Flexible Suture Construct with Adjustable Loops for Soft Tissue Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for securing soft tissues to bones or other tissues often lack effective engagement and stability, leading to inadequate fixation and potential failure over time.
Innovation Solution
The use of flexible suture constructs with adjustable loops and tensioning members that are self-locking, allowing for secure attachment of soft tissues to bones or other tissues by creating tension and compressing the tissues together with a locking member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional suture methods are used to secure soft tissues, then the procedure is simple, but the fixation stability and engagement effectiveness are inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The suture construct is divided into multiple functional segments: adjustable loops for tissue engagement, tensioning members for force application, and locking members for stability. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity by making the complexity functional rather than arbitrary.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture construct incorporates dynamic elements including adjustable loops that can be cinched to different degrees, tensioning members that can be selectively activated, and locking members that transition from engaged to locked states. This dynamics allows the system to adapt to varying tissue types and surgical requirements while maintaining high fixation stability.
2Reliability
If adjustable loops with tensioning members are used, then secure attachment and tension maintenance are achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The suture construct employs a nested architecture where locking members are positioned within adjustable loops, and tensioning members are integrated within the loop structures. This nesting consolidates multiple functions into a compact configuration, reducing the effective device complexity while maintaining attachment security and tension maintenance capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable loops are designed to be self-cinching through the interaction between the loop structure and locking member, and the tensioning members automatically maintain tension through their elastic or pre-loaded properties. This self-service mechanism reduces the need for continuous external adjustment, effectively managing device complexity while ensuring reliable attachment.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If locking members are used to compress tissues, then fixation durability is enhanced, but the operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking members are pre-configured within the adjustable loops during manufacturing, and the suture construct is pre-assembled with all components in their correct positions. This preliminary action allows the surgeon to simply pull and lock the mechanism during surgery without complex assembly steps, enhancing fixation durability while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism replaces complex mechanical fastening systems with a simpler pull-and-lock action. The locking member engages with the adjustable loop through a straightforward mechanical interaction that requires minimal surgical skill and time, yet provides durable fixation through effective tissue compression.
Data Source
AI summary
A tissue fixation apparatus can include a flexible construct and an elongated locking member. The flexible construct can include at least two adjustable loops and tensioning members. The two adjustable loops can be configured to pass through the first tissue, and to be spaced apart along an outer surface of the first tissue in a first direction. The tensioning members can extend from the two adjustable loops, and can be configured to reduce the two adjustable loops from a first size to a second size. The flexible construct can be attached to the second tissue by an anchor. The locking member can be configured to be received within the two adjustable loops at the first size, and to engage the two adjustable loops at the second size.