Implant for injured tendon of digitus manus

• US 5,897,591 A
• Filed: 01/07/1998
• Issued: 04/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Masanori Kobayashi
• Original Assignee: Masanori Kobayashi
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): SNOW, BRUCE EDWARD
• Application Number:
  US09/003,601
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 623/13, 623/11, 623/12, 606/151, 606/152, 600/37
• US Class Current: 623/13.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1146 of tendons
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/08 Muscles; Tendons; Ligaments sutures A61B17/04

Abstract

An implant for an injured tendon of a digitus manus having a tube-shaped body with obliquely angled opposite ends made of a macromolecule polyvinyl alcohol family having characteristics of a long life to a living organism and a low reactivity to a foreign body, for example, macromolecule polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel. An injured tendon of a digitus manus is inserted into and passed through inside of the implant so as to function for suture and cure of the injured tendon, and for convalescence such as preventing the sutured tendon from coalescing with its ambient living organism. More specifically, since the sutured portion of the tendon is inserted into and surrounded by the implant, coalescence of the sutured portion of the tendon with the ambient skin is prevented and soft tissue does not get hurt because of the moisture contents of the implant, thereby to avoid dysfunction.

Claims

1. An implant for repair of an injured tendon of a digitus manus, comprising a tube-shaped body having opposite ends angled obliquely such that said tube-shaped body has, viewed from a side, a trapezoidal shape, said tube-shaped body being made of a material selected from the family consisting of macromolecule polyvinyl alcohols, said implant being sized and configured to allow an injured tendon of a digitus manus to be inserted and passed therethrough, said implant facilitating suture of the injured tendon and convalescence, while avoiding coalescing of the sutured tendon with ambient living organisms.

2. An implant according to claim 1, wherein said material of the tube-shaped body is a macromolecule polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel.

3. An implant according to claim 1, wherein said tube-shaped body has a circular cross-section.

4. An implant according to claim 1, wherein said tube-shaped body is substantially transparent.

5. An implant according to claim 1, wherein said tube-shaped body has a radial wall thickness at a short side of the trapezoidal shape which is less than a radial wall thickness at an opposite long side of the trapezoidal shape.

6. An implant according to claim 5, wherein a ratio of a length of said short side to a length of said opposite long side is approximately 5/7.