Method for implanting soft tissue

• US 8,672,968 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2010
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• 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., Meridew, Jason D.
• Primary Examiner(s): McDermott, Corrine M
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANG, PHONG SON H
• Application Number:
  US12/702,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20100145384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06166 Sutures suture materials A61L17/00; manufacture of artificial threads D01D; treatment of threads D06M
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00336 with a protective sleeve, e.g. retractable or slidable
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00858 high friction or non-slip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/044 with a threaded shaft, e.g. screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0458 Longitudinal through hole, e.g. suture blocked by a distal suture knot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0477 with pre-tied sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0496 for tensioning sutures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/06185 hollow or tubular
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0811 Fixation devices for tendons or ligaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/0882 Anchor in or on top of a bone tunnel, i.e. a hole running through the entire bone

Abstract

A suture construction and method for forming a suture construction is disclosed. The construction utilizes a suture having an enlarged central body portion defining a longitudinal passage. First and second ends of the suture are passed through first and second apertures associated with the longitudinal passage to form a pair of loops. Portions of the suture lay parallel to each other within the suture. Application of tension onto the suture construction causes constriction of the longitudinal passage, thus preventing relative motions of the captured portions of the suture.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a flexible member construct for use in surgical implantation, comprising:

passing a first end of a flexible member through a first aperture defined in the flexible member into a first passage portion defined by the flexible member and out a second aperture defined by the flexible member so as to place the first end outside of the first passage portion;

passing a second end of the flexible member through a third aperture defined in the flexible member and into a second passage portion defined by the suture and out a fourth aperture defined by the flexible member so as to place the second end outside of the second passage portion to form the flexible member construct; and

coupling the flexible member construct to a fastener.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising passing the first end of the flexible member into and through the first passage portion to form a first adjustable loop;

and

passing the second end of the flexible member into and through the second passage portion to form a second adjustable loop.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second adjustable loops include first and second self-locking adjustable loops.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising interconnecting the first and second adjustable loops to each other.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising applying tension to the first and second ends to reduce a size of the first and second adjustable loops relative to the respective first and second passage portions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the flexible member includes a suture formed from braided or woven fibers.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising forming the first, second, third and fourth apertures between the fibers of the suture.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising forming the first, second, third and fourth apertures as separate apertures.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming the first and second passage portions as separate passage portions spaced apart from each other.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the flexible member construct to the fastener includes coupling the flexible member construct to a bore defined in the fastener such that the fastener is adjacent the first and second passage portions.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising slidably coupling a second fastener to the first and second adjustable loops.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second passage portions are overlapping.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first aperture is the same aperture as the third aperture, and wherein the second aperture is the same aperture as the fourth aperture.

14. A method for configuring a flexible member construct for use in surgical implantation, comprising:

providing a flexible member having a body extending between first and second ends;

passing the flexible member through a bore defined in a fastener;

passing the first end of the flexible member through a first opening defined by the flexible member body so as to be within the body of the flexible member and out through a second opening defined by the flexible member body so as to place the first end outside of the flexible member body to form a first adjustable loop; and

passing the second end of the flexible member through a third opening defined by the flexible member body so as to be within the body of the flexible member and out through a fourth opening defined by the flexible member body so as to place the second end outside of the flexible member body to form a second adjustable loop.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein providing a flexible member includes providing a suture formed from braided or woven fibers of material.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first, second, third and fourth openings are apertures formed between the fibers.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first, second, third and fourth openings are separate openings.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising coupling the fastener to the flexible member construct such that the first and second adjustable loops extend from the fastener.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising passing the first end of the flexible member through a first passage portion and passing the second end of the flexible member through a second passage portion to form the first and second adjustable loops, respectively, further comprising positioning the first and second passage portions adjacent the fastener.

20. A method for configuring a flexible member construct for use in surgical implantation, comprising:

passing a flexible member through a bore defined in a fastener;

passing a first end of the flexible member through a first aperture in the flexible member into a first passage portion defined by the flexible member and out through a second aperture so as to place the first end outside of the first passage portion to form a first adjustable loop;

passing a second end of the flexible member through a third aperture in the flexible member into a second passage portion defined by the flexible member and through a fourth aperture so as to place the second end outside of the second passage portion to form a second adjustable loop;

positioning the fastener relative to a surface of a bone;

coupling soft tissue to the first and second adjustable loops; and

tensioning the first and second ends to reduce a size of the first and second loops to draw the soft tissue toward the fastener.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising interconnecting the first and second adjustable loops to each other.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first and second adjustable loops include first and second self-locking adjustable loops.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein tensioning the first and second ends to reduce a size of the first and second loops to draw the soft tissue toward the fastener includes self-locking the first and second adjustable loops under tension to maintain the reduced size.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising forming the first and second passage portions as separate passage portions spaced apart from each other.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the flexible member includes a suture formed from braided or woven fibers, and wherein the first, second, third, and fourth apertures are formed between the fibers of the suture.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the first, second, third and fourth apertures are formed as apertures in a body of the flexible member.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein passing a flexible member through a bore defined in the fastener includes coupling the fastener to the flexible member construct adjacent the first and second passage portions.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising coupling a second fastener to the first and second adjustable loops of the flexible member construct.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein positioning the fastener relative to a surface of the bone includes positioning the fastener relative to an outer surface of a femur.

30. A method of configuring a suture construct for use in surgical implantation, comprising:

forming a tibial tunnel in a tibia;

forming a femoral tunnel in a femur;

positioning a fastener having first and second flexible member constructs extending therefrom through the femoral tunnel, the first and second flexible member constructs each including a self-locking adjustable loop coupled to the fastener and free ends extending therefrom;

passing a graft over the self-locking adjustable loops;

positioning the fastener on an outside surface of the femur adjacent an end of the femoral tunnel such that the free ends of the first and second flexible member constructs extend out an opposite end of the femoral tunnel adjacent the tibia;

fastening the graft to the tibia;

tensioning the free ends of the first and second flexible member constructs to reduce a size of the self-locking adjustable loops to tension the graft relative to the fastener.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first and second flexible member constructs include first and second suture constructs.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein fastening the graft to the tibia includes fastening free ends of the graft to the tibia with a second fastener.

33. A method of configuring a suture construct for use in surgical implantation, comprising:

forming a tibial tunnel in a tibia;

forming a femoral tunnel in a femur;

positioning a fastener having a flexible member construct extending therefrom through the femoral tunnel, the flexible member construct including first and second self-locking adjustable loops coupled to the fastener and free ends extending therefrom;

passing a graft over the self-locking adjustable loops;

positioning the fastener on an outside surface of the femur adjacent an end of the femoral tunnel such that the free ends of the flexible member construct extend out an opposite end of the femoral tunnel adjacent the tibia;

fastening the graft to the tibia; and

tensioning the free ends of the flexible member construct to reduce a size of the self-locking adjustable loops to tension the graft relative to the fastener.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the flexible member construct is a suture construct.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein fastening the graft to the tibia includes fastening free ends of the graft to the tibia with a second fastener.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the flexible member construct includes a first passage portion defined by the flexible member and a second passage portion defined by the flexible member, where a first end of the flexible member is passed through the first passage portion to form the first self-locking adjustable loop and the second end of the flexible member is passed through the second passage portion to define the second self-locking adjustable loop, wherein the fastener is positioned adjacent to the first and second passage portions and opposite the graft passed over the self-locking adjustable loops.