Capsule retractor

• US 9,700,291 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biomet Manufacturing, LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Biomet Sports Medicine LLC (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Norton, Daniel, Maxson, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/295,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20150342587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0218 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0281, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0404 Buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0406 Pledgets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0417 T-fasteners
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0464 for soft tissue
• 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

Abstract

An articular capsule retractor including a flexible construct, a dermal abutting member, and an anchor. The flexible construct includes a strand extending between a first end and a second end. The dermal abutting member is coupled to the flexible construct and is configured to abut a dermal layer. The anchor is coupled to the flexible construct such that the strand extends through a passageway defined by the anchor. Pulling the first end and the second end draws the dermal abutting member and the anchor together.

Claims

1. An articular capsule retractor comprising:

a flexible construct including a strand extending between a first end and a second end;

a dermal abutting member coupled to the flexible construct and configured to abut a dermal layer; and

an anchor coupled to the flexible construct such that the strand extends through a passageway defined by the anchor;

wherein pulling the first end and the second end draws the dermal abutting member and the anchor together, and wherein the flexible construct includes a first sleeve defining a first passageway and a second sleeve defining a second passageway, the strand extends through the first passageway to define a first loop, and the strand extends through the second passageway to define a second loop.

2. The articular capsule retractor of claim 1;

wherein the flexible construct is a suture construct and the strand is a suture strand.

3. The articular capsule retractor of claim 1, wherein the anchor is flexible.

4. The articular capsule retractor of claim 1, wherein the flexible construct extends through an aperture defined by the dermal abutting member.

5. The articular capsule retractor of claim 4, wherein the dermal abutting member is a button.

6. The articular capsule retractor of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first loop and the second loop extends through an aperture defined by the dermal abutting member.

7. The articular capsule retractor of claim 1, wherein both the first loop and a second loop extend through an internal passage defined by the anchor.

8. The articular capsule retractor of claim 1, further comprising a removal strand configured to remove the articular capsule retractor from cooperation with an articular capsule when pulled.

9. The articular capsule retractor of claim 8, wherein the removal strand is coupled to the anchor.

10. The articular capsule retractor of claim 9, wherein the removal strand includes a sleeve proximate to an end of the removal strand, the sleeve defining a passageway through which the removal strand extends.

11. The articular capsule retractor of claim 1, wherein the anchor is a first anchor and the passageway defined by the first anchor is a first passageway;

and

wherein the articular capsule retractor includes a second anchor defining a second passageway; and

wherein the strand extends through both the first passageway and the second passageway.

12. A method for retracting and manipulating an articular capsule comprising:

inserting an anchor of an articular capsule retractor through both a dermal layer and the articular capsule such that the anchor abuts an inner surface of the articular capsule on a side of the articular capsule opposite to the dermal layer;

arranging a flexible construct such that at least one of a first end or a second end of a strand thereof passing through the anchor is outside of the dermal layer; and

pulling at least one of the first end or the second end to draw the anchor and the articular capsule towards the dermal layer, and to manipulate the articular capsule.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising pulling the first end to close a loop of the flexible construct and draw the anchor towards the dermal layer, and draw a dermal abutting member against an outer surface of the dermal layer.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising pulling the first end to close a first loop of the flexible construct and pulling the second end to close a second loop of the flexible construct thereby drawing the anchor towards the dermal layer.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising pulling a removal strand coupled to the anchor to remove the articular capsule retractor from cooperation with the articular capsule and the dermal layer.

16. A method of moving an articular capsule comprising:

inserting an anchor through a dermal layer and an articular capsule, such that the anchor engages a portion of the articular capsule;

positioning a strand engaged to the anchor so that a first portion of the strand extends through the articular capsule and is outside of the capsule; and

moving the strand so that the anchor and the articular capsule moves towards the dermal layer.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising positioning the strand so that the first portion thereof extends through the dermal layer and is outside the dermal layer.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising passing the strand through a passage of the anchor.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising positioning first and second free ends of the strand outside of the dermal layer, and moving the first or second free end to cause the anchor and articular capsule to move towards the dermal layer.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising inserting the strand through a dermal abutting member positioned outside and adjacent to the dermal layer, and moving the strand so that the anchor and the dermal abutting member move closer together to draw the articular capsule towards the dermal layer.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising forming a loop with the strand, a first portion of which extends through the anchor and a second portion of which extends through the dermal abutting member.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising shortening the loop to draw the anchor towards the dermal abutting member.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising inserting the strand through a first sleeve and a second sleeve engaged to the strand.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising withdrawing the anchor out of the articular capsule.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the anchor has a flexible body.