Forked Bone Anchor for Secure Suture Retention in Arthroscopy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone anchors for attaching suture threads or ligaments face difficulties in handling and retention due to the disturbed environment of arthroscopic surgery, particularly exacerbated by the presence of fluids, leading to increased surgery times and surgeon stress.
Innovation Solution
A bone anchor with fork-shaped ends featuring transverse notches and polar symmetry, allowing easy handling and retention of the suture thread through a bayonet-like rotation mechanism, ensuring secure fixation by engaging the thread in transverse notches and flared ends with complementary wavy edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the suture thread is inserted under pressure inside a hole in the bone using conventional anchors, then the soft tissue is constrained to the bone, but the suture thread fluctuates due to fluids making it difficult to grasp and retain during sliding
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor is divided into a body portion and a separate suture retention component (fork or clamp). This segmentation allows the retention mechanism to be specifically designed to engage the suture thread securely while the body portion provides anchoring function, thereby improving both retention reliability and ease of operation during thread insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
A fork-shaped retention component acts as an intermediary between the suture thread and the anchor body. This intermediary structure with its two prongs creates a mechanical engagement that prevents thread fluctuation and escape, while still allowing the thread to be easily inserted and positioned by the surgeon.
2Ease of operation
If the surgeon manually forks and slides the anchor along the suture thread, then the thread can be positioned, but the disturbed environment with fluids makes the thread difficult to retain during sliding
Solution Approach 1:
The suture thread is pre-positioned through the fork-shaped retention component before the anchor is inserted into the bone. This preliminary action ensures the thread is securely held in place by the fork's prongs, preventing fluctuation and making it easier to position and retain during the sliding and insertion process.
3Device complexity
If conventional anchors are used without specialized retention features, then the device structure is simple, but the suture thread escapes during surgery increasing surgery times and surgeon stress
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor design integrates multiple functions into a single device: the body portion provides anchoring in the bone, while the integrated fork-shaped retention component simultaneously secures the suture thread. This multi-functional design prevents thread escape without requiring additional separate retention devices, thereby reducing surgery time and maintaining reasonable device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A bone anchor for attaching a suture thread or ligament comprises a main body (2) extending along a longitudinal axis (A) and having a fork-shaped end portion (4). The end portion (4) is provided with a first (5) and a second fork arm (6) each extending between a constrained end (5a, 6a) and a free end (5b, 6b) and spaced apart by an axial slit (7) for receiving a suture thread (S). Said first (5) and second (6) fork arms have, at their constrained ends (5a, 6a), a transverse notch (8, 9) defining two axial retention shoulders (8a, 9a) for the suture thread (S).