150 results about "Rotator cuff" patented technology

A chain of loops of braided high strength suture for soft tissue to bone fixation. The suture chain is advantageous for use in knotless fixation of soft tissue to bone, and can be used for knotless side-to-side suturing of U-shaped defects, such as rotator cuff tears. The soft tissue to bone fixation includes: (i) providing a first medial row constructed with a first plurality of fixation devices, at least one of the first plurality of fixation devices being an anchor; (ii) providing a second lateral row constructed with a second plurality of fixation devices, at least one of the second plurality of fixation devices being a knotless fixation device, (iii) providing a suture loop construct that includes at least two loops formed of and connected by suture; and (iv) fixating the suture loop construct so that it extends over the soft tissue and is secured in place by at least one of the fixation devices or anchors.

A knotless tissue fixation (such as an arthroscopic rotator cuff repair) with a criss-cross suture pattern. The criss-cross pattern is obtained by (i) providing a first medial row constructed with a first plurality of fixation devices, at least one of the first plurality of fixation devices being an anchor; (ii) providing a second lateral row constructed with a second plurality of fixation devices, at least one of the second plurality of fixation devices being a knotless fixation device; and (iii) providing a structure formed of suture, suture chain, tape or allograft/biological component, and extending the structure in a criss-cross pattern, over the soft tissue, so that the structure is secured in place by the anchors.

A method, system and device for securing a repair, such as a rotator cuff repair and includes an anchor placed within a hole formed in bone and a cannulated screw inserted into the hole after the anchor has been inserted to effectuate a firm and secure connection of tissue to bone, particularly when the quality of the bone does not permit optimal fixation. The method, system and device allows superior tissue fixation to bone with the ease of knotless suture anchor application.

A device for delivering an allograft patch through a cannula provides for feeding of the device and the allograft patch through the cannula and provides for deploying of the allograft patch after feeding through the cannula.

Implant delivery systems for delivering sheet-like implants include a delivery shaft, an implant expander, a sheath, and a sheet-like implant. In some embodiments, the delivery shaft has a proximal end and a distal end. The implant expander is mounted to the distal end of the delivery shaft. The implant expander includes a central portion and a plurality of leg portions radiating from the central portion. The implant expander is evertable between an unstressed configuration in which a distal surface of the implant expander defines a concave surface, and a first compact configuration in which the distal surface of the implant expander defines a convex surface. The implant expander has a first lateral extent when the implant expander is free to assume the unstressed configuration. The sheath defines a lumen having a lumen diameter. At least a portion of the delivery shaft is slidably disposed in the lumen. The lumen diameter is smaller than the first lateral extent of the implant expander so that the sheath holds the implant expander in the first compact configuration when slidably disposed therein. The sheet-like implant overlays at least a portion of the distal surface of the implant expander with portions of the sheet-like implant extending between the leg portions of the implant expander and the sheath. Methods of treating a rotator cuff of a shoulder are also disclosed.

A device has been developed to augment the rotator cuff tendon tissue as it proceeds in healing. The device has two purposes: to provide initial stability to the rotator cuff repair site to allow early mobilization of the upper extremity of the patient, and to allow for reinforcement of rotator cuff tendon repairs to increase the likelihood of successful rotator cuff tendon repairs. The device consists of an inter-connected, open pore structure that enables even and random distribution and in-growth of tendon cells. The braided structure allows for distribution of mechanical forces over a larger area of tissue at the fixation point(s).

A method and adjustable apparatus for stabilizing and strengthening the shoulder muscles and rotator cuff provides an active range of motion activities that can be performed with or without resistance. In particular, the method and apparatus provide for scapular retraction and protraction, shoulder flexion, extension, adduction and abduction, as well as internal and external shoulder rotation, performed horizontally and vertically. All of these motions are beneficial to the shoulder joint because they allow the joint to move freely throughout its normal range of motion using natural mechanics of the rotator cuff and surrounding muscles. The method and apparatus provide the essential benefit of stabilizing the shoulder and rotator cuff throughout these motions so that the user's range of motion and strength building is optimized. The method and apparatus also provide for self myofascial release techniques to decrease spasm.

