Helical Bone Suture Anchor for Fixation Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for attaching and supporting sutures to bones, such as transosseous and suture anchored repairs, face challenges with mechanical and structural robustness, particularly in withstanding high biomechanical forces and repetitive loading, leading to potential failure and re-tear in soft tissue repairs.
Innovation Solution
The development of an implantable bracing apparatus with a cylindrical volume featuring one or more helices, designed to be implanted within a bone tunnel, which provides enhanced mechanical and structural support for sutures by preventing direct contact with the bone tunnel and distributing forces more effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If transosseous or suture anchored repair methods are used to re-attach torn soft tissue to bone, then the soft tissue can be reconnected to its anatomic insertion site, but the fixation may fail under high biomechanical forces and repetitive loading, leading to re-tear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a bone tunnel and suture anchor system as an intermediary between the soft tissue and bone. The bone tunnel provides a protected pathway for sutures, while the suture anchor secures the suture within the tunnel, creating a mediated connection that distributes biomechanical forces more effectively and prevents direct suture-bone contact that could lead to cutting or abrasion failure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by creating the bone tunnel and inserting the suture anchor before final soft tissue reattachment. This preliminary preparation ensures that the fixation pathway is established and secured in advance, allowing the sutures to be tensioned and locked into place before full biomechanical loading occurs during patient recovery
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple bone tunnels are created for transosseous repair to achieve proper suture routing, then soft tissue reattachment can be accomplished, but the long traverse required creates constraints and increases surgical complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the fixation system into distinct components: a single bone tunnel, a suture anchor with multiple arms or legs, and sutures. This segmentation allows the complex function of multiple tunnels to be achieved through a simpler single tunnel configuration, where the anchor's multiple arms provide the necessary routing flexibility without requiring multiple invasive bone passages
3Ease of operation
If sutures are passed through intersecting bone tunnels at angular features, then soft tissue can be reattached, but the angular features place sutures at risk for abrasive failure
Solution Approach 1:
The bone tunnel acts as a protective intermediary that guides sutures along a smooth, controlled pathway. By configuring the tunnel with appropriate geometry and using a suture anchor with rounded features, the system eliminates sharp angular contacts that would cause abrasion, while still enabling effective suture passage and tissue reattachment
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices, and methods are provided for attaching and supporting a bone suture. In particular, described herein are embodiments of implantable bracing apparatuses comprising a cylindrical volume comprising one or more helices, at least a portion of which is configured to be implanted within a bone tunnel. In some embodiments, the implantable bracing apparatus can further comprise an outer portion of the cylindrical volume configured to interface with the bone tunnel, an inner portion configured to pass one or more sutures therethrough, a first open end corresponding with a first entry of the bone tunnel, and a second open end corresponding with a second entry point of the bone tunnel.