

6. A soft tissue repair device comprising:

an inserter having a distal portion and defining an open longitudinal channel;

a first deformable anchor having first and second ends, wherein the first deformable anchor is pierced through between the first and second ends by the distal portion and carried externally on the distal portion in a bent U-shape and outside the longitudinal channel;

a second deformable anchor having first and second ends, wherein the second deformable anchor is carried externally on the distal portion in a bent U-shape and outside the longitudinal channel;

a deploying member movable axially within the longitudinal channel for deploying the first and second deformable anchors sequentially; and

a flexible strand coupling the first and second deformable anchors and forming an adjustable knotless loop.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the flexible strand is braided and includes first and second ends and a longitudinal passage between the first and second ends of the flexible strand.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the first end of the flexible strand is inserted through a portion of the longitudinal passage of the flexible strand for forming the adjustable knotless loop.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the flexible strand passes through a portion of an internal passage of each of the first and second deformable anchors.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the flexible strand passes through first and second openings of each of the first and second deformable anchors defining anchoring leg portions between the first and second openings and the corresponding first and second ends of each of the first and second deformable anchors.

11. The soft tissue repair device of claim 6, further comprising a tubular depth limiting device and an adjustment actuator for moving the inserter relative to the depth limiting device.

12. A soft tissue repair device comprising:

an inserter having a distal portion with a sharp edge and defining an open longitudinal channel;

a first deformable anchor having first and second ends, wherein the first deformable anchor is pierced through between the first and second ends by the distal portion of the inserter and carried externally on the distal portion of the inserter;

a second deformable anchor having first and second ends, wherein the second deformable anchor is pierced through between the first and second ends by the distal portion of the inserter and carried externally on the distal portion of the inserter behind the first deformable anchor;

a deploying member movable axially within the longitudinal channel for deploying the first and second deformable anchors sequentially; and

a flexible strand coupling the first and second deformable anchors and forming an adjustable knotless loop, the flexible strand including first and second ends and a longitudinal passage between the first and second ends, wherein the first end of the flexible strand is inserted through a portion of the longitudinal passage of the flexible strand for forming the adjustable knotless loop.

13. The soft tissue repair device of claim 12, wherein the deploying member includes an elastically deformable projection positioned between the first and second deformable anchors before the deployment of the first deformable anchor.

14. The soft tissue repair device of claim 13, wherein the inserter is coupled to a handle, the handle including a slider operable for moving axially the deploying member.

15. The soft tissue repair device of claim 13, wherein the elastically deformable projection is compressed inward and passes through the second deformable anchor when the deploying member is retracted.

16. The soft tissue repair device of claim 12, further comprising a tubular depth limiting device and an adjustment actuator for moving the inserter relative to the depth limiting device.

17. A soft tissue repair device comprising:

an inserter having a distal portion with a sharp edge and defining an open longitudinal channel;

a first flexible anchoring sleeve having first and second open ends and internal passage between the first and open second ends, the first flexible anchoring sleeve pierced through by the sharp edge between the first and second open ends and carried externally on the distal portion in a bent U-shape;

a flexible strand passing through a portion of the internal passage of the first flexible anchoring sleeve; and

a deploying member movable axially within the longitudinal channel for deploying the first flexible anchoring sleeve out of the inserter.

18. The soft tissue repair device of claim 17, further comprising:

a second flexible anchor sleeve having first and second ends and internal passage between the first and second ends, the second flexible anchoring sleeve pierced through by the sharp edge between the first and second ends and carried externally onto the distal portion in a bent U-shape behind the first flexible anchoring sleeve; and

the flexible strand coupling the first and second flexible anchoring sleeves and forming an adjustable knotless loop, the flexible strand including first and second ends and a longitudinal passage between the first and second ends, wherein the first end of the flexible strand is inserted through a portion of the longitudinal passage of the flexible strand for forming the adjustable knotless loop.

19. The soft tissue repair device of claim 18, wherein the deploying member includes an elastically deformable projection positioned behind and against the first anchoring sleeve before the deployment of the first anchoring sleeve.

20. The soft tissue repair device of claim 19, wherein the inserter is coupled to a handle, the handle including a slider operable for axially moving the deploying member.

21. The soft tissue repair device of claim 19, wherein the elastically deformable projection is compressed inward and passes through the second anchoring sleeve when the deploying member is retracted.

22. The soft tissue repair device of claim 17, further comprising a tubular depth limiting device and an adjustment actuator for moving the inserter relative to the depth limiting device.