Fixed Suture Construct Eliminates Knot-Tying in Soft Tissue Reconstruction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Arthroscopic procedures involving sutures and suture anchors are time-consuming and difficult due to the need for knot-tying to secure sutures to anchors, increasing procedure costs and limiting surgeon capacity.
Innovation Solution
The development of fixed suture constructs that eliminate the need for knot-tying by securing sutures to a knotless anchor, allowing free ends to be passed through soft tissue and directly anchored, reducing procedural time and enhancing surgeon efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sliding sutures requiring knot-tying are used to secure soft tissue to bone, then reliable fixation is achieved, but surgical time increases and surgeon capacity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the knot-tying step from the suture fixation process by using a pre-configured fixed suture construct where the suture is permanently attached to the anchor during manufacturing. This eliminates the time-consuming knot-tying operation while maintaining secure fixation through the factory-applied suture configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture is pre-secured to the anchor during the manufacturing process rather than during surgery. This preliminary action ensures reliable fixation is established before the surgical procedure begins, allowing the surgeon to simply insert the pre-configured construct without needing to perform knot-tying operations.
2Strength
If traditional suture anchors requiring knot-tying are used, then secure tissue attachment is achieved, but procedure complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the anchor and suture into a single integrated fixed suture construct, where the suture is permanently attached to the anchor during manufacturing. This combination eliminates the need for separate knot-tying steps and reduces procedural complexity while maintaining strong tissue attachment through the pre-configured suture-anchor assembly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If sliding sutures are used that require manual knot-securing, then adjustable tension is possible, but surgeon efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fixed suture construct provides self-service by coming pre-configured with the suture already secured to the anchor at the appropriate tension during manufacturing. The construct is designed to be inserted as-is, eliminating the need for the surgeon to perform additional securing operations, thereby maximizing surgeon efficiency and capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclose herein are suture anchor constructs. The suture anchor constructs can include an anchor, a first suture, and a second suture. The anchor can include a post and a body. The body can define a central hole extending from a trailing end of the body along a central axis towards a leading end of the body. The first suture can have a first tail, a second tail, and a first intermediate potion located proximate the post. The second suture can have a third tail, a fourth tail, and a second intermediate portion secured to the post. The first, second, third, and fourth, tails can pass through the central hole.