Expandable Bone Anchor with Spreader for Soft Tissue Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices for attaching soft tissue to bone face challenges such as low pull-out strength, inadequate suture attachment sites, complex knot tying, and difficulty in manipulating sutures during arthroscopic procedures, leading to prolonged recovery times and surgical complications.
Innovation Solution
A bone anchor system comprising an anchor body with expandable tines and a spreader mechanism that secures sutures, allowing for easy expansion and locking into bone, along with an inserter tool for precise placement and suture management, facilitating secure tissue attachment and minimizing surgical trauma.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional staple and anchor devices are used for attaching soft tissue to bone, then the surgical procedure can be performed, but the pull-out strength is low and suture attachment sites are inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor device incorporates expandable tines that transition from a compressed delivery state to an expanded deployed state. The tines are initially contained within the anchor body during insertion, then expanded outward to engage the bone, providing dynamic adaptation that increases pull-out strength while maintaining a compact form during delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor device is divided into distinct functional components: an anchor body for suture attachment and tine expansion, multiple expandable tines for bone engagement, and a spreader mechanism for tine deployment. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together to achieve high pull-out strength.
2Reliability
If complex knot tying is required for suture attachment, then secure fixation can be achieved, but surgical time is prolonged and procedure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor device incorporates self-gripping suture attachment mechanisms where the suture is automatically secured to the anchor body through integrated features such as barbs, hooks, or friction-fit structures. This eliminates the need for manual knot tying, as the device itself performs the fixation function, significantly reducing surgical time while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture is pre-positioned and pre-secured to the anchor device before insertion into the bone. The anchor is designed with pre-formed suture attachment features that automatically engage the suture material, eliminating the need for post-insertion knot tying and streamlining the surgical procedure.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If arthroscopic techniques are used to minimize trauma, then patient recovery is accelerated, but manipulation of sutures within the surgical site becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor device is designed with a nested structure where the expandable tines are contained within the anchor body during delivery, and the suture attachment features are integrated within the anchor structure. This nested design allows the entire device to be delivered through small arthroscopic incisions while providing full functionality for suture manipulation and secure fixation within the confined surgical site.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor device serves as an intermediary between the suture material and the bone, providing a secure attachment point that is easily manipulated through arthroscopic instruments. The anchor's integrated suture attachment features allow for simple suture securing without requiring complex manual knot tying deep within the joint space, facilitating ease of operation while minimizing surgical trauma.
4Reliability
If multiple suture attachment sites are provided, then secure tissue fixation is improved, but device complexity and difficulty in handling increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple suture attachment sites are integrated into a single unified anchor body structure. The anchor incorporates multiple tines or attachment features that can all be secured with a single suture passage or knotting action, combining multiple fixation functions into one operational step. This maintains secure tissue fixation while simplifying device handling during surgery.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are methods and devices for securing soft tissue to a rigid material such as bone. A bone anchor is described that comprises an anchor body with expandable tines and a spreader that expands the tines into bone. Also disclosed is a bone anchor that comprises a base and a top such that suture material may be attached to apertures in the anchor top or else compressed between surfaces on the base and top to secure the suture to the anchor. Also described is an inserter that can be used to insert the bone anchor into bone and move the spreader relative to the anchor body attach suture material. Also described is an inserter that can be used to insert the bone anchor into bone and move the anchor top relative to the anchor body or anchor base to attach to or clamp suture material there between. Methods are described that allow use of single bone anchor to secure tissue to bone or also to use more than one bone anchor to provide multiple lengths of suture material to compress a large area of soft tissue against bone.