A suture anchor is disclosed which has an elongated body having a distal end, a proximal end and an exterior surface. An axially oriented bore extends into the body from the proximal end and a proximal portion of the bore has a plurality of abutment surfaces for engaging a tool. The bore includes one or more axially oriented suture passages leading to a suture attachment within the bore. A length of suture extends into the at least one suture passage from the body proximal end and extends to the suture attachment. A screw thread spirals about a portion of the exterior surface of the body adjacent the at least one suture passage. Between the bore and the exterior surface of the body the body has a wall thickness and wherein the suture passage comprises the area where the wall thickness goes to zero.

A fixation suture device (12) wherein an anchor (1) has a top (6), a core (2) and a tip (5) and external threads (4) located on the anchor core (2). An anchor aperture (3) is located on the anchor (1) for acceptance of sutures (13). To use the device (12), a surgeon passes the sutures (13) through a rotator cuff tendon (14). Then, the sutures (13) are passed through the anchor aperture (3) and the anchor tip (5) is positioned against a humerus (21) via a handle (22) and cannula (23). The surgeon pushes downward on the handle (22) to provide a downward force on the anchor (1) while pulling upward on the sutures (13) in order to produce a desired tension on the rotator cuff tendon (14). The surgeon rotates the anchor (1) into the humerus (21) while maintaining tension on the sutures (13). As the anchor (1) is rotated deeper and deeper into the humerus (21), the sutures (13) secured to the rotator cuff tendon (14) wind around the anchor core (2), thereby pulling the rotator cuff tendon (14) closer and closer to the anchor (1). When the anchor top (6) is in alignment with or located below the humerus (21), the sutures (13) wrap around the sutures (13) held by the surgeon to create a wrap (24).

There is provided a device for use in making an arthroscopic rotator cuff repair comprising an awl having a gripping portion and a shaft for transmitting force to a hooked bone-penetrating portion for forming bone tunnels, the bone-penetrating portion having a sharp tip. The awl may also function as a suture passer and comprise an eyelet situated below the tip for receiving a suture and passing it through the curved bone tunnel. A kit comprising a suture passer of substantially the same shape and of a size as the awl is also provided to pass suture through the bone tunnel formed by the awl. The suture passer is preferably blunt. Methods of using the device and kit are also provided. The method may comprise piercing the bone in a first and second location to form a bone tunnel of substantially continuous curvature and passing a suture therethrough.

The invention provides a tendon or ligament prosthesis having an undeployed configuration and a deployed configuration. The prosthesis has a resistance to tension in the undeployed configuration that is less than its resistance to tension in the deployed configuration. In the deployed configuration, the prosthesis is capable of twisting and bending. In one embodiment, the prosthesis has a meshwork of filaments woven, knitted or braided into a slender cylinder. In this embodiment, the prosthesis attains the deployed configuration by stretching the prosthesis from its undeployed configuration. The prosthesis may be used, for example, to replace an anterior or posterior cruciate ligament or to treat acromioclavicular joint separation, a rotator cuff tear, lateral collateral ligament tears, medial collateral ligament tears, or medial patello-femoral ligament tears. The invention also provides a method for replacing a tendon or ligament using the prosthesis of the invention.

A drill guide assembly for drilling a tunnel having a fixed, non-zero radius of curvature, where the drill guide assembly includes a housing and a sleeve, or cutting tube, configured to reciprocate within the distal portion where the sleeve, or cutting tube, is configured to receive a bone cutting instrument.

A trans-soft tissue anchor implantation system in one embodiment includes a positioning wire having a tissue penetrating distal tip, a cannula for passage through the soft tissue and a suture anchor. The cannula has an axial lumen therethrough sized to accommodate at least the positioning wire, a thin-walled distal portion and a tissue engaging feature, such as an arcuate groove, on at least a portion of an outer surface of the cannula proximal of and adjacent to the distal portion. Tissue, such as a tendon, expands into the groove allowing a surgeon to manipulate the tissue with the cannula.

Methods and devices are provided for forming bone tunnels. In general, the methods and devices allow multiple converging tunnels to be formed in bone, such as in an arthroscopic surgical procedure, e.g., a rotator cuff repair surgical procedure. One or more sutures can be advanced through the converging tunnels, and the suture(s) can be coupled to tissue. The suture(s) with the tissue coupled thereto can be tensioned, thereby helping to maximize an amount of the tissue in contact with the bone. In an exemplary embodiment, a guide device is provided that can be configured to allow a first tunnel to be formed in bone and to allow a plurality of additional tunnels to be formed in the bone at predetermined angular positions relative to the first tunnel such that each of the additional tunnels can extend transverse to the first tunnel and intersect the first tunnel.