Bone Pocket Anchor for Soft Tissue Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for securing soft tissues to bone in arthroscopic procedures, such as using sutures and anchors, are time-consuming and limited by the strength of the knot, which can be weaker than the suture material, especially if improperly tied.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a bone cutting tool that forms a bore and an enlarged pocket in the bone to securely anchor a fixation device, allowing for the attachment of sutures with preformed loops that resist reverse movement and maintain tension without the need for knots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sutures and anchors are used to secure soft tissues to bone, then the soft tissue can be attached to bone, but the procedure becomes time-consuming and the strength is limited by the knot
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the knot-tying step from the traditional suture-anchor procedure. By using a preformed loop suture configuration where the suture passes through itself to create a fixed loop, the need for time-consuming knot tying is removed entirely. The loop structure inherently maintains tension without requiring knots, thus resolving the contradiction between attachment strength and procedural time.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture is preformed with a loop structure before insertion into the bone. This preliminary configuration of the suture loop allows the system to maintain tension and secure the soft tissue without requiring post-insertion knot tying. The loop is created in advance during suture preparation, eliminating the time-consuming knot-tying step while maintaining reliable attachment strength.
2Strength
If traditional sutures are used, then soft tissue can be secured to bone, but the knot strength may be significantly lower than the tensile strength of the suture material
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the knot element from the attachment system entirely. By using a preformed loop where the suture passes through itself, the attachment strength is determined solely by the suture material's tensile strength and the anchor's holding capability, not by variable knot strength. This eliminates the reliability issue where improper knotting could significantly reduce the effective strength below the suture material's potential.
Solution Approach 2:
The preformed loop structure is self-tensioning and self-securing. The loop configuration automatically maintains tension on the suture without requiring external intervention for knot tying or adjustment. The suture's own geometry provides the securing mechanism, ensuring consistent strength that matches the suture material's tensile properties without the variability introduced by human knot-tying technique.
3Productivity
If a preformed loop suture is used, then knot tying is eliminated, but the loop may allow suture to translate back through the passage, relieving tension
Solution Approach 1:
The suture is configured so that one portion of the suture passes through a loop formed by another portion of the same suture, creating a nested structure. This nested configuration creates friction and mechanical interlocking that prevents the suture from translating back through the loop. The inner portion of the suture is trapped within the loop structure, maintaining tension while allowing for efficient insertion without knot tying.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for coupling a soft tissue implant into a locking cavity formed within a bone is disclosed. The method includes bringing a bone cutting tool extending along a longitudinal axis into engagement with an outer surface of the bone. The bone cutting tool is rotated about the longitudinal axis while driving it from the outer surface of the bone to a predetermined depth in the bone to form a bore. The bone cutting tool is then continuously rotated at the predetermined depth to establish an enlarged bone pocket at a distal end of the bore. The bone pocket defines a shoulder extending around a circumference between the bone pocket and bore. The bone cutting tool is removed from the bone pocket and bore. The fixation device is then inserted into the bone pocket through the bore, where it is seated against the bone pocket shoulder.