All-Suture Ligament Repair Assembly With Self-Locking Disc Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for ligament reconstruction, such as suture anchors and looped titanium plates, cause bone damage, loosen fixation, and risk secondary damage due to friction, and existing flexible materials lack sufficient fixation strength and stability.
Innovation Solution
A full-suture repair assembly with a flexible suture fixing loop plate and loop ring, utilizing a hollow tubular suture and traction line to form a self-locking, non-return structure, which deforms radially to a flat disc for enhanced fixation and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If looped titanium plates are used for extraosseous suspension fixation, then fixation strength is improved, but bone damage and secondary damage occur due to hard material contact and friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces rigid titanium plates with flexible looped suture structures that can conform to bone surfaces without causing cortical collapse. The suture material provides necessary fixation strength while being compliant enough to avoid hard-on-hard contact damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite construction combining suture material loops with anchoring mechanisms, creating a hybrid fixation system that leverages the strength of anchors and the compliance of sutures to achieve both strong fixation and bone protection.
2Stability of the object's composition
If suture anchors and full-suture anchors are used for intraosseous fixation, then fixation stability is improved, but they cannot repair cruciate ligaments of knee joints, tibiae and fibulae, acromioclavicular joints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal looped suture assembly that can be applied across multiple joint types (knee, shoulder, AC joint, etc.) by adapting the anchoring strategy to each specific anatomical location, eliminating the need for joint-specific fixation devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic adjustment capabilities where the suture tension and loop configuration can be optimized during surgery to match the specific mechanical requirements of different joints and ligament reconstruction needs.
3Reliability
If preoperative drilling of large-diameter bone tunnels is performed, then ligament graft fixation is achieved, but significant bone damage occurs making fixation prone to loosening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the fixation system into separate components (looped suture assembly and anchor) that can be positioned without requiring a single large bone tunnel, potentially allowing smaller, less damaging bone preparations while maintaining fixation reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the looped suture structure as an intermediary between the bone and the ligament graft, allowing fixation to be achieved through the soft tissue loop rather than direct rigid anchoring that would require large bone tunnels.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If flexible materials are used instead of metallic materials, then secondary damage to bones is reduced, but fixation strength and stability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible suture materials with optimized loop configurations that provide sufficient fixation strength through geometric design and tension distribution rather than relying solely on material stiffness, thereby avoiding bone damage while maintaining strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the looped circular geometry of the suture structure to distribute forces evenly around the fixation point, preventing stress concentration that would occur with straight rigid materials, thereby maintaining strength with flexible materials.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present application relates to a full-suture repair assembly for joint ligaments, including a suture fixing loop plate and a suture fixing loop ring. The suture fixing loop plate is a flexible full-suture loop plate, is of a ring structure in an initial state, and closes and contracts radially under traction to form a flat disc structure with a closed inner ring. The suture fixing loop ring is formed by back-and-forth threading of a traction line on upper and lower surfaces of the suture fixing loop plate in a thickness direction, and includes tightening segments, a non-return structure, and self-locking knots.