Collapsing Suture Loops for Knotless Soft-Tissue Bone Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical devices for securing soft tissue to bone, such as screws, staples, and suture anchors, cause trauma and require additional components like sleeves or thicker profiles, leading to inefficiencies and potential loss of tension due to knots, especially in soft and weak bones.
Innovation Solution
Surgical constructs with a collapsing suture loop configuration, utilizing a single filament with a coaxial region and a continuous loop, allowing terminal ends to pass through tissue with minimal trauma and secure attachment without knots, using a filament engagement feature on an anchor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional repair constructs with sleeves or thicker profiles are used, then tissue trauma is minimized during passage, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the sleeve component entirely from the construct. Instead of using a sleeve to protect tissue during passage, the invention uses a simple filament configuration where the filament itself is passed through the tissue without additional protective components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining tissue trauma minimization
Solution Approach 2:
Conventional approaches add components (sleeves) to reduce trauma, but this invention inverts the approach by using the filament's own structure and configuration to achieve trauma reduction without additional components. The filament is configured to pass through tissue in a way that minimizes trauma inherently, eliminating the need for sleeves
2Strength
If knots are used to secure tissue attachment, then strong attachment is achieved, but tension is lost and procedure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The construct uses a self-securing mechanism where the filament configuration itself provides the attachment function. The filament is passed through the tissue and secured using the construct's own structure without requiring external knots or additional securing components, thereby maintaining attachment strength while reducing procedure complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes knots from the procedure. Instead of tying knots to secure the tissue attachment, the invention uses a filament configuration that secures itself through its structural design, eliminating the need for knots and the associated tension loss and complexity
3Reliability
If multiple components and steps are used in the procedure, then secure attachment is achieved, but procedure time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single filament construct. The filament serves as both the attachment element and the securing mechanism, eliminating the need for separate components like sleeves, knots, and additional securing devices. This merging maintains attachment security while significantly reducing procedure time and complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The filament construct is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it provides tissue attachment, secures itself without knots, and minimizes tissue trauma during passage. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple separate components and steps, reducing procedure time while maintaining reliability
Data Source
AI summary
Surgical constructs and methods are provided for securing soft tissue to bone. One exemplary embodiment of a construct is formed from a suture filament and includes two terminal ends of filament and an intermediate portion disposed along at least a portion of a length extending between the terminal ends. The construct can have a first terminal end that is the first terminal end of the filament, and a second terminal end that includes a loop. The loop can be formed by disposing the second terminal end of the filament within a volume of a portion of the intermediate portion of the filament. In some disclosed methods, both terminal ends of the filament can be passed through tissue when performing soft tissue repairs. Various other embodiments of constructs and methods are provided, including constructs having two or more filaments associated with an anchor and methods of using such constructs.