Angled-Spike Tendon Repair Implant for Fast Bone Reattachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical techniques for tendon avulsion injuries of the finger and hand are time-consuming, cause tendon injury and fraying, result in bulky repairs, and are limited by bone quality, leading to complications such as nail deformities and inadequate fixation.
Innovation Solution
A tendon repair implant with an elongated substrate and angled spikes for secure tendon-to-bone attachment, along with surgical instruments like a drill guide and retainer for precise implantation, minimizing tendon handling and bulkiness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If locking sutures are used to prevent cutting through, then fixation strength is improved, but surgical time increases and tendon injury occurs due to multiple handling
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is pre-configured with attachment features and spike geometry designed to achieve secure fixation in a single placement action, eliminating the need for multiple suture tightening steps while maintaining strong fixation
2Strength
If locking sutures are used to prevent cutting through, then fixation strength is improved, but tendon injury and fraying occur due to multiple handling
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is pre-configured with attachment features and spike geometry designed to achieve secure fixation in a single placement action, eliminating the need for multiple suture tightening steps while maintaining strong fixation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the tendon from the problematic suture-looping process entirely, using instead a direct implant placement with spikes that engage the tendon in a single motion, removing the source of repeated mechanical trauma
3Reliability
If grasping sutures are used, then tendon attachment is achieved, but bulky repair results with limited bone-tendon interface
Solution Approach 1:
The solution transitions from a voluminous soft-tissue-based suture construct to a planar implant geometry with spikes that distribute attachment forces across a broader bone surface area, achieving reliable fixation without bulk
4Reliability
If button-over-nail technique is used, then tendon to bone fixation is achieved, but nail deformities and infections occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the nail and button components entirely from the fixation system, using instead a direct bone-to-implant spike attachment mechanism that achieves reliable fixation without introducing foreign bodies into the nail bed or soft tissues where they could cause deformities or infections
5Reliability
If bone anchors are used, then tendon reattachment is achieved, but pull-out strength is inadequate in poor bone quality
Solution Approach 1:
The implant features spikes with varying geometries and angles designed to optimize local engagement with the tendon tissue, creating high-friction interfaces that prevent pull-out even in bones with suboptimal quality
Data Source
AI summary
A tendon repair implant and related surgical instruments are disclosed. The tendon repair implant has an elongated substrate with a convex side and a concave side with a plurality of spikes protruding from the concave side at an angle that optimally retains a. tendon to the bone that the tendon repair implant is subsequently attached to. A surgical retainer for the tendon repair implant is also provided that releasably retains the tendon repair implant during surgery and implantation, A drill guide instrument for the tendon repair implant Is also provided that allows the surgeon to precisely place fastening holes in the bone prior to implantation of the tendon repair implant.