Tissue manipulation

Abstract

An apparatus and method for manipulating and anchoring tissue is provided. The invention is directed to solving the problem of manipulating and anchoring tissue within a joint when access to that tissue is limited, for example, during arthroscopic surgery.

Description

[0001]This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08 / 048,922, filed Apr. 15, 1993, now U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 5,417,691, hereby incorporated by reference, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07 / 192,813, filed Apr. 20, 1988, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 06 / 848,341, filed Apr. 4, 1986, now U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 4,741,330, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 06 / 496,116, filed May 19, 1983, abandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 06 / 380,043, filed May 20, 1982, now abandoned.TECHNICAL FILED[0002]This invention relates to an apparatus and method for manipulating and anchoring cartilage and similar fibrous tissue within a joint.BACKGROUND ART[0003]Conventional medical clamps have certain disadvantages when used for manipulating cartilage or other tissue within a joint during arthroscopic surgery. Primarily, the clamps have a tendency to slip off the cartilage. Additionally, the size of the cla...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]The aforementioned problems associated with use of conventional medical clamps for manipulating tissue are overcome by the present invention, which provides an apparatus and an associated method for manipulating and anchoring tissue during arthroscopic surgery. The apparatus provides adequate fixation of the tissue during such surgery and minimally interferes with the use of other instruments within the joint.

[0010]A removable shield fits over the tip of the needle to prevent the sharp tip from cutting the suture or the anchor member during the process of inserting the anchor member into the hollow needle.

[0015]With the anchor member anchored in the hole, the suture is available for securing the tissue to the bone. One way of using the suture to secure the tissue to the bone is to attach a retainer to the suture for pressing the tissue against the bone. The retainer includes resilient suture-engaging edges and corners, and is slidable along the suture in one direction, but grips the suture to resist sliding in the opposite direction. The retainer thereby holds tissue against the bone during healing so that the tissue will properly reattach to the bone.

[0016]To avoid prolonged irritation of surrounding tissues, the anchor member, suture, and retainer of the present invention may be made of material that is gradually absorbable by the body.

Problems solved by technology

Conventional medical clamps have certain disadvantages when used for manipulating cartilage or other tissue within a joint during arthroscopic surgery.

Primarily, the clamps have a tendency to slip off the cartilage.

Additionally, the size of the clamps in relation to the relatively small space within the joint makes it difficult to maneuver other surgical instruments, such as a scalpel or arthroscope, within the confined space of the joint.

Such clamps can also interfere with the view of the inside of the joint afforded by the arthroscope.

Since the clamps must be .introduced into the joint through an incision, they are limited in their range of manipulation by the location of the incision.

While in some instances it is possible to insert two needles into the joint and then thread both of them with a suture to form a loop to reattach torn parts of fibrous tissue, that procedure is undesirable because it is complex and time-consuming.

The alternative of more radical arthrotomy is also undesirable because of the increased amount of trauma and resultant increased morbidity encountered in the use of such a procedure.

None of these references discloses a method or apparatus suitable for manipulating fibrous tissue during arthroscopic surgery, or for effectively reattaching fibrous tissue to bone or to other fibrous tissue.

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