Electrospun Polymer Fiber Patch for Bone-Soft Tissue Healing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for repairing torn or ruptured soft tissues, such as tendons or ligaments, often result in suboptimal healing and a high risk of re-rupture due to inadequate strength and quality at the bone-soft tissue interface, necessitating improved techniques to enhance the healing process.
Innovation Solution
The use of biocompatible electrospun polymer fibers, either parallel or randomly oriented, is introduced to facilitate better integration and healing at the bone-soft tissue interface by providing a scaffold for cell attachment and migration, potentially improving the formation and strength of Sharpey's fibers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional suture and suture anchor methods are used to secure soft tissue to bone, then the surgical procedure is simple and quick, but the healing quality is suboptimal and re-rupture risk is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an electrospun fiber patch as an intermediary material between the soft tissue and bone. This patch provides a scaffold that promotes tissue integration and Sharpey's fiber formation, thereby improving healing quality while maintaining relative procedural simplicity through a single-step application method.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite electrospun fiber patches combining biocompatible polymers with specific structural configurations (parallel or random fiber orientations). These composite materials provide both mechanical support and biological functionality to enhance the bone-soft tissue interface healing process.
2Strength
If electrospun polymer fiber patches are used to improve bone-soft tissue healing, then the strength and quality of the interface improve, but the device complexity and surgical procedure time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the electrospun fiber structure, including fiber diameter, fiber orientation (parallel or random), and polymer composition, to optimize interface strength. These parameter variations allow tuning of mechanical properties while maintaining the fundamental simplicity of the patch application procedure.
3Loss of time
If electrospun fiber patches are applied to enhance tissue integration, then the healing time is accelerated, but the manufacturing and application complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical suture-based fixation with an electrospun fiber patch system that utilizes electrostatic field-based fiber deposition during manufacturing. This substitution enables precise control over fiber morphology and orientation, accelerating tissue integration while the final application remains a straightforward single-step procedure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The application of electrospun polymer fibers enhances the healing process by increasing the strength and quality of the bone-soft tissue interface, as demonstrated by improved biomechanical properties and tissue integration, reducing the risk of re-rupture and accelerating the healing process.
Implementation Method 1
biocompatible electrospun polymer fibers
Data Source
AI summary
The instant disclosure is directed to methods of improving bone-soft tissue healing using biocompatible electrospun polymer fibers. In one embodiment, a method may include locating a portion of a subject's bone, affixing a tendon or ligament to the bone using a hardware fixture, and placing a patch comprising at least one electrospun polymer fiber in physical communication with both the bone and the tendon or ligament. In some embodiments, the bone may be a humerus, and the tendon or ligament may be a supraspinatus tendon. In certain embodiments, the patch may comprise substantially parallel electrospun polymer fibers, and may be placed such that the fibers are also substantially parallel with the long axis of the tendon or ligament.