Hemi-Collateral Ligament Graft for Small Joint Repair
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for ligament reconstruction in small joints, such as those in the hand and wrist, often rely on tendon autografts which can lead to donor site morbidity and material property mismatches, resulting in inadequate long-term functionality due to the inherent differences between tendons and ligaments.
Innovation Solution
The development of ligament-derived grafts, specifically allografts from collateral knee ligaments, which are cut to form hemi-collateral ligaments suitable for small joints, providing a biocompatible alternative that replicates native ligament anatomy and biomechanics, eliminating the need for tendon autografts and reducing donor site morbidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tendon autografts are used for ligament reconstruction, then the procedure is feasible and provides structural replacement, but donor site morbidity occurs and material property mismatches lead to inadequate long-term functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The ligament is divided into two hemi-collateral ligaments by cutting it lengthwise, allowing one hemi-collateral ligament to be used for reconstruction while the other can be used for additional support or backup, thereby improving reliability without requiring a separate tendon harvest site
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses ligament tissue to replace damaged ligament tissue, ensuring homogeneous material properties between the graft and the native tissue. This eliminates the material property mismatch that occurs when tendon autografts are used, leading to better long-term functionality and integration
2Reliability
If tendon autografts are used for ligament reconstruction, then structural replacement is achieved, but material property mismatches result in inadequate long-term functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses ligament tissue to replace damaged ligament tissue, ensuring homogeneous material properties between the graft and the native tissue. This eliminates the material property mismatch that occurs when tendon autografts are used, leading to better long-term functionality and integration
3Reliability
If ligament-derived allografts are used instead of tendon autografts, then material property matching and biocompatibility are improved, but the availability of suitable donor ligaments may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses collateral ligaments from the knee, which are abundant and readily available from orthopedic procedures. These ligaments can be divided into hemi-collateral ligaments that can universally apply to various small joint reconstructions throughout the body, improving adaptability and availability
Solution Approach 2:
The ligament graft is prepared in advance by cutting it lengthwise to form hemi-collateral ligaments with specific dimensions suitable for small joints. This preliminary preparation ensures the graft is ready for immediate use in reconstruction procedures, improving availability and reducing surgical time
Data Source
AI summary
A ligament-derived graft is provided which comprises a portion of a ligament sample recovered from a mammalian donor and which has been cut approximately in half lengthwise, where the ligament derived graft has dimensions suitable for use in a surgical procedure to repair small to mid-sized, or less load bearing joints. Small joints for which the ligament-derived grafts may be used to repair, include, interphalangeal, metacarpophalangeal joint, scapholunate joint, and other joints. In some embodiments, the dimensions of the ligament-derived graft include a length of from about 50 mm to about 150 mm, and a width of from about 3 mm to about 20 mm. In some embodiments, ligament samples used to make the ligament-derived grafts are lateral or medial collateral ligaments. Methods of using such ligament-derived grafts include attaching one or more ligaments, at their ends, to bones on opposite sides of the joint being repaired, so that the ligament(s) extend across the joint. When two grafts are used, they may extend across the joint, either on the same or opposite lateral sides of the joint.